Scenario:Sylvia - Mired and Marred
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Mired and Marred
Still intent on taking down the fallen angels, Sylvia bides her time aboard the airship. The archangel is temporarily paired with Olivia while the crew prepares her room. Despite her foggy memories, she reflects on their shared past, staring at her old friend's sleeping face in confusion.
The archangel Sylvia, fallen angel hunter, has emerged from her seal into a different age.
Upon learning that the war between the fallen angels and their fellow archangels is over, she appears—at least on the surface—to have accepted the news. However...
Sylvia: (For now, I need to infiltrate the crew and bide my time.)
Sylvia: (I will fulfill my duty and rid these skies of every last fallen angel!)
Olivia: And here we have the dining area.
Olivia: We take turns cooking, but if you miss a meal, you're in charge of making your own food.
Sylvia: I'm surprised. Did something change so that archangels now need to ingest food to survive?
Olivia: Not at all. However, even though our bodies are unchanged, when living alongside skydwellers, it becomes customary to dine with them.
Sylvia: Hm? How strange...
Olivia: I understand why it would seem so from your perspective. After all, I still have similar thoughts myself sometimes...
Olivia: In any case, that covers the facilities aboard the airship. Let's head back to the living quarters.
Olivia: Crew members are given a personal space, like this, to use. This is normally the room I share with Berceau.
Olivia: I've gotten permission to, for the time being, share it with you instead.
Sylvia: With me? What about Berceau?
Olivia: She'll be staying with another crew member for the time being. You, on the other hand, still aren't fully up to speed and could use the extra support.
Olivia: And, well... you and I go a long way back.
Sylvia: A long way, indeed. I appreciate the help, but I feel a bit sorry for Berceau.
Olivia: This is just a temporary arrangement. We will only be staying together until the crew prepares your room, which should take three days.
Sylvia: Really now? I suppose that's fine then. I must thank Berceau.
Olivia: Right, I'll pass along the message.
Sylvia: (So you don't trust me enough to be near Berceau and the precipian entities. This must be your way of keeping an eye on me, is that it?)
Sylvia: (I see you've picked up a few sly tricks since awakening. Did the other fallen angels rub off on you?)
Olivia: Let's see... We also need to go buy you a change of clothes. And if you feel like bathing...
While listening to Olivia's explanations, Sylvia takes a good look around the room.
Sylvia: You've got quite a lot of things.
Olivia: Really? Lyria and the others said the exact opposite...
Sylvia: Like this seashell here. What is it for? Do you use it in combat?
Olivia: No, that's... useless in a fight. I picked it up on a beach in Auguste.
Sylvia: ...?
Why would you do that?
Why would you do that?
Olivia: ...
Because it was beautiful. I kept it as a reminder of that day.
Because it was beautiful. I kept it as a reminder of that day.
Sylvia: A reminder?
Olivia: This over here is a gift I received from a village I helped. And this is something Berceau bought me...
Sylvia: (Everything here seems worthless—this tattered ribbon in particular.)
Sylvia's gaze falls on an old, worn ribbon that has been set aside with great care.
Sylvia: (Back when Olivia was still with the archangels, neither of us had much to call our own possessions.)
Sylvia: (Our weapons and armor were basically just extensions of our bodies, and we didn't have any space to store personal belongings.)
Olivia: Lyria got me this one as a souvenir, and...
Sylvia: Is this what you wanted so badly you chose rebellion? This?
Olivia: ...
Sylvia: (Oh no... I let myself snap at her.)
Sylvia: Sorry, I could've said that more nic—
Olivia: You might be right.
Sylvia: Huh?
Sylvia: Hehe... Oh, Olivia. Since when did you become such a jokester?
Sylvia: (Is this really the "freedom" she fought so hard for? Don't make me laugh...)
Olivia: ...
Sylvia: (Why is a fallen angel bothering to sleep?)
Sylvia: (She's being needlessly vulnerable. How does she plan on watching over me like that?)
Sylvia: Sigh...
Poking her head past the side of the bed, Sylvia looks down at her sleeping roommate.
Sylvia: (If I were to stab her through the chest right now, I'd finally be free of this fate of killing my companion.)
Sylvia: Olivia...
For a while, only the sound of the dark angel's faint breathing fills the otherwise silent room.
