Asvas

Rocbouquet took immediate notice to how Angela focused her pleading pair of eyes on Garland, and felt her temper rising once more. Why did everybody here happen to be so annoying? Couldn't they just shut up and let her have her moment with the guy? Rocbouquet was unsure how much longer she could tolerate all the lies and painfully-obvious jealousy spewing from that purple-haired priss' mouth, but she knew she had to for Noel and Wagnas' sake—Without one of Cosmos' crystals in her possession, how could she fulfill her unspoken promise to free them, along with the rest of the Seven Heroes, from an eternity of suffering and imprisonment?—And yet she was so not about to let some sniveling sorceress ruin everything for her! This man was destined to become her prisoner of love, and nobody here was going to change his fate, not if she could help it! The temptress non-chalantly stepped in front of Garland just enough to obstruct his view of the purple-haired princess.

“Catastrophic? I...I don't understand,” Rocbouquet whimpered innocently in response to Angela's concerns. “Who is this Cosmos you speak of?” she asked, casting her demure gaze upon Garland's face as she voiced her confusion, although it was Angela who first mentioned the name. “And what does she have anything to do with collecting crystals?” As Rocbouquet asked this, she stepped a little closer to Garland, not expecting to be pelted in the face with her own mysterious stone. The temptress lept back in alarm.

“Ouch. How rude!” she huffed lightly, excusing her gaze from Garland to pout briefly at Sunset Shimmer as she rubbed away the pain from the side of her cheek. She felt the stone drop somewhere into the folds of the mint-green sash around her waist, and then shortly after, she heard a faint crackle as the gemstone hit the ground. Rocbouquet immediately crouched over to retrieve it from the sett pathway. “...Oh no,” she gasped.

An intricate web of fractures permeated the crystal's innermost silky sheen. When Rocbouquet went to pick up her cat's eye talisman, it split almost perfectly down the center. The temptress held the cracked stone in her hands for a moment in silence, a visible frown upon her face. Something so delicate, so beautiful. Shattered. Just like that. As much as she wanted to care, she couldn't. And yet a slight uneasiness stirred within her tainted heart when she stared at the two halves. Rocbouquet felt a breeze stir past her. A weak manifestation of her power.

Big brother...Wagnas...

She clenched her fist around the gemstone halves and shook her head in denial, her voluminous blue hair fluttering elegantly in the soft breeze as tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

Whatever. It never mattered to me anyway, just like everything else...

Rocbouquet quickly discarded the gemstone into the nearby trees without a second thought. Sniffling, she looked to Garland for consolation, but uttered nothing more than a half-hearted, “...I-I guess we should get going then. You should probably try to find the crystal you're seeking before it gets dark,” before starting reluctantly toward the township after Sunset Shimmer. Oh, but she should probably let him lead the way—at least for now, she reminded herself. Rocbouquet stopped beside Garland and adverted her gaze shyly to the pathway. “I just hope my brother is going to be okay,” she murmured, waiting for him to set the rest of the group into motion.

Asvas

Buggy watched as Roc did her thing and was confident that their group would find their other crystals soon but he agreed with moving sooner if not later. "You know I don't mean to step out of line here but I really think that we should get moving if we're going to find all the crystals and things. Mr. Garland sir, since we are apparently in your world...could you please direct us?"

Papyrus-Asvas
Papyrus winced audibly once he saw her shadow towering over him, as the Rocbouquet began to scold and laugh at him. He gave an awkward smile as he continued his search with haste in an attempt to hide the ever-growing shame growing within himself. What if the roles had been reversed, and it had been a gift to Papyrus from Sans? One of the only things to take comfort in as they braved these dangerous and strange worlds? He could only imagine what she was feeling. He really shouldn't have called it a pebble. It was really that important to her, and he couldn't let her lose such a precious item given to her-by her brother, of all people!
But before he knew what was happening, the unicorn had found it. Before Papyrus could even express his thanks, he saw Rocbouquet halt, clench a fist and immediately discard the jewel behind a tree. It didn't take a genus to know the gem had broken.
 Papyrus got up off of the ground as the group was talking-he caught bits of the conversation, something Angela mentioned about that cursed first meeting with Lady Cosmos-and felt a surge of guilt of thinking badly of the summons. It was something he wasn't willing to admit to himself yet; though with all his fear and doubts mounting on as time passed, it would seem quite obvious that he had unpleasant feelings toward the woman who had summoned the heroes for assistance. 
Shoving his doubts deep within himself, he preoccupied his time by shifting his way through the branches to see if he could find the discarded object; which he could. It was somewhat ironic how quickly he found it, seeing as it was his inability to find it was what lead the chain of events to lead to it being broken in the first place. He gently picked up the pieces and approached the blue haired girl.
"I cannot tell you how sorry I am. Perhaps Lady Cosmos could fix it? She was able to summon all of us-or at least, half of us-here from all over the place. She should be able to fix it, no problem!"
He held his hand out to her, the two halves resting gently in his gloved palm. 
"Besides, if it was a gift from your brother, would you really be okay with throwing it away like this?"

Asvas

Rocbouquet stood next to Garland on the cobblestone pathway in silence, awaiting further instruction from him when she noticed Papyrus duck away from the group, into the trees of all places. The young seductress frowned. For crying out loud. Why was that skeleton rummaging through the shrubs where she had tossed the talisman? So simple-minded. Was it drawn to the aura escaping the magical stone?

What Papyrus did next surprised her. Rocbouquet stared at the skeleton warrior in disbelief as he presented the previously discarded yellow halves to her in the palm of his gloved hand, suggesting that "Lady Cosmos" might be able to fix them.

"...Besides, if it was a gift from your brother, would you really be okay with throwing it away like this?"

The cold expression upon her face melted at his brief mentioning of her brother. The corners of her eyes filled once more with tears. Lie or not, how could she permit her selfishness to throw away what she claimed Noel, her beloved big brother, had bestowed upon her? What if he actually gifted the gemstone to her but her recollection of the occasion was diluted by the memories of the restless souls constantly plaguing her consciousness and warping her perception of the world after centuries of over-assimilation? How could she be so certain she had simply unearthed the treasure while rummaging through ruins from her time when so many other tender memories seemed to fade away the longer she persisted in this form of twisted beauty? Rocbouquet let Papyrus' question sink to the bottom of her soul before responding, her lips quivering weakly.

“No,” she answered him honestly.

But she needed to stay focused. Sentiment had no place in this forsaken hell devoid of Noel and Wagnas' affection. The sooner this group of maggots moved onward, the sooner she could see to realizing Wagnas' goal, and that's all that mattered. But then why did this skeleton's kindness hurt her so much?

Looking Papyrus dead in the eye, the temptress blinked away her tears. The corners of her lips curled upward into a subtle smirk.

