towerofanimus | What day is it, and in what month

Entry tags:

What day is it, and in what month

Characters: An actually relieved Ryoji Mochizuki and anyone that wants to swat him for ditching so long.
Setting: 4-16, Floor 78, and pretty much anywhere else.
Format: Choose either and I'll match!
Summary: Ryoji finally returns back to life after wandering his dead world as a ghost, and returns with a greater appreciation of the Tower's existence... at least until he finds the gift left in his mailbox from just when he left.
Warnings: General woobie Ryoji stuff, and he's cheerier than normal.

Dorm 4-16

[Ryoji knows where he is almost before opening his eyes. It's easy to tell from the rise and fall of his chest, and the small inhales and exhales he can hear that he's alive, or at least appears to be, and the only place where that was possible was the Tower.

He can't help but feel a surge of relief when he realizes this. Not too long ago, he would have been guilty to have yet another chance, but with all the people he's met here, and with Minato still thankfully alive and one of the residents, he's starting to accept his luck and just learn to live with this. The dangers of the place make up for his new opportunity, after all.

Though as he gets up and checks his trunk before leaving to wander the Tower once again, he realizes that the friends he has made are worth more than that.]

Anywhere excluding Floor 78

[It's been a while since Ryoji's had a chance to train with Diarmuid, so he decides going off to do some practice of his own may be a good idea. He may be found on one of the outdoor levels, fighting with imaginary enemies, or he may decide after to find a real challenge and defeat some monsters on other floors. He needs a lot of experience, so having someone tag along with him might do him good.

If not, one may always spot him on a lounge floor or in one of the libraries, taking a quick break to check the terminals or just sit and relax. If he knows you, he may likely hurry over to say hello too. It's nice to get another chance to see everyone again.]

Floor 78

[It takes Ryoji a few hours, but eventually he remembers that he should be checking his mailbox. Perhaps a worried friend left a note for him, or Lancer had planned another one of his parties and left an invitation.

Of course, he's a little confused by the presence of the package, but it looks harmless enough when he unwraps it. In fact, Ryoji finds it kind of cute. All those little twinkling lights, like the globe is pointing out all the little houses filled with people too far away to be seen. He chuckles lightly and spins it idly with one finger...

And then the lights start going out. His brow furrowing, he wonders if it's run out of batteries already, but the sickening feeling in his gut tells a different story, and indeed, a few moments later, Ryoji sees just one more reminder of what he is.

He should have known never to think this Tower was good.

Upset, angry, and very ashamed, Ryoji rushes out of the mailroom, globe wrapped up in his scarf, so he can get it to his room without glancing at it and then just shove it to the bottom of the trunk, along with those pieces of the Seal, so he never has to look at them again.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's been a lot on Diarmuid's mind lately and being hurt so badly and still not having saved Edgeworth less than a week ago hasn't helped. An overactive mind is part of the reason Diarmuid is on auto-pilot as he returns to his room to try and get some sleep. Despite the fact he should be taking an easy since Waver's healing had only been able to do so much, Diarmuid has been out patrolling all night. It was the only way he could get his brain to shut down so he could rest, and eventually, it had been successful. However, he's probably lucky it didn't get shut down permanently by a monster instead.

He reaches down to open the door to the room and is surprised when someone walks right into him. A...short someone. On instinct, he reaches up to steady the person so that they don't fall. However, the steadying hand soon turns into a tight hug as just who he has run into makes its way into Diarmuid's foggy mind.]

Son...

[Ryoji stumbles backwards, already tripping over his words as he tries to apologize. He's already blushing, flustered, but smiling lightly, relieved to have returned back here and...

...Oh. It appears Ryoji is not the only one who is relieved. The young boy freezes up for a second, shocked, but moments later, as his brain catches up and he realizes just what happened and who is hugging him now, he immediately returns the hug as tightly as he can manage.]

Father... I worried you, didn't I? I'm so sorry...

