towerofanimus | [OPEN] am i in heaven here or am i in hell?

Entry tags:

[OPEN] am i in heaven here or am i in hell?

Characters: Axel and anybody who wants to run into him.
Setting: Anywhere from top-floor dormitories to... idk, wherever we go.
Format: i default to prose but if you prefer action that's okay too.
Summary: Axel wakes up in a hideous unitard and thinks he's gone to Hell. here's a little context.
Warnings: nothing yet? dsjhfskdfl i hate intro posts i'm so bad at them halp.

His opinion of this place improved exponentially when he discovered the trunk at the foot of the bed that contained clothing he was a bit more accustomed to. After making sure he was alone in the room and peeling the ridiculous white monstrosity off, he quickly fumbled into his usual getup and found himself ten times less disconcerted. Adjusting the zipper on the front of his coat, Axel peered around the room with a frown. Dorms? Hell had dorms? Where in all the worlds was he? Well, at least whoever else was supposed to be bunking with him wasn't around to see his moment of panic. He never would have lived that down.

He took a moment to summon his chakrams, just to make sure they were still there. Thankfully, they heeded his call and he breathed a bit easier. Maybe this wouldn't be so difficult after all. Maybe this wasn't Hell--he was pretty sure Hell wouldn't do him the courtesy of providing wardrobe and weapons. Wherever he'd been sent by Saïx's last attack, if Saïx thought he'd be rid of him that easily he had another thing coming. Old friend or not, Axel was inclined to go give him a piece of his mind.

Well, maybe better to figure out where he was, first. Using portals when one didn't know where one was didn't sound like a good idea. Best to at least have a grasp of Point A before attempting to find Point B. Dismissing his weapons (he could call them back at the drop of a hat, after all), Axel turned and moved toward the door, carefully opening it to peer out into the hallway. There didn't seem to be anyone in the immediate vicinity, so he supposed it was safe to venture out. His guard up, his eyes alert, Axel stepped out into the corridor, closing the door behind him, his senses keen to all the new sights and sounds around him. First unitards, then dormitory beds... there really was no telling what sorts of things this place would throw at him next.

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Axel had never been a fan of elevators, and so he kept right on walking when he came to one. A doorway that likely led to stairs wasn't far from the elevator, though, and he headed toward that. It seemed there was more to explore in this place than he'd suspected; he wondered how many floors there were.

As he neared the stairway, however, a figure emerged, and Axel stopped short. What the--?

It was like looking in a mirror. A mirror with a mullet. And a ridiculous shirt. But a mirror nonetheless. The figure before him had the same long, twiggy build, the same flame-red hair, the same bright aqua-green eyes... he even had tattoos on his face, from the look of it, though they were in a slightly different configuration.

Well. That was unexpected.

"Wow. I've heard of accidentally wearing the same outfit to a party, but this is a little ridiculous."

Levity was always a good idea, right?

This must be the guy Francis mentioned to Reno the other day. Reno didn't remember having any brothers that looked like that, hell, he didn't remember having any sisters that looked like that, either. ...and he certainly didn't have any kids.

The tower was cloning him. He had had enough of clones after Sephiroth.

He scrunched up his face and walked around Axel, looking him over thoroughly. "The hell is going on?"

Axel remained still as the strange doppelganger man circled him. He kept his hands at his sides, his fingers poised to call up his weapons at the first sign of aggression, but this man seemed as baffled and curious as he himself was.

--Jeez, even his voice sounded the same! This was too weird.

"Your guess is as good as mine, stranger," Axel said, shaking his head, "but if I didn't know for a fact I was an only child I'd swear we got separated at birth."

He waited until the man stopped circling before shifting to stand against the wall, arms folded. He didn't sense any belligerence from this man, but he didn't like leaving his back exposed all the same.

"You got a name?" If he said Lea or any variation thereof Axel was just going to have kittens.

It was just too close for comfort- but then, there were differences. Minor ones. The way this one held himself, the tattoos, and the hair. Reno's mullet was way more awesome.

Maybe what others said about there being doubles in the Tower had something to it... but Reno was pretty sure this guy wasn't a double.

"Reno," the same said, blinking, folding his arms and cocking his head at Axel. Conveniently, his rod was just underneath his hand. "Why, do you have one, or is it just a number?"

~~Pshaw, a mullet, awesome? As Xigbar would have said, 'as if.'~~

He snickered then. A name or a number? What if he had both?

"Reno..." Well, at least it wasn't Lea. "I'm Axel," he said, and then lifted one finger to tap his temple; "got it memorized?"

So who was this guy, then? Was he another one of Vexen's replicas? That didn't feel right--none of the other replicas had had mullets or worn goofy hawaiian shirts (though hula skirts were apparently a thing). But where had he come from? The girl he'd bumped into earlier didn't seem to be from any world he'd ever visited, from the sound of things... There were probably an infinite number of worlds out there, though, so it was certainly plausible this guy came from one of them.

