PP-F11 'Quiet Reflections' (PM FOR INVITE YO)

[Mari 1]

Lowenthal stated he was going to Shadow MAri, learn by example, as he put it. Mari sent sure what he wanted to get out of such an arrangement: to her he was simply wasting his time. 

 

"You're complaining about people being too nice?" MAri asked incredulously, quirking her brow as she turned to look over her shoulder at him.

"Don't you think that's a little messed up? Like f**k, isn't that what people are wanting to work toward?" MAri shrugged as she turned to face the tower door, pushing it open. She didn't understand his annoyance with people being nice- although she could sympathize with his sentiment that the fakery and falsehoods that came with it were undesired.

The two stepped into the tower and if it wasn't silent before, it was definitely silent now. Mari sighed, it seemed that the way forward had been cleared very recently. At least it would make the way to the next floor much easier. 

"Apprentice Huh?" Mari asked as she paused, equipping her whip - she turned around, walking backward on the precarious path. Just one step wrong and she would fall. 

"I don't think there is enough trust for something like that." She said, with a crack of the whip, and a flick of the wrist  it lashed out - wrapping around Lowenthal's wrist. Mari pulled it taught, then wrapped the other end around her wrist, and took two steps back till she fell, the only thing Able to stop her sure death - was Lowenthal

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal stopped walking as mari's mood shifted. Normally, not a good sign with her. He held out a hand, to make sure that he himself did not fall to his own death, when the sting of the whip returned. This time instead of his neck being wrapped, his left wrist was entangled in it. "What? Wh-" Was all that Lowenthal could manage to say before Mari had stepped off the edge of the bridge. As the pink bit of hair disappeared from site, Lowenthal's perception of time ran in slow motion. A myriad of thoughts entered his mind at blinding speed. Questions, answers, but more importantly a solution. Lowenthal gritted his teeth and jumped backwards, throwing himself off the opposite side of the bridge. Now hanging slightly above him was Mari. "Are you insane!?" Lowenthal called out. "A warning would've sufficed!" He said, now dangling above a fall that would surely kill him and Mari both. But for the moment, they were both alive. Now came to tricky part, which was climbing back up.

[Mari 1]

(On phone)

Could Mari have died in that instance? Could she have dragged Lowenthal down with her, into the inky depths below- only to meet an untimely and unfortunate death?

Yes.

Did it bother her?

No.

The woman didn't have a lot going for her,  nor did much excite her. Even such an action as jumping off a narrow pathway didn't send her heart racing. She simply hung there, arm held taught above her head- the spiny whip wrapped tight around her wrist. Head downturned, blue eyes focused on the unseen below.

Lowenthal asked if she is as insane. At this question she lifted her head to meet his fearful, questioning gaze. His breathing was heavy- of course, such an action would be a shock.

"Warning you would render this pointless." Mari said. "I could pull myself up, but you would surely die, and vise versa. So why do you think I did this?" Mari asked 

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal hung in the air, his body slightly swaying back and forth. He looked around, trying to find something. He was doing his best, to not panic. But the all of this suddenness was making it difficult. He looked around, trying to find something else to grab onto. Lowe didn't have to jump off. He had plenty of time to untie his wrist, or even cut the line. But then, Mari would've fallen to her death. And Mari could just wasy easy release her whip, and drop them both. If she wanted to make a point, this was one way he guessed. Lowenthal took a breath and calmed down. "Alright." He said, his breath returning to normal. He ignored Mari's question, as he looked for a solution. "Alright. You're not getting out easy. You start climbing, and I'll match your speed and we should reach the top at the same time." Lowenthal said, waiting fro Mari.

[Mari 1]

His eyes fluttered to and fro - as he glanced around for a solution to their predicament. He did not intend to die today. Mari, she frankly didn't care if she lived or died, or if Lowenthal fell to his death - or in a selfish burst - lifted himself back up onto the path, sending her to her own twisted fate. That was the difference between Mari, and the est of the people who trawled this digital world. She simply stopped caring, she didn't feel any sort of exhilaration. Seeing nothing, Lowenthal seemed to calm down as he tried to rationalize the situation. 

Lowenthal didn't answer her question, instead he said something that to Mari - made no sense. "Not getting out easy? The f**k? Did you smack your head against the side of the path and concuss yourself?" She retorted, mildly agitated that her question was ignored, so much for her twisted trust exercise. "You have the solution, but you've missed the point entirely." She muttered, hauling herself up quickly - if Lowenthal wanted to stop his descent, he'd have to move fast.
 

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal replied back. "F**k I don't know! I might have!" Lowenthal said, still dangling. And when he saw Mari climbing. Lowenthal then began his climbing. "And in response to your earlier question." Lowenthal said, keeping the pace quite easily. "This is a trust exercise. Where if I climb faster than you, you fall to your death, and vice versa. Is that right?" He asked, matching Mari's pace still. "At least, that's the first thing that comes to mind." Lowenthal sped up his own speed, aiming to to reach the top before Mari. He'd had enough of this craziness. He'd reach the top, then pull her up if he had to. But he slowed back to her own pace, if he reached the top before him she'd might just let go. He slowed his climb again, though he was not sure why. 

[Mari 1]

“More or less.” Mari mused, as the two quickly managed to keep pace with each other, before reaching the top, climbing back onto the precarious path. With a flick of her wrist Mari released Lowenthal’s own wrist from the whip before placing it away in her inventory.

Mari took a step toward him, giving him a hard flick in the face. “Don’t think I noticed you attempting to quicken your pace.” She muttered dryly. “Don’t play hero. You’re not one, if I were anyone else, you'd be dead. So you failed.” With those words, she turned on her heel and continued onwards toward what used to be the boss room.