[He continues quietly reassuring Diarmuid as he rubs his back, struggling to keep his composure. It's not that he's sad, but it's catching up to him exactly how long it's been since he's seen his adoptive father, and seeing him so soon after his arrival is all he ever wanted.]

Yes... I'm sorry. Just give me a minute, please.

[Diarmuid buries his face in Ryoji's hair. He really shouldn't be letting himself be so emotional, but after everything that has happened, he can't help it. Especially after losing Mami, there was a part of him that thought he was going to lose Ryoji too no matter what everyone else said to the contrary to try to comfort him.

After holding the boy for a moment longer, though, he finally steps back forcing a small smile to his face.]

Forgive me... A lot happened while you were gone.

It's okay... it's okay, take your time.

[Ryoji can't help but feel a little guilty. Of course, he couldn't have predicted that he was going to leave, and he couldn't have left a note before being taken back, but he wishes he could have reassured Diarmuid that he wouldn't be gone for good. He knows how much he would have worried if his father had been the one to disappear, after all.

He shakes his head when Diarmuid steps back.]

Don't apologize. I'm so sorry you thought I was gone for good... But what happened, exactly? I've been gone for a while, haven't I?

It's not so much I thought you were gone for good. I knew you were coming back. It's just...

[Diarmuid looks down, embarrassed now that he had let his fears get the best of him.]

...I've seen what being away alone on a dead world does to people and I was worried what it might do to you. I believe you were gone for over a month. That's so long. On top of that...

[He pauses a moment, pressing his lips together in an effort to keep himself from becoming emotional again.]

Did you ever get to meet Mami Tomoe after I mentioned her to you? The girl who liked baking? She was one of my adoptive daughters.

She was sent away not long ago and with you being gone so long, I just...

I know. It can be a little worrying. And I really didn't mean to leave you alone for so long... I didn't want to be there at all.

But you shouldn't have worried. I knew what it was going to be like, and I... As hard as it was to see that all of that really is true, I'm just glad to be back now. After so long, I was worried I'd never get to see you or anyone else again.

[He forces himself to stop, ducking down a bit into his scarf while he regains his composure... though it once again falters when he hears what has happened.]

No, I... I never got a chance to, but I would have liked to. I'm sorry she had to go...

[He comes forward to hug Diarmuid again, unsure how else to comfort him after everything that has happened. To be honest, as relieved as he is to be back, Ryoji could still use the comfort as well.]

It's not your fault. No one chooses to be sent back.

[Diarmuid has no issue hugging Ryoji again, though, instead of fighting back tears this time, he finds himself laughing.]

When will all of you learn how useless it is to tell me not to worry? I swear, it is one of my special abilities.

[After holding Ryoji for a moment longer, he takes a step toward his bed, moving them both in the that direction.]

I am sure you can use a little comforting right now, but I am about to fall over. I've been patrolling all night. Do you mind if we sit down? Not long ago I was hurt and...Waver would probably beat me if he knew I was out again already.

[He nods to acknowledge what Ryoji says about Mami, but says nothing as he lets go of Ryoji and moves to sit on the bed. Right now, the loss is too fresh and it is probably going to take a while for him to be able to talk about it more openly.]

Of course... Still, I wish there was something I could have done.

[Ryoji's laughter joins his, and he pulls away, grinning at him.]

It seems a lot of people have that problem. As long as I still get to worry about you then.

Oh, no, I don't mind at all... How were you hurt?

[He really doesn't need any comforting right now, not when Diarmuid is in such physical and emotional pain. He sits beside the older man on the bed, hestitantly reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder, steadying him.]

Frankly, I would help Waver-san if going out means pushing yourself this hard...

I...

[Diarmuid hates that the conversation is focusing on his issues when Ryoji is the one who just came back from being alone on his dead world for so long. He can't help but wonder if he can just drop the subject and get away with it, but one look at Ryoji's expression says that's not going to happen.

He's going to try, though.]