Sylvia: (But of course, that'd be impossible. If I gave the slightest sign of trying it now, she'd wake up immediately.)
Sylvia: (Besides, even if I were able to wound her, the other archangels and fallen angels aboard this ship would come to back her up.)
Sylvia: (And that's before even considering the plethora of fallen angels sealed within Berceau's egg.)
Sylvia: (I can't be satisfied with Olivia's life alone. My duty demands that I proceed with the utmost caution...)
Olivia: Hngh...
Sylvia: ...!
Olivia: Nngh...
Sylvia: ...
Sylvia: (Even so... she really looks like a skydweller while asleep.)
Sylvia: (Is it because of her interactions with them? Or does the reason lie in how she betrayed her duties?)
Sylvia: (I don't recall her ever sleeping back before she left to become a fallen angel... It's my first time seeing her face like this.)
Sylvia: (Or well, I think it is... Why is it that I can't quite seem to remember?)
Puzzled by her own foggy memories, Sylvia stares through a window at the dark night sky.
Sleep does not come naturally to an archangel. As such, the rest of Sylvia's night is spent waiting for the dawn.
Mired and Marred: Scene 2
The next day, Sylvia helps the crew do laundry. Meanwhile, (Captain) tells the archangel all about the crew's many adventures. At first, Sylvia is moved by the captain's sincerity and passion, but her mind is suddenly flooded with destructive thoughts. Distraught, she returns to her room for some rest.
Lyria: Oh, you want to help us with our job? Hm, but it's a request to clear out some monsters...
Lyria: I think you should rest for now! You just woke up, so you're probably still pretty confused.
Vyrn: Yeah, you gotta take your time gettin' used to everything, y'know?
Sylvia: (This is impossible!)
Sylvia: (I've never spent an entire day doing absolutely nothing.)
Sylvia: (They tell me to rest, but it's not like I'm injured. This is a complete waste of time...)
Sylvia: (I should at least go check on Berceau. I need to collect whatever information I can on that egg.)
Sylvia: I just have to take these stairs up, and—
Vyrn: Whoa!
As Sylvia walks onto the ship's deck, she bumps straight into Vyrn, sending the pile of laundry in his claws flying.
Sylvia: Are you all right? I hope I didn't hurt you.
Vyrn: I'm fine, but now these clothes are all dirty again!
Sylvia: Oh my. (Captain) was with you too, I see! I'm sorry about the mess.
Vyrn: You should be! But then again, I should've been more careful too...
Sylvia: Oh, it's (Captain). How kind of you to step in.
Vyrn: Mmrgh... I guess I should've been more careful...
Continue 1
Vyrn: That was my bad! Anyway, we gotta go give these another wash!
Sylvia: Hey, wait!
Sylvia: Let me help you. My bones are going to start fusing if I sit around doing nothing for any longer.
Vyrn: Hold on a sec! You're puttin' way too much force into it! The clothes are gonna rip apart!
Sylvia: This is harder than it looks... The strength management required here is quite different from that of wielding a sword.
Vyrn: Wow, you sound just like Olivia...
Vyrn: All of you archangels and knights and whatever jump straight to talkin' about swords when you start doin' chores.
Grinning, (Captain) nods along with Vyrn.
Sylvia: Hehe. I suppose you're used to this, considering the number of powerful warriors among your crew.
Sylvia: At first, I wondered what kind of warlord must sit at the head of such a formidable group...
Sylvia: But you appear to be much kinder than I initially assumed. I'm surprised.
Vyrn: Well, it's not like our captain was born to fight or anything—right, (Captain)?
Sylvia: Really now? That reminds me... I'm curious as to why you decided to lead this crew.
(Captain) laughs for a brief moment, then slowly begins explaining the crew's long history to Sylvia.
Starting from the paternal admiration, to the encounter with a certain blue-haired girl, through this journey with an ever-growing crew.
The tale describes a never-ending search for the skies' farthest reaches, with many a twist of fate and mysterious conspiracy.
Sylvia: What impressive feats...
Sylvia smiles as she hears the captain's various tales, and in the blink of an eye, the three are done with the laundry.
Sylvia: As a punisher—and as someone whose duty it is to rid this world of evildoers—I truly respect your journey.
Vyrn: Haha, keep the compliments coming!
Sylvia: Hehe. You're both amazing. A wonderfully accomplished pair.