“But...You're a monster! Why do you care?” she blurted out in bemusement. She snatched up the pieces from his hand. Her fingers curled around the fragments, two useless halves originally meant to protect against blindness. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she adverted them cynically. “Why fix things when you merely exist to consume and destroy them? I...I don't understand,” she whispered gently.

Rocbouquet figured he was just trying to confuse her, taking her youthful guise as a sign of naivety. After all, a beautiful maiden was an easy target for a monster seeking to provoke violence from its adversaries: the compassionate human populations of the world. That or he was simply acting out of desire, drawn to her sensuality like every other monster. Yet something about him seemed different—Genuine. Pure even—And it was absolutely despicable.

Papyrus-Asvas
All it took were a few sentences to send Papyrus back home. Back to when the monsters were imprisoned, and back to when they were first free. 

Back to when they first met the humans on the surface.

And it hurt. 

The humans were afraid and suspicious. Even if he presented himself as best as possible, they would still avert their gazes. Even if the children were curious, as children often are, the parents would scoop them up as though protecting them from the most dangerous of things and run back inside.

And they were always the most afraid of Papyrus and his brother, Sans. Imagine their horror when they learned that they legitimately looked like human skeletons; and reminded the humans of the undead! It was a terrible experience for all involved. Even as monsters were gradually integrated within society, he and his brother would still get glances from humans from behind the shelves. Whispers to eachother when they thought they were out of earshot. 

To think, Papyrus had forgotten all of this. And all it took were a few words to make him feel like a monster.

His back stiffened, and he could feel the burn of shame across his face. He immediately cast his eyes to the ground. He'd become more emotionally raw as this dangerous journey progressed, and he was no longer able to keep up that go-lucky, cheery attitude that he'd normally use for such a situation to make the humans more at ease with his presence.

He could only mutter: "I'm sorry if my presence has offended you."

As if he needed another reason to feel small.

Asvas

I'm sorry if my presence...has [offended] you? the temptress repeated in her mind, the look upon her face somewhere between a mixture of confusion and disgust, as Papyrus submitted to her with shame written all over his face.

“...I didn't know monsters had feelings—or brothers,” she observed solemnly. Rocbouquet paused for a moment, her eyes trailing back to her open palms. She gave the fractured cat's eye one last lingering glance before pocketing its two pieces beneath her skirt and plunging deep into thought, forgetting about everybody else around her: those unimportant pests with whom she happened to share the same cursed predicament. “I guess we have more in common than I initially expected,” she murmured softly.

After merging with monsters, I lost the ability to care—or so I had thought. Even as I grew tired of this wretched life, I could not stop thinking about Wagnas and Noel and how much they still meant to me. No matter how many times I begged for this infinite cycle of despair to end, my thoughts always returned to them; how disappointed they must have been to see me like this, how I had failed everybody as a hero; yet nothing that happened to us in the other world could make me forget how happy I was to be with them, or how I loved them both so dearly. They are still important to me despite what I've become.

Turning her attention back to Papyrus, Rocbouquet suddenly spoke up after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

“...Is it because there is someone out there that you love dearly?” she mused almost indifferently, casting her gaze toward the tower in the distance. “Is that what differentiates you from the rest?”

Papyrus-Asvas
Papyrus stood there, slowly being drowned in memories and self doubt, looking at his feet. He was a monster after all-and had become more aware of just how unusual his presence was. Sure, there was the unicorn and the purple man, but the unicorn is a symbol of everything harmless and pure, and at least the purple man had a human-esque form. 

Every world they traveled, they fought other creatures-monsters, as they'd pointed out time and again, that were native to the lands-and it was confusing, as much as it was horrifying. Why didn't any of them talk? Why did they immediately attack? They were truly beasts, as Rocbouquet had said-existing simply to destroy, consume, and multiply. 

What made him so different? 
 
“...Is it because there is someone out there that you love dearly? Is that what differentiates you from the rest?”

That question caused a single drop in the sea of anxiety that was his mind, and it seemed to echo throughout his entire being. He knew the answer. Just as he had known it all his life. Every time his brother made a joke, every time he trained with Undyne, every time he chatted on the phone with Alphys, and every time the humans would look at him with such unease in their eyes-a look not that dissimilar to what Rocbouquet was giving him now. 

All it took was one question to remind him why he was fighting so hard. 

"Yes. I do."

His entire posture changed, he was no longer shrunken down like a child brought down by schoolyard bullies, but was standing tall and proud. Such was the confidence behind his answer. 

"I have friends, and family. They've always been by my side, even when things were things were at their darkest. It was hard, but they did so much more for me then they could ever imagine. I could never let them wallow in such despair, so I had to do my best to save them from it-no matter how little of it I could actually resolve for them."

So many monsters had given up hope. Simply existing day to day was no way to live, especially if they resigned themselves to their fate underground as if it was an eternal grave that someone just hadn't fully buried yet. 

His brother had been one of them. 

"And now, they're living happily. For the first time ever, they're free to live under the sun and stars. Things may still get tough from time to time, but things will never return to the way it was."

Papyrus lightly grabbed the end of his scarf and stared at it. The scarf, the armor, even his gloves-he didn't make them. They were all made and gifted by the ones he cared about most. 

"I was there for them for their darkest moments. And I plan on returning to them to enjoy their lightest. I don't know if that's what makes me 'different' though-"

These reaffirming statements were filling Papyrus with determination-a feeling that he'd begun to dread he'd lost. 

"I'm the only 'me' I've ever known. I don't think it's that special at all."

Angela - Asvas

Now that was just great. Is it so hard for this girl to just listen for once instead of questioning everything or hogging everyone's attention? What part of 'we have to hurry' was so difficult for her to comprehend, choosing instead to ask about the whole backstory of Cosmos and her crystals? If she really wanted to know then surely her brand new loveboy would be more than glad to explain once they actually started walking.

But luckily, Angela was spared the needless explanations as the unicorn distracted Rocbouquet by throwing her precious little stone straight to her face. Angela briefly looked down to the ground as she struggled to conceal a forming smirk.

Moments after, the blue-haired girl casually discarded the stone, which had apparently cracked into two. She didn't seem to take it particularly hard. So much fuss for nothing, really, but what else would she expect. She finally agreed to get going, but then Papyrus recovered the broken pieces and offered them back to her, along with an apology. Angela pressed her fingers against her forehead; such a kind-hearted fool. What was he even sorry about? How was any of this even remotely his fault? Whatever; if that would help her pipe down, so be it.

But of course it would not. Instead, she chose to simply straight up call him a monster, who exists only to destroy things. Angela tightened her grip on her staff. Seriously?? What was wrong with this girl?? Papyrus did everything he could to get the girl saved, find her precious stone that she lost, and even picked up for her the pieces that she threw, and even apologized on top of that - how dare she talk to him like that?? Surely, his appearance is not exactly conventional, but his actions so far have spoken far louder. Perhaps Papyrus would finally give her a piece of his mind after all this, but from the little she knew him, she wouldn't count on it...