“At least you managed to figure it out…eventually…” She stressed the word eventually, as if to say she was disappointed it took him that long to figure out what her crazed move was for. In a sense, she was and wasn’t. She didn’t expect much of Lowenthal, so when he didn’t clue in right away, she figured he never would – but that was just it. He did, eventually. “I suppose it’s better late than never.” She mused.

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal's face bounced off of Mari's twak. Lowenthal rubbed his face, confused on whether or not that was a good thing or a bad thing. "Yeah, yeah. I get it now." Lowenthal said, still rubbing his face. But at least he was alive, and Mari was alive. So that was something to be considered. Lowenthal stopped rubbing his face, as Mari complimented him. At least, he thought it was a compliment. When Mari turned to walk away, Lowenthal smiled. He'd take it as a compliment for now at least. "Yeah, better a bit late then y'know. Dead." Lowenthal said, following Mari.

[Mari 1]

The boy didn't really give her much to work with, at least conversation wise. His response gave her little to no leeway to be able to navigate a reply of her own, Mari wasn't one to try fishing for conversation. If discussions had died down, then that's it. There was little point in pushing for something.

Mari navigated the rest of the way across the paths with Lowenthal, in near silence - every so often she'd mutter something to herself about previous players - but that wasn't exactly for Lowenthal's ears. She told him he could do what he wanted. So if he wanted to follow along in silence so be it. The two entered the boss room; a place Mari had been before - this was the time where it was only her and Rebekah who carried the fight. The mighty 'Shark' had a mental breakdown and tapped out halfway through battle, the others - despite her strong warning of obtaining Night Vision - had ignored her.

"Useless..."

She muttered as she kicked a loose pebble - heading up the stairs toward the next floor, her blue eyes darted over to Lowenthal - who was keeping pace with her.  "You really are just going to follow aren't you?" She asked

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal nodded as he followed Mari. "Yep. If I remember correctly, you did tell me to do what I want. So." Lowenthal said, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah. I think I'm going to following you around for a bit." Lowenthal said, continuing to follow. He heard Mari grumble about about 'useless' but it wasn't directed at him, otherwise it would've been extremely obvious. So, with that in mind, he didn't think to bother Mari about it. "So Mari, when I started adventuring and trying to actually do something other than sitting on my ass, you were leading the charge for the floor bosses. What made you stop?" Lowenthal asked. He was curious as to why the woman had stopped. She was strong, and skilled. And had quite the momentum going, but then she stopped. Fo what was, apparently no reason at all.

[Mari 1]

Mari rolled her eyes as Lowenthal replied in a cheerful tone, giving her the simplest of answers. He wanted to. So he was going to. Mari would have liked that sort of simplicity, to be able to simply act and enjoy the moment. She wasn't going to stop or slow down for his sake, if she wanted to back track to her store, she damn well would. If he was going to mindlessly follow her, that was his problem. Not hers.

He asked her a question she knew was coming, and even so - she wasn't exactly ready to answer it.

"Why?" Mari repeated, turning her gaze to the blinding light that spilled out into the dark room from the doorway. "Who knows." She said. "Maybe I was tired. Or just bored." She muttered, the answers didn't sound very convincing. She didn't really believe them herself - Mari wasn't sure of the exact reasons she left. Her eyes lowered, as she quietly spoke her thoughts. "I was feeling more and more detached from everything around me. Apathetic. I didn't care if anyone lived or died. I didn't care." She repeated, closing her eyes. "So I left. What is the point in surrounding myself, or being involved in something I have no care for? It's selfish, it could be considered immature, but frankly. I don't  give a damn." She said, and with those words - she finally stepped through the door, disappearing into the bright lights of the eleventh floor.

[Lowenthal 0]

As the pair entered the eleventh floor, Lowenthal stretched his arms above his head. It felt nice to be home. He had listened to Mari's response, and gotten his answer. And it was all he wanted, for the time being. For now he was satisfied with his questioning, and decided to not pry further. But her answer, meant something to Lowenthal. It meant that, she didn't want to stop caring. He smiled. "Thanks, all I needed to know." He said, taking a few steps ahead. "Man it's nice to be home. You can just smell the sea air from here." Lowenthal said, knowing almost exactly where everything was on this floor. Floor eleven was his favorite by far. It had to most romantic city, and he owned a small price of beach front property for his shop. "Well, Mistress Mari." Lowenthal jested. He figured he'd poke fun a bit, seeing as Mari toyed with the idea of an 'apprentice' "Where to now?"

[Mari 1]

Mari did not greet the 11th floor with the same adoration as Lowenthal. She didn't really explore this place - rather - she skipped almost in it's entirety when she had chosen to make her way toward the Boss Room instead. "mm."  She didn't have anything to say on the sea air, she wrinkled her nose - but couldn't really smell anything. Lowenthal must have better sense of smell than her. "Didn't realize there was a beach here. Figured it was all forest, mountains and ant hils." The last of her words were drowned out, as the Cathedral started chiming - the expanse below them - the floor alight in a mosaic of shifting colours. 

The scene was actually rather beautiful, as hues of greens, reds and blues shifted across the expanse of the floor. Mari rolled her eyes, turning away from the sight. Stepping down into the path that would lead to the forest, and then to town - not that she could enter the towns. "Grab supplies. Return to store. Make sh*t." She muttered. Pressing forward, ignoring his nickname for her.

Any onlooker who were watch the two, would see an odd sight indeed. A small, seemingly frail pink haired girl followed by a taller all too happy carefree youth. They were complete opposites. It was a miracle that the two lasted as long as they had in each others presence. 
 

[Mari 1]

COMPLETE

All Participants: 1 SP + 200 Col