Visibly embarrassed, (Captain) tries to turn away, but not before Sylvia can squeeze a few gentle head pats in.
Sylvia: (What an honest and magnanimous child you are. With a heart so noble, your life is a blessing to these skies...)
Sylvia: (Were I to destroy everyone you wish to protect, would you still be able to stay that way?)
Sylvia: ...!
Vyrn: Hm? What's up?
Vyrn stares at Sylvia, puzzled by her sudden look of shock.
Sylvia: I-it's nothing. I'm just a bit tired from trying something new.
Sylvia: I'm sorry, but I think I'll head back to my quarters.
Vyrn: Okay... Anyway, thanks for all the help! Make sure to rest up!
Sylvia: I will... See you all tomorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me...
The primarch hurries back to her room, shutting the door behind her before finally slumping to the floor.
Sylvia: (What... What was I thinking?)
Sylvia: (How could something like that pass through my mind as I listened to such a beautiful, innocent child speak so proudly?)
Sylvia: (Yet, I still want to bring ruin to them all.)
Sylvia: (That way, I'd see the most priceless of expressions—I'm sure of it...)
Sylvia: No!
Sylvia: (I am a punisher! It's my duty to deliver judgment upon the fallen angels!)
Sylvia: (Toying with innocent lives is an unforgivable act...)
Sylvia: (Rather, I wasn't created to be able to do that...)
Sylvia: (That passing desire was but a glitch... I need to forget about it at once!)
Sylvia: (That's right. Just a glitch...)
Covering her eyes, Sylvia lowers her head and takes a deep breath, when suddenly...
???: (Do it. Strangle her.)
Sylvia: Stop!
Sylvia curls her body in an attempt to ward off the murderous thoughts haunting her mind.
After a short while...
Olivia: Sylvia? Are you back?
Olivia: (Captain) thought you looked tired and suggested that I bring you your supper...
Sylvia: ...
Olivia: What are you doing on the ground? Are you feeling unwell?
Sylvia: Ah, no... Something was on my mind, that's all.
Sylvia: Is that the food? Thank you! Since you're here, how about we eat together?
Olivia: I don't mind joining you, but there's no need to force yourself.
Sylvia: I'm aware, but I really am fine! Anyway, listen to this—I helped with the laundry today.
Olivia: You've already helped with the chores? I see you're as quick to adapt as ever.
Sylvia: Hehe... What about you? You had some work today, right? How was it?
Olivia: It was just a short escort request. Fortunately, I finished the job without incident.
Sylvia: What an honor it must've been to be under the protection of a fallen angel as great as yourself!
Olivia: Haha, when I'm with the crew, I am nothing but another skyfarer...
Sylvia: I can tell...
Sylvia: Hey, doesn't chatting like this remind you of the old days?
Sylvia: Way back when you were still the mighty archangel of dusk...
Olivia: It does... While we obviously didn't talk over a meal, I remember gazing at the night sky together with you.
Sylvia: We'd count our wins and losses, debating about how to spar next—and which of us would come out on top.
Olivia: You always have been incredibly competitive. You'd go on and on about how many victories you had.
Sylvia: Oh? I could've sworn you were the same way.
Sylvia: Hehe.
Olivia: Hahaha...
After spending some time reminiscing together, the night deepens peacefully.
And as the inner conflicts troubling Sylvia just hours earlier begin to fade...
The archangel once again finds herself staring at Olivia's sleeping figure.
Sylvia: (There's something I've forgotten.)
Sylvia: (When I look at her face, I feel like I'm at the verge of remembering something important...)
Sylvia: (On one hand, maybe it's a memory better left buried. But on the other, I want nothing more than to know.)
Sylvia: (What's wrong with me? Ever since I woke up, everything has been so odd...)
Sylvia spends the rest of the night wallowing in her thoughts—until everything is laid bare under the light of the morning sun.
Mired and Marred: Scene 3
Another day passes, and Lyria invites Sylvia out shopping. As the archangel enjoys the town's various wares, she is reminded of a similar moment in the past. She soon realizes that she had sealed the memory together with the dark thoughts haunting her mind.
After nearly three days with the crew, Sylvia begins to feel irritated.
Sylvia: (I haven't made any progress...)
The precipian entities—beings of energy currently being incubated by the fallen angel Berceau.
Sylvia detects the presence of a large number of her former brethren within the precious egg.