BUT INSTEAD HE WENT AHEAD AND APOLOGIZED AGAIN.

Angela was practically ready to explode by now, but held back as Rocbouquet elaborated on her misinterpretation of 'monsters' in response to Papyrus' somber statement - which was no apology of course, but Angela would bet it was the best she could do. But as they continued talking...

Papyrus opened up to her.

Sure, he had also shared bits and pieces of his story with them already, but it seemed like this time, he was going deeper. Something that the girl had said, something that she asked, apparently had struck a chord. He opened to her, possibly more than he had opened up to her or Garland.

...It wasn't so unreasonable, she supposed. It's not as if they were besties or anything. They have practically known each other for some hours. What did he actually think of them, she wondered? In the end, it's mostly been battle after battle... Did he think they enjoyed it? Did he think that this was all they cared about? He probably thought that this presumably innocent damsel was the only one actually decent enough in this place, didn't he...

Hmph. Such a kind-hearted fool indeed.

"Shall we, then," she merely stated out loud, her voice rather cold and emotionless - at least as much as three simple words could betray. She started walking along with the unicorn - perhaps she was the one that had the most sense, after all.

Garland couldn't dismiss the growing feeling of awkwardness when Rocbouquet appeared to be disappointed with his answer, though if only for the briefest of moments. Had she been counting on him to take up her goals with a singular focus? Perhaps the young lady did get her expectations up too quickly, but it was her vocal response which provoked a sensation of uneasiness. It felt somehow.. scripted, or rehearsed, far in advance.

Did I stumble into some secret mummery exhibition? Is she talking to me or to an audience beyond the fourth wall?

His eyes darted from Rocbouquet towards Papyrus, who brought some mild embarrassment upon himself with the loss of a pebble.  In turn, Miss Angela offered her own expressions of concern - whether it was for Papyrus, the sentimental value of the gemstone, or for the urgency of their purpose in Asvas, it was not quite certain.

Rocbouquet and Papyrus proceeded to have an exchange over the intrinsic qualities of monsters and humans - one that, thankfully, did not look as if it were going to resort to anything violent. Whatever quarrel had started up was resolved in as many words as it was instigated. The skeletal guardsman seemed to be all too willing to take a diplomatic, peace-seeking outlook in his dealings with the opinionated young woman, yet Garland wasn't going to question his character too harshly. Papyrus was dependable in a battle, seemingly fearing more for the loss of a friend than for personal injuries.

Meanwhile, Angela and Sunset Shimmer appeared to be of mutual understanding in that they had been wasting enough time, even going so far as to walk on ahead together. What a very strange time to be alive. Signalling briefly to Rocbouquet with his hand, Garland pointed ahead in the direction of the pony and purple-haired prestidigitator. He hustled forward, walking with increased purpose and urgency - but not enough to yet break his stride.

"From here, we should begin to see the business district of Asvas. We're entering a township that, for all appearances, should be peaceful and prosperous."

Asvas

Rocbouquet listened closely to the words of Papyrus, which seemed to boost his confidence the more he opened up to her.

“I see. A monster with a pure heart,” she mused in a thoughtful manner. “So you've found a purpose in this world of humans through friends and family....”

How is that possible?

She needed not to think hard before examples from her own world surfaced in her memory, and that only fueled her annoyance. Moles and mermaids. Salamanders and irises. Monsters all lending their services to humans of the modern world for the "common good" preached by those imperial pests back in Avalon.

...Disgusting.

Such relationships were never meant to exist: Monsters cannot be heroes.

The temptress cast her bitter thoughts aside for a moment, her mind becoming flooded with images of Noel and Wagnas instead as she cycled back through bits of Papyrus' answer. Something about his words seemed to resonate with her, but in her current state, she could not fully grasp why.

“I could never let them wallow in such despair, so I had to do my best to save them from it—no matter how little of it I could actually resolve....”

“I think I understand; I wish for big brother and Wagnas to be happy too. I wish for them to smile again...” she responded once Papyrus finished speaking, her voice warm in a sort of detatched sentimental way as she recalled fragments of her past life: those simpler times with Noel back in the capital, and the day she had first met Wagnas—and even Orieve, who Noel quickly grew fond of—up until the termite attacks and the monsters, and the need for heroes to take action. Her acceptance as a member of the Seven Heroes. Wagnas and Noel's determination, Kzinssie's whining, Dantarg's strength, Bokhohn's strategy, Subier's support. Their great victory, and their devastation when the entire town suddenly turned against them and sent them off to another dimension. Those beautiful smiles shattered by the betrayal of the kingdom they fought so hard to protect.

In her deep reflective state, Rocbouquet managed to catch a brief glimpse of Garland's gesture toward the others and tilted her head back playfully to acknowledge him, although, she felt anything but playful at the moment. She directed her eyes briefly toward the township and its distant tower, and then once more to Garland as he set off after Angela and Sunset Shimmer. They narrowed slightly.

...Which is why I cannot let any of you fools find the crystal before I do!

It was time to move on. She had wasted enough time standing around, dwelling on the past. Resuming a milder expression, Rocbouquet looked at Papyrus, and then briefly Buggy and Frieza, who seemed to have waited for her instead of following the others. She motioned her palm toward Garland, Angela, Sunset Shimmer, and the road leading further into the nearby town.

“Well, then. Shall we?”

But before any of the stragglers had a chance to agree or disagree, she started off after Garland on her own. It did not take her long to catch up with the determined young man, and when she did, she eagerly reached forward and caught a hold of his hand, which she then used to boost herself forward the remaining distance.

“You thought you could leave me behind, didn't you?” she teased in a light-hearted manner. “You're just like my brother!” Her hand slipped away from his to conceal her soft giggles. “So this place is called Asvas? What is it best known for?” Rocbouquet asked, feigning an innocent curiosity as she walked alongside him, pretending to look around at the trees and the sky and the many buildings they passed like she cared, when in fact she did not.

Traveling in a group of seven. How painfully ironic, she thought behind her pleasant facade, a subtle frown manifesting on her pursed lips. It pained her how low she, a member of the Seven Heroes, and a well-revered queen and conqueror of men, had stooped since waking up in this wretched nightmare. She still could not believe she had barely missed the opportunity to snatch a crystal for herself in Snowdin, and that she had to resort to her damsel game just to join this posse of annoying pests in their journey to claim yet another crystal for that stupid Cosmos woman they seemed to look up to so much. And what would Wagnas think of all this fake flirting? Surely it would give him the wrong message! Ugh. Such a nuisance predicament.

Strands of her long, sky-blue hair quivered weakly the longer she allowed herself to stare off blankly into space. Realizing this, Rocbouquet quickly reeled in her thoughts and resumed a greater focus on the question she had posed to prevent Garland and the others from misinterpreting her frequent bouts of silence. The modest smile returned to girl's face. She then proceeded to pretend as if she had been trying to answer her own question this entire time:

“Hmm... Let me guess! Beautiful crystals?” she exclaimed hopefully.

