(no subject)

[midgarhorizon]

Characters: Reno/Sparky, open
Setting: Sunday the 20th
Format: Prose OR action
Summary: Trying blatantly to ignore the horror of seeing his planet totally lifeless, Reno tries to go about life as normal- as it can get in the Tower.
Warnings: Broken people


Cafeteria

After his wake up in the tower again after visiting the home world, Reno had been shaken but forced it back down. Shion hadn't been in sight and he had focused on that. This morning, however, he sat at a table wearing his black shirt and pants, hair unbound, staring off into the distance and trying to process everything he had seen since Jason had sent him back.

One of the questions he had running around in his mind was why had they brought him back. He almost would have rather stayed. Everyone he knew had died, everything he knew was gone, save for this Tower- and the Tower was hardly the place he wanted to call his new home. It shouldn't have been him. There were better people that they could have saved, though even that he was torn on. The Tower was just so awful.

Call it survivor's guilt, or call it trauma, or stress or anything. Tried as he might to push it away, it was coming back to bite him in the ass this morning.



Floor 25 - Meadow

Much later, he was feeling a bit better, if still raw around the edges. The enormity of actually being there still hadn't hit him, not fully anyway, and he knew when it did, there was a distinct possibility he might go crazy. In the mean time, a routine was good, and he felt better sticking to something that was at least somewhat familiar by now. Besides, people were relying on him.

He showed up at the meadow for his usual training session, wondering if anyone else would come out of habit or stopped when he had gone home. It didn't matter either way, he was warming up, needing to do something other than think for a while.


Floor 32 - Forage Island

It was about a lunch time, if someone took their lunch late, and he was wandering the island on what was now Floor 32. He wandered around for a while, since this was a place he didn't get much time to explore after it appeared.

It kind of reminded him of the forests around Gongaga. Just about the time he realized that, he spotted a small cluster of berries.

Foood? Maybe, and it would be something more interesting than nutrient bars, but knowing this place? It was probably poisoned or would turn his insides out. Still- there was an idea.

Contemplating the different things he found, he started gathering some and putting them in his pockets to sort out later. Maybe he could find someone who knew how to identify these things.

Comments

Floor 32

[denigrator]

Carrying a small black case and an assortment of vials, Hojo was collecting biological samples, of both plants and soil. He planned to catalog and study all the floors.

He glanced at Reno with an indifferent air once he noticed him. "Ah, you again." Hojo wasn't concerned, in spite of the fact that the other Reno had threatened him. He also didn't notice that this Reno looked slightly different, but that was because he didn't care enough to notice.

[midgarhorizon]

Nope. Nope.

He did not just hear Hojo's voice. Or see Hojo's body collecting samples. That wasn't Hojo. It was an illusion. A hallucination. It had to be. Hojo was the last person he wanted to see here.

It was obvious. Reno was finally cracking up. All that pressure and then finally seeing Gaia completely dead and lifeless. Though why he would be imagining Hojo of all people was a little disturbing. Maybe in some unconscious way, he blamed Hojo for the white light that destroyed the universes. Well, it made sense. Sort of.

So maybe this hallucination did make sense after all. As it was, he just stared for a moment, before attempting to ignore the man.

That would be pretty silly, interacting with a hallucination.

[denigrator]

That was slightly odd behavior, not that Hojo was truly one to judge someone else for odd behavior. He couldn't see why the man would threaten him with vigilance and violence on one occasion, then ignore him the next.

Hojo would gladly have taken the credit for the white light if he could have, but he wasn't sure it was one of his results. He wasn't sure what to make of it all. Yet.

He plucked a berry to take for a sample, then paused to label the vial. This was rather low work--but he needed a basis for his study here, and he wanted to take the measure of every floor, one by one. Some were quite dangerous, and he'd been injured, but so far, he hadn't died.

He would have liked more samples from Gaians, but casting a sleep spell was too risky, even if the man's behavior was odd. "I wonder if your surveillance, such as it is, has been effective. My work is progressing... Which is all for the good."

[midgarhorizon]

Oh, Shiva. The hallucination was talking to him. It was talking to him. It was true, he was cracking up.

As if to test this theory, Reno tried looking everywhere but Hojo, and headed back to the staircase, then suddenly turned around as if to catch the hallucination disappearing.

No luck. It was still there.

Blinking, he walked right up to Hojo and tentatively reached out with a finger and poked him.

It was solid.

"Fuckinghellyou'rereal." The turk backpedaled and tripped over a tree root, right into a bush. Flailing around, he got back to his feet and leaned against a tree trunk, wiping his finger off on the bark.

floor 25

[savedbyasong]

Shion had woken up to a note stuck on his head to turn up at the meadow for training. Despite having left his room yesterday to look for Reno it still took an effort for Shion to be ready. This time he was dressed, shoes and all, and made his way down to the meadow.

He wanted to train, learning from books was one thing but even if he got cleverer he had to get stronger. The drive to be useful meant that he would try even harder at training than he had before the labyrinth.

He stood looking round the meadow, a little dazed but ready.

[midgarhorizon]

Just finishing up his warming up, Reno spotted the kid and came up behind him. "Glad to see ya came out, and on your own, too."

Maybe that little disappearing act had done something good. This was more progress than he had seen for a while. But, there was something he had been wondering lately.

"We'll get started in a minute, but tell me, kiddo, why are ya down here today?"

[savedbyasong]

Shion nodded, now that he had figured out a reason to do anything it was a little easier being around the tower. He looked confused at the question.