But which one? And how had he wound up here?

"So... do you know where in the worlds we are?" he asked carefully. He still wasn't convinced this Reno fellow wasn't a threat, but he would give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment. Axel didn't like to pick fights. Too much work.

Clone seemed to be the easiest solution. Reno wasn't going to run around in circles trying to figure it out. The end result there was Axel in front of him, and the how and why didn't matter.

The question was, what were they going to do about it? Reno wasn't fool enough not to recognize Axel was keeping alert. Well, good, so was he.

"I can't even get out of the tower, slick." Reno once knew another man with red hair. Hardly more than a boy. The nickname seemed appropriate to Axel, somehow.

"There's no way of telling where we really are. We could be on my home planet, or drifting through space and time." Listen to him, spouting stuff like that. He must be going as crazy as some of the people in here. Still... it was true. There was no proof either way.

Reno shook his head and his frown faded to one of disinterest. "Doesn't matter, anyway. We're stuck here until someone finds a way out. Can't contact the people behind this place, can't walk out on your own. And then there's the collars."

Something suddenly clicked in Reno's head. "Aren't you that guy Francis was talking about? Haven't you figured this stuff out by now?"

Slick? Well, it was better than 'Flamesilocks.' He listened as Reno spoke, and a niggling sense of disquiet buzzed somewhere in the back of his brain. If no one knew where they were... well, then where the hell were they? Drifting through space and time? That didn't sound good. He wasn't going to insult Reno by asking if anyone had tried to just... find the front door--this man had the air of a professional about him, even if his wardrobe suggested otherwise. The way he spoke, itemized, like a report, led Axel to believe that they had more in common than appearance. This guy was a member of some sort of organization, too; he'd have bet munny on it.

His hand moved to the collar around his neck then, and he tugged gently at it. He could see Reno was wearing one, too, with strange orange tubes curving out of it. He had yet to get a good look at his own, but he'd felt it there. When he hadn't found a means of removing it he had just left it alone; no sense bruising up his neck trying to pry it off, after all. Surely someone would be able to tell him what they were about, right?

"Mm, so you dunno what the deal is about these things either, then?" he asked, pinching his fingers around the little tubes on his own collar. Man, they weren't even very stylish looking--what the heck were they for?

And then he made a face.

"Hah?" He shook his head. "Francis? I just got here, I dunno anybody named Francis."

This conversation was definitely the most unsettling he had since he came to the tower, and that was saying a lot. The turk wasn't used to being this constantly unsettled, but the Tower reminded him just way too much of Hojo's experiments. Where Hojo was concerned, there was a great deal to be worried about.

Reno raised an eyebrow. Why would this guy lie? It didn't seem like he was, but... "There was a guy that looked very much like me running around a few weeks ago. I thought it was you.

The collars are anyone's guess, but lately some people have wound up with different colors; they've been getting sick and other stuff is going haywire with them."

Axel scratched his head. "Well, I can't be sure sure," he said, "considering I'm not sure of much of anything at the moment, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't here a few weeks ago." If he had been, he didn't remember, and that in itself was disconcerting.

He snapped his hand away from his collar then, looking alarmed.

"Sick?" Aw hell. "Wait, changing colors? What color is mine? ... What color is it supposed to be?"

As if this whole thing wasn't bizarre and a little frightening already, the prospect of these collars actually being detrimental to his health wasn't something he wanted to think about. He had a feeling being on top of his game at all times was going to be paramount here.

Reno shook his head- was he looking slightly amused? He had tugged at his own when he first arrived here, too. "Yours is violet. I don't know what it means, but which color depends on the person, as far as I guessed."

So far, only the people called to the infirmary were having issues after the fact. "I wouldn't worry about it, unless you get called to the infirmary. That seems to be the common thing. You get called in, you come out with a different color and all hell breaks loose."

"Violet, eh?" A snort of laughter and he pressed the tip of one finger against one of his tattoos. "Well at least it coordinates." And then he met Reno's eye. Orange and violet--so what made Reno orange and him violet? They certainly seemed to have a few things in common, so what differences dictated the color of their collars?

Axel frowned then, making a face. "Infirmary--ah hell, I don't like the sound of that..." If Axel had his way he would have never set foot in Vexen's lab ever, and unfortunately whenever something really drastic happened, Vexen was the closest thing they'd had to a physician. Frankly Axel would have preferred to die of his wounds.

He peered at one hand, then closed his fingers loosely over his palm.

"Does magic not work here?" he asked then. "I haven't come across too many injuries bad enough that a good old-fashioned Cure wouldn't work." Or even a Potion, though admittedly Axel really hated the taste.