It better damn well be.

Asvas

Buggy was standing around waiting for everyone to start moving again when he noticed that Sunset and the one known as Angela walking together and ran up behind them and walked behind them ready to see the business district that Garland mentioned. He was thinking of things that he wanted that maybe he would be able to steal and he was good at that, well mostly. He was also thinking of what they were going to do when this "Team" they made would break.

When floozy #2 Angela strode into place next to Sunset, she could not help but smirk upon first glance of the young girl's face. Jealousy was written all over no matter how hard she tried to hide it. It was satisfying thinking about the two floozies fighting over Garland. Yes, Rocbouquet’s ruse was beneficial, as temporary as it may be, but at the end of the day, Sunset had no need for colts, or men, in this case, and those two being distracted with that Garland--what did they see in him anyway?--just meant all the more opportunity to what she wanted. Sunset flipped her mane and sped up her trot to stay slightly ahead of the group. Thankfully, all seven of them were finally moving along.

Garland’s description of the upcoming town was accurate. It looked as quaint as any place in Equestria, like...bleh...Ponyville. Sunset internally groaned at the reminder of her home world, especially that particular picture perfect place. She had only been there a few times and the ponies there were crazy! Obsessed with friendship and being kind and neighborly. She was there barely five minutes on an errand for Celestia and they were wanting to throw her a welcome party! She shuddered, shaking off the memory and bringing her thoughts back to the town.

Rocbouquet was prattling on to Garland, and it took another small speed up of her trot to get just out of ear shot. She should be listening, but Sunset was having difficulty stomaching the fake flirting. Sunset peering from building to building, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Granted, it was not like this place was actually real. It then dawned on Sunset that these three fools had yet to realize everything here was an illusion. They weren’t really in Asvas. They were still somewhere in that desolate world Sunset had found herself in hours ago.

She paused, turning to eye the group behind her thoughtfully. She wondered if this was all Chaos's doing. Stringing them along in other similar illusions? Or perhaps instead Cosmos, who had apparently sent them out on a mission? But...if that were the case...why would Cosmos put these fools on a wild goose chase for crystals she scattered herself throughout this world? They had not exactly been clear about why Cosmos had sent them.

“Why does Cosmos want you to collect the crystals?” she asked Angela with genuine curiosity. Despite having deemed her floozy #2, she was the nearest to Sunset, and to be honest, Sunset did not really want to talk with any of the others. The “men” of the group all seemed too preoccupied with the true floozy of the group, Rocbouquet, and that was the last voice she wanted grating in her ears. Perhaps if she pretended enough with Angela, she could get some answers besides “stopping people like you”.

“My only instructions were to stop you all from getting them, at the threat of my life,” she added, feigning some sort of expression of fear or sadness, “I don’t really understand this whole situation beyond that…”

Papyrus-Asvas
Papyrus felt his heart swell with Rocbouquet's response as she reclaimed the stone. It felt wonderful to be understood-especially by someone who had thought ill of monsters. Granted, if any of the monsters back in her world was anything like the ones they've encountered thus far-he couldn't entirely blame her. She'd also been put in uncompromising situations like he had-though Papyrus had been fortunate enough to find a party that didn't threaten his life. With a bit of pep in his step, he placed himself next to Angela, watching how the blue haired girl was back to hanging all over Garland-her mood having returned back to normal

Perhaps the next thing he could teach Rocbouquet was about personal space, and learning when someone was clearly not interested in your flirting. And Papyrus had thought Alphys was awkward when it came to romantic endeavors! 

Avas was prettier then Papyrus had thought it would be, though he got hit with a sense of Deja Vu. Even though it looked like it was a bustling little village-there wasn't as single soul to be seen. The strange state of vacancy almost mirrored how Angela's city had looked. 

It was as though everyone had just vanished.

Angela - Asvas

Finally, they were making some progress. Unsurprisingly, the blue-haired girl did not miss the chance to tighten her grip on Garland after she had been distracted by Papyrus for a few moments, but whatever. He was a grown man. If he fell for such over-the-edge flattery and clinginess, then that was his problem. Heck, she could do it better, if she wanted. Perhaps she ought to show her how it's done. She glanced back to the pair for a bit, considering...

Whatever. The sooner they were done with this whole thing and sent the little nuisance back wherever she came from, the better.

Asvas looked to be a quaint little town. And as empty as always, which was to be expected, by now. There are no signs of forced or rushed abandonment or anything; it was simply conveniently empty. Angela still did not know what to make of this whole thing. Where are they really? And why would the crystals be hidden in places that look familiar to them, anyway? But it would probably do no good to overthink this. When they were done, perhaps Cosmos could explain.

The pony's questions snapped Angela away from her thoughts. Why they were doing this, huh? She thought for a moment. Did she really know why? Cosmos had tried to explain some things, somewhat, but it's not like everything was so perfectly clear to her.

"Something about Chaos trying to take over," she replied as she struggled for words, attempting to explain what she did not fully understand either, "and disrupting the balance of the universe. Apparently, the energy from those crystals can put a halt to his plans... somehow?" she questioned her own statement, as she revealed the two crystals in her hand and regarded them for a few seconds. Unlike the shining crystal in Papyrus' possession, these two still resembled plain gray rocks after their energy had been released.

"I don't really understand how that will happen... Or what do we have to do with all this. If she really were in such dire need of assistance, you would think she could have summoned an established team that already knows how to battle together, but..." she trailed off. It's funny; the more she tried to think of it, the less sense it made to her.

"Well, I've had my share of dealing with people who try to take over the world and do as they please, so I suppose it felt right," she shrugged. "What about you? He must have chosen you for a reason. Do you not seek world domination, destruction, and the whole package?" she asked in a half-mocking tone, but she was curious to know of their own motives. Isn't the world that Chaos must have promised them, what they want? Why defy him?

Sunset sighed as Angela’s answer brought no surprises or more insight. Same story just the other side and Angela didn’t seem entirely too confident in her answers either. Being the goody she was, Sunset had watched Angela as she spoke and being the goody she was, could take her words as nothing but the truth, as lame as it was. Their group was just as mismatched as her own, as reluctant as she was to call them a group, and they didn’t even know how to use the crystals

Rocbouquet had acted so smart earlier about knowledge of the crystals but she probably knows even less! Sunset truly hoped that one of these do-gooders would be stupid enough to allow her to hold one of the crystals. She didn’t think she’d be able to contain the laughter as she watched Rocbouquet throw a tantrum at being repelled.

Sunset’s expression darkened at Angela’s question. Why had she been chosen? She was pretty sure it was just a cruel trick to watch her suffer in some manner. Chaos probably got off on something like but…

“I only want my revenge,” Sunset replied, looking ahead, realizing that perhaps that might not match up with her story earlier. She tried to adjust her expression and tone, though it wasn't easy.