It doesn't matter. You know me. I always push myself too hard when I have things on my mind and even when I don't.

[There is a grateful look on his face when he meets Ryoji's eyes.]

Thank you for worrying, but I will be okay. You are the one who was alone for so long. We should talk about how you are right now.

[Hey, Ryoji is pretty good at reading people he's close to, and he can sense all too well that Diarmuid is attempting to switch focus back off of him, since Ryoji has been gone so long. His hand not on Diarmuid's shoulder reaches to grab onto the older man's wrist, and he shakes his head.]

Father... I appreciate that you're trying to help me, and I'll admit that there are some things I want to talk about, but that doesn't mean I can just ignore what happened to you. After being gone for so long, I want to know what happened here. I want to know why you had to push yourself, and why you had so much to think about. What happened to me was important... but back in my world. Your stories are important here.

Besides, you're the one always telling me that I need to move on, right? So let me.

[Diarmuid laughs, embarrassed, and then gives Ryoji a proud look.]

You've learned so much since we first met and gotten so much stronger. I'm very happy for you even if it means I have to talk when I don't really think it's necessary.

[He falls silent for a moment, straightening his thoughts before finally starting to speak again.]

When exactly did you leave? I know when I first noticed you missing, but before that I had assumed you were just spending more time with Yukiko. I'm not exactly sure when you left. Did you get to hear anything much about the outcome of the infiltration?

[He's starting pretty far back, but since what had happened with Edgeworth had happened because he was out working with the collar fluid stuff so late...]

Heh, you think so? I'm just trying to do what feels right, and what makes the people around me happy. And I guess what will show I'm well enough to help you.

[He listens to Diarmuid's question, then tries to focus and pinpoint that moment in the past.]

It was just two days after my network post, if you saw that. I had asked people about memories that made them happy. I think I talked to Yukiko once before I went back home. The infiltration? I didn't hear much about it... I don't even know what happened to my group. I hope they made it out okay.

[O-Oh, but he shouldn't have mentioned that, should he? Ryoji looks away, nervous. He isn't sure if Diarmuid knows he was a part of it or not, but either way, he did die, and that was always hard to get over.]

That long? I should have noticed sooner. I shouldn't have just assumed...

[But what good would it have done? Diarmuid would have only started worrying sooner. It's not like him noticing sooner would have brought Ryoji back sooner. It is best to just let that go. It's not like there isn't a lot of other things they have to talk about that are more important.]

I don't know if anyone but a very small handful of people got out of that okay. I know you were there...and what happened. But, in the end it was worthwhile. All of it was.

[Diarmuid lowers his voice and leans toward Ryoji so that the boy can still hear him.]

We have real equipment to work with now. I don't know all of the details, but we can now study the fluid that set this whole thing in motion and that was not the only thing that was gained by people who went down...

You shouldn't have noticed sooner. I'm honestly glad you found out a bit later. I wouldn't have wanted you to worry about me any longer than you had to.

[He wouldn't have wanted Diarmuid to worry at all, but he knows it wasn't possible.]

So many deaths... that's terrible. I-I'm sorry that I didn't tell you my plan. I thought you would be upset if you knew. I had Lancer-san looking out for me, but...

[Ryoji's guilt is cut off by the new information, and his eyes widen with excitement and awe. He struggles to keep his voice down, relieved that something good came from the operation.]

Really? That's amazing! What else did they find?

[Diarmuid is about to assure Ryoji that he doesn't need to be sorry, but when he sees how excited the boy is about the results of the infiltration, he smiles and allows the topic to drop. Focusing on it will likely only embarrass the boy and there are more important things to discuss then that.

However, it is unfortunate that those things are not as positive as getting the equipment they need is.]

I am sure there are things I don't know since I didn't go down myself and haven't been able to talk to people from all the groups, but one other significant thing we have learned is how Jason truly appears under the glamour.