It didn't even cross his mind that this Reno fellow might not be from a world where magic didn't exist. In all the worlds he'd traveled to, magic had worked in all of them, even if not all the natives seemed familiar. Reno seemed like a fellow in the know, either way.

In all honesty, Axel talking about cure spells and magic shocked Reno. So far, few people if any wanted to admit that magic existed- and then to know a specifically named spell?

"Magic works here," Reno said, thinking on the one time he had tried his lightning materia. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the only materia that had appeared in his trunk, and he had wound up zapping himself. Not that it did any damage... but it was still unpleasant.

"As long as you've got the materia for it. Only my lightning showed up in my trunk." He continued, running a hand through his bangs. Speaking of trunks, what the hell was that Axel was wearing? It seemed kind of similar to what some of the highest ranking SOLDIERS wore.

All of this was making him think about that multiple universes theory again. Was Axel another him in a different universe where different choices were made, and he wound up with a different name, joining their equivalent of SOLDIER and getting vertical tattoos?

Reno seemed surprised--why? Axel quirked his mouth to one side a bit, and then it was his turn to be confused.

"Material?" The hell did fabric have to do with magic? "Lightning in your--huh?" Okay now he's just baffled. Last he checked magic wasn't a tangible thing one could just throw in a trunk.

Ah. Reno's surprise faded- another weird magic system. It just seemed natural to him that materia was needed for magic. He had gotten his hopes up there for a moment.

Though, Reno was more than happy to show Axel what he meant.

The turk slid a hand inside his shirt and pulled the EMR from its holster, the materia jumping to live and sending a crackle through it. With a swift move, almost faster than the eye could follow, he flung out his arm, the rod extending to its full length.

It was crackling at full power, but Reno just held it there, the green materia shining in its socket. This was a demonstration, not an attack.

Axel instinctively took half a step back when Reno reached into his shirt and withdrew a weapon of some sort. It looked a bit too small to really be any sort of bludgeoni--

With a startled noise, Axel's hands tensed and the air beneath his palms hitched and sparked as he went for his own weapons, but he quickly flicked his wrists to dispel the summon. There was no aggression--he was showing off! What a ham; Axel kind of liked him more now. If nothing else, this Reno guy was fast, he'd give him that, and whatever this weapon of his was, it certainly wasn't quite like anything Axel had ever seen before.

"So this is a... materia?" he asked, leaning forward a bit but still keeping his distance. He'd had enough run-ins with Larxene to know just how much damage lightning could do.

"Thought it would be easier to show ya." Reno shrugged, as the glow slowly faded from the weapon and the sparks receded. Then he let it dangle between his fingers, the power completely off. "Yeah, it's a materia."

He held it out so Axel could see the inert green orb better. "It's solidified mako, containing ancient knowledge and wisdom, yadda yadda, and it lets me use magic." It was weird, he felt like a school teacher showing the kids how to use materia for the first time.

Curious, the Turk studied Axel for a moment. "I wonder if you could try it."

He watched the weapon lose its glow and then took a step closer to get a better look. Fascinating--it looked like the power source was nothing but an oversized marble!

Lifting his head, he met Reno's eye briefly before turning his attention back to the weapon.

"Ma... Mako?" He furrowed his brow. Ancient knowledge? Wow, that wasn't exactly something he'd thought had a tangible form either, but he guessed wonders truly would never cease. "Huh. We don't need any shiny marbles where I come from, but your method sounds fanciier," he chuckled. "So, lemme make sure I got this straight: magic power is derived from crystallized... knowledge?" Well he'd be damned. Knowledge really was power after all! Who'd'a thunk?

He looked a bit surprised when Reno suggested maybe he give it a try.

"What, really?" he asked, unable to hide a bit of a grin. Axel was actually kind of fascinated by magic as a whole--fire magic was all he was really good at, but he'd always been interested in learning more. Unfortunately the only venue to further education he had had within the Organization was from his seniors, and somehow that... really hadn't appealed to him.

He reached carefully toward the weapon, then left his hand to hover over the green sphere a moment, scrutinizing Reno briefly. Was this a trap? No... no he really got no vibe like that from this guy. He ventured the barest hint of a grin.

"... How's it work?" he asked, his hand still poised over the materia. "I've never used a vessel for magic, really..."

It was risky, lending his weapon to a complete stranger. But hey, Reno was willing to take risks, and he really wanted to know if "cross world" stuff was possible. He could take care of himself without it, and it wouldn't have been the first time he had been on the receiving end of a thundaga, either.

Besides, how could he let down a guy with facial tattoos like that? Oh, he could give a few guesses why Axel was looking at him like that, but Reno was on the level. This time.

"Yeah, I suppose that works. Crystallized knowledge." He said, pulling the rod back slightly to make sure the materia was set in properly. It was a bit more involved, but the idea was there. "Mako is the same way, but materia is easier to use. Less dangerous."