“It was our lives that he promised. I just want to return home, to finish what I started.”

For the briefest of moments, Garland had felt Rocbouquet's hand take ahold of his and use it to regain her pacing alongside him. Before he could question what likenesses he shared with the woman's brother, she raised a surprisingly complex question of Asvas's history. Garland continued walking along for a few moments, briefly lost in his own thoughts. How could he best summarize the history of this city-state? A nagging silence issued forth, one that was brief but far too palpable. Almost on cue, the young lady offered her own initial impression.

“Hmm... Let me guess! Beautiful crystals?"

A small chuckle burst forth from Garland's lips, prompting him to shake his head. "Not quite, Rocbouquet. Asvas isn't making its fortunes from exotic gems or other mineral wealth. This land is exceptionally arable, and was originally settled by a farming commune. Rather than simply cut everyone loose to make their fortunes with varying degrees of success, the Enthroned decided to measure the skills of the pioneers who accompanied them to the nearby Glossbough River."

Garland trailed behind Angela and Sunset, quietly surmising there was some kind of private chat occupying their immediate attention. He didn't linger too far behind, in the event they had any sort of interest in his firsthand history account. Pointing ahead to the tall edifice of marble and bleached granite, Garland spoke at a comfortable 'outside' voice, some pleasant compromise between soft conversation and projected oratory to an indeterminate audience. 

"Just ahead of us, at the base of the tower, the Agricultural Services Vocational Aptitude Survey was conducted in order to utilize every person's talents to generate wealth. Wealth that everyone could enjoy, rather than a small handful of plutocrats."

"That social experiment didn't last long, however. Asvas's success began attracting more migrants, but its strict set of rules were never meant to be applied to a large body of settlers. After consulting with his peers, Barak Whitefire of the Enthroned made a significant first step towards the town's reform and growth by transferring legal control to a council of aldermen. From that point on, Asvas was no longer a small commune with rigid, inflexible laws; it gradually evolved into a commonwealth."

The winged man wondered whether Angela or Sunset would be able to overhear him, or whether even his exposition was of any interest. Rocbouquet had brought up the question, so she at least seemed interested enough in the question of Asvas's relevance to their universe-spanning quest.

For now, Garland would omit some of the unpleasant details. No one else needed to know that Asvas was previously endangered by a hideous disease on two separate occassions, or that a cult of death worshippers aimed to harvest Asvas's living population as if their bodies and spirits were but mere stalks of wheat.

"What bothers me is that we should be in the middle of a thriving and growing township.. and yet, I haven't seen one soul here that I recognize."

Asvas

Rocbouquet spotted Angela stealing occasional glances back at her and Garland as she and Sunset chatted with one another; while Papyrus, Frieza, and Buggy followed close by, seemingly lost in thought. The seductress put a finger to her cheek and tilted her head. What were those two so chummy about all of a sudden? Although Rocbouquet caught no more than a few words from their conversation, she figured they were complaining about her—especially Angela, who appeared to be picking apart her appearance, hoping to find fault in her beauty where it did not exist—probably because they were both jealous of how effortlessly she managed to win over Garland. Rocbouquet sneered. That stupid priss could think whatever she wanted; she could hardly be considered physically attractive anyway.

Even Wagnas wouldn't be into [that] type of beauty, Rocbouquet concluded in mild amusement. Her undivided attention eventually returned to the man traveling alongside her once he revealed that Avas' wealth lies in its agricultural success.

“Guess I was getting my hopes up a little too soon, wasn't I?” The temptress chuckled back in an effort to play along with his response, her allusion to Cosmos' crystals seemingly passing over his head. As Garland enlightened her further with a summary of Asvas' economic history, Rocbouquet found herself picturing the foggy outlines of young pioneers in the nearby fields, some harrowing the land after a long morning of seeding, while the remaining individuals worked in small groups cutting down oak trees to make use of the wood for their newly erected dwellings.

Garland then directed rest of the group's attention to the base of the stone edifice, and continued his concise history lesson with an explanation of the Agricultural Services Vocational Aptitude Survey, accrediting Barak Whitefire and his political reform with Asvas' transformation into a commonwealth. Rocbouquet placed herself at the top of this tower in one of the window cutouts and imagined watching the faceless figures from a distance as they slaved away for her and her ideals instead of Barak Whitefire of this so-called Enthroned that Garland kept referring to. However, his concern of a lack of familiar faces pulled her away from her thoughts and placed her back on Asvas' vacant streets.

“It's a bit lonely here now that you mention it....” Rocbouquet commented, a slight frown forming in the corner of her lips as she and the six other travelers ventured deeper into the business district. Was this place merely another illusion? Would she end up back in Chaos' desolate void if she strayed too far from the center of the town? That tower looked so real though. Rocbouquet reached her hand out wishing to touch its cold granite surface.    

“Speaking of the tower, what exactly is this one used for? Do you know?” she asked Garland, her curiosity in the town's central monument growing as the combined Chaos-Cosmos party ventured toward it. “Back in Eirunep, the towers—”

Rocbouquet hesitated. She couldn't just tell him about the interdimensional magic like that...or could she? The temptress pondered this thought for a moment. It's not like Garland was from her tribe, though if the Ancients originally designed the towers for interdimensional travel, it was likely they may have later used the technology to expand across the universe and inhabit other worlds. Would those traitors have warned other realms of the Seven Heroes? Rocbouquet didn't doubt it in the slightest after the way the entire capital had gone and called her and the others a bunch of monsters before exiling them to that horrid abyss.

Finding an excuse for why she dropped the subject, the temptress could not help but look once more to Angela and Sunset and wonder what they were still talking about that required so much privacy from her and Garland. Surely they were up to something annoying.

“Hmph! It's pretty rude of them to walk on ahead without the one who clearly knows the most about this town, don't you think?” Rocbouquet observed matter-of-factly. She made sure to enunciate her soft voice loudly enough for the rest of the group to overhear on the off-chance that they might be eavesdropping. Turning once to Garland, she motioned ahead to the others with a slight frown of disapproval.

“If you would excuse me for just a moment...” she requested abruptly before darting forward a good couple of meters past the rest of the group to catch up with Sunset and Angela.

“...”

“So do you two even know where you're going?” Rocbouquet asked, nonchalantly forcing herself between the pair, ignoring whatever they were discussing prior to her interruption. “Why not let one of the men lead the way instead?” She motioned the palm of her hand back toward Garland and Buggy—not that she really wanted Buggy in charge of her well-being. For now, the suggestion served as an adequate cover up for her real intentions—“It's proper etiquette, you know, to let a man take charge of the group!—That's what big brother tells me anyway,” she made sure to point out briefly as if Noel's alleged statement justified her opinion. Rocbouquet stopped along the path and fixated her tender gaze on Angela. “Are you not a proper woman?” she asked raising a curious brow as she gave Angela a sweet, naive look that was in itself almost as provocative as her innocuous inquiry.