Sylvia: Hey, Olivia. About the precipian entities...
Olivia: It hasn't even been three days since you joined this crew. Your first priority is getting used to everything here.
Sylvia: Mmgh!
Sylvia: Berceau, um... Thanks for switching rooms with me...
Sylvia: Wait, she's not here. But I thought this was her room!
Sylvia: Why is everyone avoiding me? It's starting to get on my nerves...
Lyria: Ah, there she is! Sylviaaa!
Sylvia: Oh? Um... Lyria, right? Is something the matter?
Lyria: Hehehe, I'm so glad you remember my name even though we just met!
Lyria: I was talking with everyone and we thought it'd be nice for us all to go shopping together. How about it?
Sylvia: I'd love to! Leave all the carrying to me.
Lyria: Ah, that's not why we want you to come... You know how you're staying with Olivia at the moment, right?
Lyria: Well, your new room will finally be ready tomorrow!
Sylvia: Goodness! I was told it would take three days, but I didn't expect it to actually be ready by then.
Lyria: Hehehe, if anything, we're sorry for making you wait this long.
Lyria: Anyway, we need to go shopping for your basic necessities!
Sylvia: My necessities... Of course. I could use the help figuring out what is or isn't needed in this day and age.
Lyria: Yaaay! Okay then, let's get going! Olivia's waiting for us!
Sylvia: Huh?
Olivia: You managed to buy some new clothes, yes? Then let's look for toiletries next.
Sylvia: (She must be tagging along to keep me in check...)
Lyria: Sylvia, are you sure you don't want a cuter pair of pajamas?
Sylvia: Huh? Oh. I'm fine, thank you. What I wear at night has no bearing on combat.
Vyrn: Combat this, combat that! But well, I guess I don't really care about my pajamas either...
Lyria: Hahaha! You really do sound just like Olivia!
Sylvia: Do I now?
Lyria: Yes! You're super serious and always try to relate fighting to random things. But you also seem very responsible...
Olivia: She's got your number, Sylvia.
Sylvia: Ah! Look, Lyria! A jewelry shop!
Olivia: You're obviously changing the subject...
Lyria: Oh, you're right! Do you mind if we take a quick look?
Sylvia: Of course not. After all, unlike a certain someone, I have interests outside of fighting.
Olivia: Was that really called for?
Lyria: Look at this one! I think it'd look great on you, Sylvia!
Sylvia: Really? Oh, and this one here fits you perfectly, Lyria.
Lyria: I-it does? But it's so cute...
Sylvia: And so are you—that's precisely why. Here, try matching it with this piece.
Olivia: Haha... Sylvia, you really are the same as ever.
Sylvia: I'm the same? What are you talking about?
Olivia: Have you forgotten? We shopped together like this long ago.
Sylvia: The two of us?
In that moment, a distant memory flashes through the back of Sylvia's mind.
Past Olivia: Sylvia, look. Apparently, that's how they conduct transactions.
Past Sylvia: Is it really okay for us to be taking a detour like this?
Past Olivia: The supreme primarch said this would be an opportunity to learn more about the world. It's important that we know the fundamentals.
Past Sylvia: Is it now? Ah, hey... That shop over there...
Past Sylvia: They're selling accessories. Look, this one suits you perfectly!
Sylvia: (Come to think of it, I have gone shopping with Olivia before.)
Sylvia: (What a fun and beautiful memory... How could I have forgotten?)
Lyria: ...via.
Syl... via...
Syl... via...
Lyria: Sylvia!
Sylvia: ...!
Lyria: I-I'm sorry. I couldn't breathe, so...
Looking down, Sylvia notices she has tied the necklace around Lyria's neck a bit too tightly.
Sylvia: Ah...
Sylvia: Hahaha... Hehehe. Ahahaha!
Lyria: Sylvia?
Sylvia: Oh, goodness, I'm sorry! I must've spaced out...
Lyria: Are you feeling tired? I guess this is your first time shopping...
Sylvia: Maybe a bit... Let's buy the toiletries, then head back.
Vyrn: Everything okay? You can head back first if you want. We'll buy the rest for ya.
Sylvia: I couldn't possibly burden you any further. Come on, let's go!
Olivia: ...
Worried about her friend, Olivia keeps a close eye on Sylvia for the remainder of their outing.