He had to think hard on the process of activating the materia, rubbing a hand through his hair as if it would make it easier. After so much materia use, it became second nature to him, so it was a little more difficult pulling out the right words. "It's mostly a willpower thing. Just tell it what to do, and you have to be firm. You also... have to be receptive to the energy, otherwise it'll stop and get stuck. That's how I was holding it there."

Just activating the materia should be enough, Axel didn't need the tutorial on how to target anything. If his Cure materia had shown up in the trunk, it might have been a different story.

"If you think you got what it takes, here." Shifting his grip on the rod, he held the handle out for Axel, and grinned. "Try Thunder."

Oh, so Mako was the raw form, he had to presume, and materia was the finished product? He listened as Reno explained and then put a hand on his chin.

"Honestly it sounds a lot like how magic works where I come from," he admitted. "Hell, the spell's the same too." There was no long fancy incantation, no special invoking gesture, just aim, concentrate, Fire. Or Thunder, case in point. Weilding fire spells was second nature to Axel these days; he barely needed the concentrate step anymore. Lightning, however, while related to fire in a lot of ways, had always been Larxene's forté much more than his. He could sling a Thunder spell here and there, but he couldn't control it half as well as she could.

Still, he couldn't just not have a go at it. It took a certain degree of faith and affinity to hand someone your weapon, and Axel could definitely appreciate that. He wasn't sure he was ready to summon his chakrams to return the gesture (hell, he wasn't even sure anyone but him could hold them. Summoned weapons were tricky things...), but he carefully reached forward to take the handle of the rod.

Axel wasn't terribly versed in this sort of weapon; it felt a little alien in his grip. He never really used his chakrams as bludgeons, as he had to assume this was for; he was used to something with blades, or at least something round. He gave it an experimental vertical swing, then twisted it in his hand to inspect the materia.

Okay. He could do this. ... Man, why'd it have to be Thunder?

"So materia can only do one spell?" he asked, though there wasn't anything accusatory or damning in his tone. It just seemed odd to him that this all-powerful knowledge was limited to one type of spell. He blew out a soft sigh, then gave Reno a slightly bemused look. "Lightning ain't really my area of expertise," he warned with a chuckle. "Might wanna... take a step back."

And with that, he set his jaw and concentrated a moment, bringing the rod to bear and watching in awe as the green marble set in the weapon began to glow. Oh, hey, he was doing it! Cool! Maybe this wouldn't be so different after all. As the green glow from the materia grew brighter Axel found himself grinning. This wasn't so hard! Setting his eye on a spot on the far wall he pointed the rod forward (he wasn't sure he needed to; it just felt like the thing to do) and thought, 'Thunder!'

Or, well... he got as far as 'Thun--' before something apparently went awry and a sharp electrical sensation plunged through his hands and up his arms. With a yelp he dropped the rod and the glow of the materia faded as the weapon clattered to the floor.

Okay maybe this wasn't going to be as simple a transition as he thought. Wringing his hands as the painful buzzing sensation of the spell abated, he cast an abashed look at Reno.

"Looks like I need a little more practice."

Edited 2012-03-23 09:47 (UTC)

Reno folded his arms and stepped back, though not too far since he was pretty confident he wasn't going to get zapped, and just grinned.

"What? Is Thunder not good enough for you?" That was cryptic, but Reno was interested in seeing if he could just do it before he tried anything more powerful than Thunder. If Axel was anything like him, he'd be wanting to do Thundaga spells right off.

When Axel pointed the rod, and received his zap, Reno burst out laughing- no, he was cackling.

"Man, you're making all the rookie mistakes. It looks like you keep thinking Fire. Lightning is more picky." The turk snickered, picking up the rod from the floor and wielding it with a practiced flourish. "The form's just as important when you're dealing with something that has a mind of it's own. With lightning it follows the path of least resistance, and it's smooth, flowing. Almost like water, but more alive."

He suddenly snapped the rod at Axel, pointing at him in admonishment, thoroughly enjoying the lecture. Reno usually didn't get to be on the giving end. "You have to follow the paths. Watch."

With an almost fluid twist, Reno whirled around, his rod jumping to life almost immediately and crackling. It reached a critical point midway in his twist- the raw energy shining brilliantly. Reno was not afraid of the power he wielded, nor the danger to himself as all lightning was dangerous to those who used it. That was what made it fascinating to him. The risk was as great as the reward. Snapping his arm and wrist out and following along the lines of his body, he made the energy flow with the motion, until...

Until it reached the tip just as his arm straightened. A massive Thundaga bolt emerged just as the sound of thunder filled the halls, hitting the far side of the hallway.

Satisfied, Reno turned back to Axel and held out the smoking rod again. "That's how we roll, man."

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[OPEN] am i in heaven here or am i in hell?

\o/

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