and I need someone to talk to apart from you

[animusnpcs]

Characters: Zo, open
Setting: floor 001
Format: brackets, party-style
Summary: Zo visits the residential levels of the Tower.
Warnings: none so far

[The elevator dings as its doors slide open--that's not an unusual occurrence, really, for a floor that not only houses one of the elevator stopping points but also the most reliable food sources. What's unusual, though, is the boy who steps out of it.

Zo enters the cafeteria, looking around as if he hasn't seen it in some time, which is true. He's followed by one retrieval unit. While she looks as blank as any retrieval unit, her collar is chipped and she wears glasses. In fact, she might be a bit familiar to some, though she will not respond (but there's something... Unusually alive about her, even so).

Though he's careful not to stray far from his bodyguard, he smiles at the floor in general.]

Um... Hi! Wow, it's been a while since I've been up here!

Comments

[nobarnacles]

[ Zel was standing at the elevator waiting for it to arrive when Zo pops out. He's about to step past the boy, then pauses and frowns at both of them. ]

Don't you mean 'down' here?

[animusnpcs]

Nope, up! Administrators live down farther from here.

[nobarnacles]

Wha--you! [ As soon as it dawns on him, Zel starts to reach to grab Zo by the shoulders, sudden anger flaring in his eyes. ] You're one of them?!

[animusnpcs]

[The retrieval unit is at Zo's side in a flash, though he raises a hand to keep her from attacking.]

Y-yeah, my name's Zo. I wanted to visit, that's all. And, um, if you hurt me she's gonna hurt you, and I don't want you to get hurt, so can you let go?

[nobarnacles]

[ Zel doesn't even flinch when the retrieval unit advances, especially since Zo halts her; as far as his tunnel vision is concerned, nothing else in the world exists at the moment. His grip tightens on the boy's shoulders, practically lifting him off the ground. ]

Zo. You brought us here. Is this just your personal dollhouse? Are you just 'visiting' your little toys here?

[animusnpcs]

[All of Zel's superhuman abilities are now disabled. Zo still holds the retrieval unit back, though, even as he whines in the beginnings of pain.]

No! I just saved you, I don't want to hurt you! Please let go!

[nobarnacles]

Saved us? To what end?

[ In the back of his mind, Zel knows he can't just kill Zo---mostly because that would remove his ability to get information out of him. But a more immediate visceral reaction comes from feeling his magic suddenly drain off, a part of him that he'd taken for granted as always being there. He abruptly lets go, shoving Zo away from him and taking a step back himself. ]

What are you?

[animusnpcs]

Your worlds got destroyed, and I brought you here! [Zo falls as he's shoved. The retrieval unit places herself between Zel and Zo, though he peeks out around her.] I'm a human.

[nobarnacles]

Why? Why not just leave us? It's none of your business what happens to us!

[ It sounds like such an immature, stupidly hopeful answer, and for a moment, Zel almost buys that answer. But he's seen what something that appears as a human child is capable of doing, back on his own world, and glares between the boy and the retrieval unit. ]

No human could do all of this.

[animusnpcs]

I want to save people! And people here can have powers. It's normal!

[nobarnacles]

What makes it your right to save us? If you are what you say you are, you're not a god, just a boy. You think we want to stay here, watched by these things?

[ He shoves at the retrieval unit, meaning to push her out of the way. ]

[animusnpcs]

[The retrieval unit does not move, but Zel's arms are now paralyzed.]

Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself! [Zo looks alarmed.] I just don't want a bunch of people to die, that's all!

[nobarnacles]

Then tell her to stop!

[ The paralysis deters him from making any more moves, but doesn't do much to cool his anger. He grits his teeth, shaking slightly with frustration. ]

It's better for us to live in this prison, then? Better to be your living dolls?

[animusnpcs]

If you hurt her, she'll hurt you back. Just don't touch her. You're not a doll...

[nobarnacles]

Then why give us collars? Why trap us here? If we aren't your toys, why aren't we free to do as we wish?