Mired and Marred: Scene 4
That night, Sylvia finds herself strangling Olivia. As the memories come flooding back, she struggles to come to terms with her destructive desires. The archangel comes to the conclusion that, unlike her old friend, she should never experience true freedom—and instead vows to continue fighting.
After her day out shopping, Sylvia spends her final night in Olivia's room.
Once everyone has fallen fast asleep, the archangel sneaks out of her bed.
Sylvia: ...
Get on top of her. Hold her down. Extend your hands.
Sylvia: ...
Closer. Closer. Wrap them around her throat.
Sylvia: Heh.
With a smirk on her face, Sylvia grasps the sleeping Olivia's narrow neck with her two hands.
Sylvia: Hehe. Hahaha. Haha!
Sylvia: (It's all come flooding back...)
Sylvia: (The reason why Olivia took a detour that day—and why my memories are so fragmented...)
Sylvia: (I remember it all.)
Sylvia: On our way back from a mission, I had Olivia try on a necklace. I recall wanting to strangle her right then and there.
Sylvia: Seeing everyone around me having so much fun, I wondered how it'd feel to kill them all with a swing of my sword.
Sylvia: It was thrilling! The idea of ruining beauty—of destroying that which ought to be loved—only excited me further!
Sylvia: How would it have felt had I laid bare my vile desires—had I acted on them?
Sylvia: I wanted nothing more. It's who I am! I had to get a taste of that rush of pure might! But then...
Sylvia: (I was struck by fear, a fear like being locked away in the world's darkest, most isolated cell.)
Past Sylvia: (How could I think of something so terrible?)
Past Olivia: Sylvia! Apparently, they're giving out these ribbons for free.
Past Sylvia: (There's no reason for an archangel like myself to have such dark ideations. Someone must've made a mistake during my creation.)
Past Olivia: If we can't get matching necklaces or hair pins, how about ribbons? Here, try this one on...
Past Sylvia: (I have to forget about this.)
Past Sylvia: (I must seal away these awful thoughts—along with the knowledge that my very existence is a mistake.)
Past Sylvia: (Even if it means losing my dear memories of your kindness...)
Sylvia: (Whenever I was filled with such evil desires, I forced myself to forget everything.)
Sylvia: (Which is why...)
Olivia: This here is a gift I received from a village I helped. And this is something Berceau bought me...
Sylvia: (Everything here seems worthless—this tattered ribbon in particular.)
Sylvia: (The memory of us buying matching ribbons that day had completely slipped my mind...)
Sylvia: (Although, it's been thousands of years since then. This ribbon shouldn't exist. And Olivia's original body is still stuck in that egg.)
Sylvia: (Did you reconstruct this trifle along with your body after escaping Pandemonium?)
Sylvia: (Why go to such lengths for a ribbon? Is it really that important to you?)
Sylvia: We really are nothing alike...
Sylvia: (Lyria may have said that we're similar, but that couldn't be further from the truth.)
Sylvia: (I had chosen to forget about this ribbon, in order to hide from my ugly self.)
Sylvia looks down at her own two hands, which are still wrapped around Olivia's neck.
Sylvia: Unlike you, I couldn't seek freedom...
She tightens her grasp.
Sylvia: If freedom meant unleashing these desires, I feared I would cease to be myself....
Then tightens it again.
Sylvia: Listen, Olivia. There are beings who should be free, and those who should not.
And again.
Sylvia: Because beyond that beautiful freedom, some are left with nothing but messy, twisted longings.
And again.
Olivia: Nngh!
Sylvia: ...!
Sylvia: No... What? What have I...
Sylvia releases her grip and crouches on the ground. After a few moments, she slowly rises once more.
Sylvia: You and I are simply incompatible. I'm unable to accept the freedom you seek.
Sylvia: I will do whatever it takes to prevent these desires from seeing the light of day.
Sylvia: I am Sylvia the Punisher, a primal born for the sole purpose of delivering judgment.
Quietly opening the door, Sylvia slips out of the room.
After she leaves...
Olivia: Sylvia...
Olivia, no longer pretending to be asleep, stares silently at the now-closed door.
Although she has agreed to join the crew on their journey, Sylvia renews her vow to fulfill her duty as a punisher.
That night, neither primal is able to get any sleep—and soon enough, the break of dawn marks the start of a new day.