Are you familiar with what a plague doctor's mask looks like? If so, that is what his true face resembles. He also has six mismatched arms that almost seem as if they have been sewn on. Oddly enough, despite his monstrous appearance, his eyes remain very human.

[Ryoji's excitement does fade just a bit when he realizes that the other information is a little more unsettling. He of course had thought many times about what residents of the Tower looked like without the glamour, but he had never considered how the administrators would look.

He shudders a bit from the description, noting how Jason's appearance is what he'd imagine from a horror movie, maybe one Junpei would have told him about back home... Here, it's entirely real.]

That's... I never realized the administrators were affected by the glamour as well. It sounds awful. If his eyes are human, though... was he normal before? Did something happen?

Those are questions I would like answered as well. Jason being who he is, it's not surprising to me his body is like it is. If he is so willing to experiment on us, why not on himself as well? Especially if those experiments would make him stronger. However, one would think that with all he has done, the humanity would have left his eyes. That it has not...

[Diarmuid shakes his head. This is the one thing that truly unsettles him about Jason's true form. Not the arms, not the face. Those eyes.]

I don't know what that means and it bothers me. More than many of the other unknowns we face here. It is easy to just say he is evil, but those eyes seem to imply otherwise.

It's possible that he would have experimented on himself, but it seems unbelievably cruel... to me, at least. You'd have to be very unstable to attempt something like that... You'd have to be human, but only in the loosest sense of the term.

Instead, he's still human, somewhere deep down. Maybe someone else did it to him... and maybe he's experimenting on us because of this other person. It's hard to know what really happened...

There's still too much in this place that we can't explain.

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

While it is true that there is much here we don't know, I think we can say almost with certainty that no one is making Jason experiment on people. He does it because he wants to. Because he enjoys it. Perhaps there is an element of doing it to find a way to 'fix' something about himself, but it seems he really does what he does because he wants to learn whatever he can no matter the cost to his test subjects.

Of course. I know that. I'm just saying that there is still an element of humanity in him, and I guess we shouldn't ignore that. He wants to lean no matter the cost, yes, and maybe there's a human reason that he wants to learn... it's just that along the way, his morality was twisted and he forgot that he should keep the lives of his test subjects in consideration as well.

I'm not saying we should forgive him, but we should try to understand him.

Perhaps we can't ignore it, but I don't think it's a good idea to count on it either. Of course, I don't like the idea of counting on any of the Administrators, even though others think they are our only hope.

[Diarmuid sighs and runs a hand through his hair.]

I know we wouldn't have gotten as far as we have without Dax, but if he trusted any of them to help us, wouldn't he have let them in on what was going on?

[He's not even going to get into the people who are still trying to argue there is good in Ruana after what she did to Dax...]

I don't think we should count on most of them. It sounds like a bad idea.

[Ryoji shrugs.]

I don't really know how much Dax was helping us... but it seems like most of them, aside from maybe Zo, are trustworthy... and Dax probably didn't tell him because he was too young.

[Thank goodness Ryoji hasn't heard anyone argue that.]

Perhaps. There is just so much unknown. Even the new things we have learned just lead to more questions.

[Diarmuid shakes his head, frustration in his eyes.]

And debating it probably isn't going to get us anywhere at the moment. Maybe once we start getting results from the fluid study. If we can understand more about our existences, that might give us some insight into theirs.

It's true. It's a difficult situation for us to be in, and only partly because there's more questions than answers.

[Diarmuid's next words get Ryoji to look a little excited, though.]

So how much fluid did we manage to get? Have we learned anything about it yet?

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

We haven't learned anything yet. Everything is at a very early stage and by the looks of things, this may take a long time to figure out, but we are started now and that is the important thing.

As for the fluid, I don't know exactly how much for sure, but I do know there is at least one container of each color plus one of a colorless fluid. Remember when my brother woke up down on the Administrative levels and he said that Jason mentioned something about 14 missing containers? If the collar fluid is what he was talking about, that would be enough for two containers of each color including the colorless one.

What day is it, and in what month

4-16

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