Angela - Asvas

"Revenge, huh..." she repeated, letting the words linger off. Revenge was something dark, she supposed, but not necessarily evil. It could even be justified, depending on the circumstances... Was hers? Did it matter? Angela doubted that Sunset would be all that willing to go into much more detail, so she did not press further.

"To go back home... I guess that's a common goal among us all then," she commented as Sunset continued. "Hopefully we can pick up the remaining crystals quickly and go back to Cosmos. I'm sure she can settle this for all of us. Or so I hope."

She looked back once more at the duo behind them. Garland was talking about something, pointing around, and Rocbouquet's attention was split between her surroundings and her knight in shining armor. She could practically imagine little stars sparkling in her eyes from her exaggerated enthusiasm.

Give me a break.

"Where did you pick that one up, anyway?" she asked as she turned her attention back to Sunset. "Some taste for prisoners you have..." she teased. "For someone who just got rescued and is still walking right beside her captors, she looks as if she's on a romantic trip with her lover-boy instead. Of all the places..."

Not long after, and much to Angela's dismay, the blue haired girl caught up with her and the unicorn-pony. She practically cringed as she heard her annoying voice so close to her ears once more. It was probably ironic that she found travelling with her enemy much more enjoyable than with a presumably innocent person who simply got caught up in this whole thing, but it could not be helped with that kind of attitude of hers!

Resisting so hard the urge to roll her eyes yet again as she started yammering about, Angela's expression turned to one of genuine confusion and curiosity as Rocbouquet suggested that a man had to be in the lead. "Proper etiquette?", she questioned. "Why would that be so?" After all, Angela grew up in a kingdom without a King. A kingdom which managed to be sustained from the bitter cold just outside the gates thanks to the Queen's magic alone. And a kingdom for which she, a girl, was the sole heir and next in line to rule. She was not used to men having any sort of dominant position in her life thus far.

"Well, I do suppose it would make sense for Garland to lead the way, considering he knows the place," she reluctantly admitted, at the same time completely dismissing the notion that he should lead solely out of virtue of being a man, "but that tower is pretty hard to miss, don't you think?" she concluded as she forced a smile on her lips, just realizing that she was more or less explaining herself to that annoying former captive! Who was she to question her anyway??

Asvas
Buggy continued to walk behind Sunset and Angela listening to them than hearing Roc and Garland speak up. He turned back for a moment then decided to go talk with their skeleton friend, Papyrus. speeding up, he went up beside the bony warrior.

"So...Papyrus...how are you doing so far? I mean, what is the thing you want most out of this? I bet you were a real strong guy back in your world, so what is it like back there anyway? We were only there for a short time and it was pretty wild. Is everyone in your world like you? that sounds interesting if it's like that you know...I bet it's not like here...I thought this place would be filled with people or something..."

Buggy wanted to get more involved talking to everyone and obviously talking was not his strong point.

Papyrus-Asvas
Papyrus had been busy observing those in front of him. While he couldn't hear every word, it was obvious that the four of them were getting at each others' throats-a little bit, anyways. Papyrus had thought that he'd managed to help Rocbouquet calm down even a little bit after her stone broke, so he'd been hoping she'd be a little more polite. They were all allies now- though apparently tensions were still a bit higher for his liking. Shouldn't they be trying harder to get along, work together and find the crystal? 

Then the pirate jogged up to him and began barraging him with questions. The way the questions were worded were weird-small talk clearly wasn't his strong suit. It was made even more awkward once Papyrus remembered how the man was literally drooling over the portrait of some woman when they had first met. No matter what way you looked at it, Papyrus really wasn't comfortable talking to him.

But this wasn't like him at all. 

Didn't he just regain his footing after the talk with Rocbouquet? There's more to every person then first appearances, Papyrus reminded himself. Much like how Rocbouquet went from timid, to angry, to thoughtful in the moments he first met her-stress and constant fighting make emotions and thoughts act erratically. Papyrus wasn't an exception to that, either. Even after his own pep-talk, he still wasn't back to one-hundred percent. 

But who's to say Buggy wasn't feeling something similar? The group of them had clearly all been through similar circumstances-and being dragged out of your world would have a heavy impact on anybody. Perhaps, even as almost cringeworhy as it was-this was Buggys' way of trying to clear the air now that they were allies?

"It has been pretty crazy, huh?" Papryus gave a nervous chuckle. "I've been wondering where everyone is, too. It's strange. My home isn't like this though-there's a lot of tall buildings, cars and lights. It's full of a lot of different people and monsters living their daily lives to the best it can be."

Sunset opened her mouth to reply to Angela’s question about their “prisoner” and had to promptly close it. She was about to just tell Angela everything. It certainly was tempting… She could even play off that she had nothing to do with the ruse and throw that broad and stupid ugly “emperor” under the bus. Sighing, she just decided to deflect the question.

“I don’t wanna ta--” and she was promptly interrupted by that incessant whining voice that she just wished would disappear forever.

“So do you two even know where you're going?” and it just went on and on. Proper etiquette? Proper etiquette!? Why does that even matter!?

"Just keep up the ruse and leave me alone, you dumb bimbo!!" was what Sunset wanted to shout at Rocbouquet. Flirting and making that brainless man her eventual slave was evidently not enough to keep her satisfied, and she just to put her floozy nose in everyone's business.

“Oh you and your brother can just shove it, you old blow hard,” Sunset grumbled, her horn glowing slightly. Discreetly, she made a small whip of air flick Rocbouquet on her ear. Nothing too harmful, just like the sting of a bug. Sunset smirked before dramatically flipping her mane as she turned to continue on towards the tower.

It was a good thing Angela had mentioned the tower because Sunset truly had no idea what their true destination was beyond investigating the town, but she wasn’t about to admit that.

Asvas

Unlike Angela, who enjoyed the privilege of roaming her family's kingdom at her own discretion since childhood, Rocbouquet spent much of her innocent years in the safety of her beloved brother Noel's shadow, looking up to his wisdom and questioning little, for it was he who nurtured her modesty with his constant attention and affection; though her voice grew louder the closer she neared adulthood and realized, much to her brother's dismay, that she did not wish to embrace a domestic life or settle down as just any man's bride like other girls her age and social status. Instead, she sought to join the party led by Wagnas, an aristocrat whom she wished to assist out of romantic desire, hoping one day to be taken in as his bride. Noel, however, strongly advised against Rocbouquet's participation in Wagnas' party, suggesting that her dreams were impossible for her social standing, despite her receiving word that her gender would be overlooked on the application if she could defeat him.

Rocbouquet, you are a woman. A woman cannot join the party.

Drawing upon this essence of her past enabled Rocbouquet to answer the other adolescent girl's questioning with ease, pretending as if she were reciting some social etiquette lesson back to Noel prior to her acceptance as the only female member of the Seven Heroes.

“Why? Because it makes a man look bad if a woman escorts him in public, and I promised big brother that I would study hard to become a loyal bride,” she explained, her lie a promise she could not keep even a thousand years ago. “Besides, how do you know Garland wishes for us to head to the tower? You weren't even listening to him,” she pointed out with a soft sigh and an accompanying shrug. Not long after her mention of the word "listening," something stung her ear, causing Rocbouquet to wince in mild discomfort as she swatted the side of her head to remove whatever had bit her.

Stupid insects, the seductress assumed in annoyance, brushing the fringes of her light-blue hair over her ear to protect it from future bites. Wait a minute...There [are] no insects here, she realized. It was then she also noticed Sunset's sneer. Nevertheless, Rocbouquet continued to look modestly toward Angela, her presentation of herself a reflection of how she may have become had she accepted the social norms imposed upon her by her brother, who wished more for her safety than anything else. Internally, however, she was on the verge of a meltdown.

Damn that stupid, annoying animal!

Oh, how she wished she could strangle it by the neck without the others discovering the true nature of her being!

Narrative - Asvas

~

As the assorted assembly of Chaos and Cosmos's chosen drew nearer to the tower, the sky began to darken. Thick clouds gathered nearby in the air, and what was hitherto a gentle breeze now blew with gradually accumulating strength.

The half-timbered homesteads and commercial structures of Asvas were well suited to withstanding the approaching promise of thunderous rain, including the marbled tower standing at the heart of the eerily vacant township.

~

Garland - Asvas 

Unexpectedly, Rocbouquet paused in the middle of her sentence when she mentioned the land of Eirunep - a place far removed from Garland's own eyes or experiences. What would have caused her to hesitate? Did something profane or otherwise unsettling occur within a tower of her own world? She then pointed out the seeming lack of concern Angela and Sunset held for his (dubious) appearance of authority, prompting a brief shrug of the shoulders from their seemingly angelic tour guide.

"They could be curious or anxious to get home," Garland observed.

Rocbouquet then asked to be excused for a moment and that was exactly the period of time Garland was willing to afford. After that short sliver of time had passed, the winged man caught up to the two girls and talking pony, eavesdropping onto their conversation. There was obvious tension in the air, yet Garland wasn't the sort of person to force a peaceful veneer for the sake of outward appearances. Not one soul native to Asvas was present to pass judgment on their behavior.. or at least, none that Garland could directly perceive.

Something was rotten in the city of Asvas. Rather than invest overmuch in complex magical protections or the callous and impersonal nature of booby traps, Garland had elected to fortify the tower from potential intrustion or overt attack by employing trained guards. Specific wards and reinforcement of the structure were also utilized, but the strongest security asset of the Enthroned was its own personnel. On any ordinary day, Garland and his approaching party would have been checked by guards either armored or plainclothed.

The would-be tour guide had no immediate words for Sunset Shimmer, instead looking at her with disapproval and briefly shaking his head. He hustled up after the prissy pony, gesturing with both of his spread arms towards the tower and speaking up so that everyone - Papyrus, Buggy, and Frieza included - would hear him. "This is the headquarters of the Enthroned. It's relatively warm, has a number of comfortable guest beds.."

Garland looked up towards the roiling sky, briefly flinching as a small rain droplet landed on his nose. "Fortunately, it also has been weatherproofed."

Angela - Asvas

Angela could still not comprehend very well why it would matter that much for a man to take the lead. Why would he look bad in public? Not that she would know. Maybe the blue-haired nuisance learnt that much in those 'studies' of hers. If one really had to study how to be a bride, Angela would probably be far from the ideal one. Oh well.

"Well," she turned her head, looking over their surroundings, "it does not seem there is much public around us to look bad to, so I guess we won't need to worry about that!" she tilted her head and flashed another innocent-yet-forced smile, her voice of a little higher pitch as she tried to put a more cheerful tone on it.

"Besides, he did say that we would probably need to head to the tower..." she trailed off as she remembered that this happened almost right after they arrived at this place. Rocbouquet and her captors-turned-allies had not joined them yet.

Good times.

"...Didn't he tell you that much?" she asked as innocently as she could pretend, a frown forming on her face, before she waved her hand dismissively. "Well, he must have forgot. Silly Garland. Then again, a proper woman like you needn't worry about such things, right?" she winked.

Speaking of Garland, he made his way towards the rest of them, gesturing towards the tower as he shared some more of its backstory. The Enthroned... Were they related to those wings of his? Well, he did say that she would find out when they got to the tower, so she might as well wait until then.

Asvas

Buggy walked with Papyrus, listening to him speak and took in the information. "Well now Pap old boy, that sounds like someplace I would like to visit someday...You know...I..." He then stopped talking once he heard Garland speaking about the tower and where they were.

It then started to rain a bit and he freaked out due to him eating the devil fruit and not being able to swim and he just was over-reacting but he didn't know it. As soon as Garland said that the tower was 'Weatherproofed' Buggy ran as fast as he could into it not knowing what was there at all looking for a dry place to stand.

Sunset found herself snickering while listening to Angela's response to Rocbouquet. As much as she hated the fact that they had to fake ally with these fools, she rather liked have a temporary ally if not just to bring that witch down a peg.

She half halfheartedly listened to Garland’s information about the tower. Enthroned. Beds. Who cares? She felt a raindrop hit her flank and her muscles automatically twitched. The coming storm seemed odd to Sunset. As far as she could recall, she had not seen any active weather since her arrival in this place. Sure, that last place had snow and it did feel cold but this felt a bit different. Whose doing was this? Chaos? Cosmos? Did it matter anymore?


“I don’t get what’s so special about this place...” Sunset remarked just as Buggy took off towards the tower at surprising speed. She rolled her eyes and sighed as the deranged clown ran head first into the tower.

Well, someone had to go in first and it might as well be him. Who knows what sort of traps that may have lay ahead. Maybe their temporary allies had planned this all along somehow (she really didn't believe that but the thought briefly crossed her mind.)

Idiot.

Asvas

Rocbouquet felt her perfectly crafted world crashing down around her the longer she remained in the presence of Angela. Ugh. That young pest of a woman was bound to become an issue sooner or later. And what's worse, she couldn't do anything about it!

Although Angela maintained a perfect, albeit forced, smile during their ongoing exchange, Rocbouquet sensed the insincerity of it, which made sustaining her own friendliness much more difficult. Not to mention, the priss was totally onto her stratagem and actively trying to foil it—just like those pesky Amazons in the jungle who dared stand in her way. How annoying!

The warmth in her eyes clouded with mild disbelief when Angela dared talk down to her as if she were a child, though her look of disappointment quickly gave way to a raging flame with more than enough passion to consume those foolish enough to find themselves caught up in her hypnotic gaze. She cast her judgmental glare upon Angela and spoke behind clenched teeth.

“You're not my big brother. Don't tell me what I should and should not worry about,” she muttered, her cold response warmed by the pleasant undertones of her captivating voice. With that she brought the conversation to an abrupt end, pivoting away from Angela and marching forward briskly in a self-dignified manner, but not as briskly as Buggy, who scampered past her at full speed to escape the light drizzle. When passing Garland however, Rocbouquet did so with grace, allowing her delicate fingertips to brush past his arm. She stopped a few meters ahead of him at the entrance of the tower and looked over her shoulder, hesitant to go any further.

“...Garland? Is it really safe to go in here?” A flash of lightning illuminated the doubt in her eyes, while its consequent rumble off the peaks of the neighboring mountain range nearly drowned out her soft whimper. “Last time I entered an abandoned tower, monsters ambushed me and held me prisoner until the Emperor of Avalon came to the jungle and freed me,” she explained with a worried look upon her face. What she did not tell him, however, was that these monsters were of her own manifestation and that the entire situation was a staged attempt to attract a man capable of eliminating the stone guardian blocking Eirunep's sacred shrine. “If we come across any monsters in this tower, you won't let them hurt me, right?” she asked shyly, in need of his reassurance. Regardless of his response, Rocbouquet already knew the answer and it made her feel so good.

Anything for you, my queen!

Then came the inevitable downpour.

Angela - Asvas

Angela could not suppress a little smirk forming on her lips as the other girl walked on ahead, the irritation and bitterness clear in her choice of words. Was it really that easy to get her to drop her whole cute flirtatious act at the slightest provocation?

That was good. If Angela could get under her skin that easily, it would not be long before she would show a different side of hers to Garland than the one she was so desperately trying to showcase. Hadn't she learned the arts of tactfulness and diplomacy in those studies of hers to become a bride? Well, maybe she was flunking those studies. It wouldn't be that much of a surprise. Not that Angela could judge that, but still...

But her improved mood was not bound to last for long. As if the rapidly worsening weather was not enough, the other woman decided to yet again cling to their winged companion. Oooh Garland save me, oooh Garland you're my hero, she mocked in her head.

Then again...

As she noticed the girl standing right outside the tower, hesitant, Angela decided to walk on ahead. As she passed by Rocbouquet, she made sure to glance at her, just for a brief moment, rolling her eyes in a manner to convey exasperation and with a slight shrug of her shoulders - fully intending for her to notice this once, and stepped inside the tower, following Buggy.

Her little smirk returned on her face once more. She hoped she wouldn't regret this; truth be told, she had no idea what to expect from this tower.

Papyrus-Avas
It was almost laughable just how harshly Papyrus had been judging Buggy-even if he was a pervert. The guy really was just trying to make conversation, as uncomfortable as it was. Papyrus must have said something the right way, because it looked like Buggy was just about to really open up to him. Perhaps he'd really decided to become a friend after all!

And then, Papyrus felt a drop of water hit his head, and it was all over. Buggy freaked out and ran ahead of everyone into shelter. It was somewhat reminiscent of how Papyrus had acted when he'd been caught in his first thunderstorm. The sky was exploding? And lighting up? The later generations of monsters had never even heard of thunderstorms before-so it was quite the terrifying experience. 

And yet, wasn't the guy a pirate? Storms on the open seas weren't entirely something to joke about, but this was just a little water. You'd think a man like Buggy would be fine with it. 

Papyrus shielded his head as the rain came harder, following suit into a building that Garland had pointed out. Once inside, he began to check his apparel, squeezing out excess water when necessary. 

At least this was better then the last time the party had encountered rain. The last time he felt rain on his skin-or rather, lack thereof-it was acidic. 

Angela had just entered ahead of him, and he saw her not too far off. She'd been butting heads quite often with the rest of the group, not including Garland. It had to be exhausting. Papyrus continued wringing out his scarf as he approached her. 

"Do you want me try to find you a towel?" Angela wasn't wearing any armor or extra layers to stay dry. Papyrus figured she must be cold.

Garland - Asvas 

The pirate captain was running full speed into the tower? What peculiar behavior..

The tower's master wouldn't have to concern himself about Buggy getting too far away from the other visitors. Specific countermeasures and enchantments had been prepared for intruders that would hinder or otherwise slow their progress. If some manner of monster or beast lurking in the tower, perhaps some manner of relief could be taken in the fact that his party would not make rapid progress without his presence.

Sunset openly questioned the significance of the structure, which led to Garland internally questioning whether to explain or to simply let her figure it out for herself. He had informed Angela and Papyrus of its relevance, and Rocbouquet too; yet Sunset didn't care to hear his previous recount of the tower's history. She seemed like an intelligent creature, if otherwise quick to run her mouth. 

Papyrus had moved up to the tower entryway, actively taking an interest in Angela's well being. She certainly wouldn't want to be caught out in the rain! The magical princess appeared content with carrying on her low key social feuding with Rocbouquet, yet her companion saw no reason to get involved. Ultimately, they'd be able to get back to their own worlds, and whatever animosity existed between the two women would lose all relevance.

Rocbouquet lightly brushed past Garland, hesitating as she looked towards the structure. A flash of lightning illuminated her demure hesitation and worry, and she quickly shared the reason for her apprehension. That must have been a terrible experience for the young woman! She didn't mention anything more of the Emperor of Avalon, which left room open for questions as to whether he sought favors for the rescue-

Clean thoughts, Garland, clean thoughts. You've managed this for so many years, so just keep focusing on the goal.

The winged man shook his head, looking towards the wooden door leading into the structure. "This isn't an abandoned tower in my own homeland, Rocbouquet. If any such creatures are here, you won't have to worry about them."

Were they to find any monsters, they would be trespassing. It wasn't wise to trespass in the home of sorcerers and wizards, even if they were the most heroic and benevolent of spellshapers. Garland could reproduce a cannon blast from naught but his hands and a familiar incantation that carried years of practice. 


Narrative - Asvas (Tower 1F)

~

From a distance, any person appraoching the Enthroned tower would have struggled to discern much from the structure aside of its stylized marble and granite texture. A heavy wooden door, reinforced with riveted iron bars, bars the entry only as long as it takes to push it aside. Curiously, if one was to inspect the opened door, it has no mechanism for a lock.

Here, it becomes evident that the tower's structure seems to be a form of optical illusion. The base of the structure is significantly wider than its distant appearance, allowing for a wide hallway flanked with several rooms furnished with functional wooden beds and footlockers, along with storage racks and stands.

The greater hallway is lined with no fewer than six braziers nestled close to the ceiling above the floor, each supported by a polished wooden arm. Curiously, no flame radiates up from these vessels, and yet they give off light similar to that of a burning torch. Further down the foyer lies an archway leading to a spacious, unlit mess hall. Beyond that, the tower structure opens up into a spiraling set of stairs.

~