"To train... you told me to come..."

cafeteria

[notontheflowers]

[hey Sparky. Ever seen your 'I told you so' face?]

Have fun seeing that I wasn't full of shit?

[Guess who stalks the network like a good Turk and keeps an eye on you?]

[midgarhorizon]

[Without a word, Rusty gets a nutribar in the face. Not just thrown either, soggy wet and smashed in, crumbling.]

[notontheflowers]

[He wipes the crumbs from his face with a sigh.]

You could've just punched me you know.

[ravenmaker]

Though he had been exploring the other floors, acquainting himself with his new home, Fuhito found himself returning periodically to the meadow. With each visit, he made note of any changes since his last (there never were any). Perhaps he was merely curious to see who else among the many would come to this place.

He stood quite still, allowing himself to think of Gaia. A man of science, presented with no proofs that could not have been manufactured by the intelligence in control of this place, he cannot believe she is dead. In his mind, that theory was only one among many-- he wandered among them.

There was movement at the periphery of his vision.
Ah, a Turk. Well, he was himself (only himself) this time, after all-- and armed.
Fuhtio cleared his throat, a soft sound, but one he knew the Turk would hear.

[midgarhorizon]

The sound caught Reno's attention, and he paused in his warmup to look around the meadow before spotting- that man.

No way. He couldn't be here. Suddenly, the Tower felt odd, like Reno was suffering something wrong with his collar. Disconnected. That was the word. Not like he was a part of his body anymore. Nothing seemed real, least of all himself.

That was a thought. What if he wasn't himself? Just a copy of Reno from the boat, programmed with more memories? A strange rush of giddiness rose, and he laughed softly, covering his eyes with a hand.

Why had they brought Fuhito here? Not after everything they went through. Not after all the losses and the fighting. It should have been over by now. Every argument he could think of to protest Fuhito's presence died one by one, even as he remembered everything he had learned in this place. Timelines, alternate universes, resurrection. Still, that disconnected feeling managed a small moment of shock, oddly numbed, as if it was someone else feeling it. So soon after seeing everything dead on the Planet, and then seeing him. Maybe what was the most surprising was he didn't feel anger. Just calm and disconnected, with that occasional giddy rush.

"I'm too tired for this." Those words didn't seem like his either, sounding alien to his ears. They were of a man that had seen too much, someone that was far older than he was.

[ravenmaker]

Fuhito tilted his head slightly to one side. He felt no need to reach for his weapon. There was a strange unreality to this scene. Here he stood in his bracers, his armbands, his gloves, himself inside his own skin (as far as he'd been able to determine), on a field of flowers suspended within a tower suspended (he supposed) in time-- he'd been thinking of Gaia, in all her infinite sweetness. And then this.

He regarded the Turk steadily, searching himself for emotion. Chagrin, yes, and wariness, but that was only to be expected. Real anger seemed abstract. Yes, he could recall the pain of death at the hands of the Turks, but even that intense sensation seemed more distant than it had since his waking in this place.

If only they had understood. She had been in so much pain. It had been worth any effort to save her. What was the meaning of a few lives next to Her life? What was the meaning of his own? In the end he had failed, of course. But not before exhausting the possibilities of the scenario he'd constructed. On the verge of the Lifestream, he'd been one with Her beauty at last-- for a moment. That loss rankled far more than that of his own life. No, the Turks were no longer his primary antagonists.

His assessment complete, he answered the Turk. His tone of voice was low, but somehow penetrating.

"Are you?

Yes, I can see that.
But what is it you're too tired for, Turk?"

Floor 25

[great_king_of_evil]

[ Ganondorf was at the Meadow when Reno showed up- He had... Pretty much nothing to do for now. He couldn't torture those from his homeworld, else he would have to say bye bye to the Triforce. And his other plans would be needed only if the Triforce plot was to fail.

He spotted Reno, and turned to him. Quickly looking at him- Looks like it's the good one and not the failure one. ]

Reno.

[ Truth to be said, he had looked for Reno lately, but for some weird reasons- He had been nowhere to be found. ]

Re: Floor 25

[midgarhorizon]

[Wincing, he turned to face Ganondorf.]

Ganondorf.

[Ok, so he had a sense of humor.]

I can guess what you want. Report, right? [Deep breath, serious look.] There's nothing to report. Literally. I've been watchin' our mutual friends and they haven't been up to anything except drawing pictures and eating.

[Folding his arms, he gives the king a look.]

I can give you my notes, but it's a pretty boring read.

[great_king_of_evil]

Drawing pictures? Hylians...

[ Pathetic. Ridiculous. He chuckled because, really. That's all the heroes do? And he lost to that, well. Pathetic bunch of fools. ]

No, I believe you. Keep an eye on them though, the day has not come yet.

[ He turns and is on his way to leave- Sorry Reno he's not looking to be buddy with you, but then he remembers something and turns back. ]

I nearly forgot... There is another you in this tower. I assume you met him.

Cafeteria

[materiahunter]

All things considered, Yuffie was handling the situation well enough. She had only thrown two tantrums since arriving, which grew old fast, so after rummaging through her trunk she changed into her regular clothes and set off exploring. Armed with her weapon and materia, she strolled into...

A cafeteria? Huh. Not what she expected.

As she stood there scanning the room, her eyes fell on a familiar shock of red hair. Of all the -- a ShinRa goon? Here!? Gritting her teeth, she marched across the room and up to Reno, oblivious to his moping.

WHAM! One fist slammed down on the table while the other rested on her hip. "YOU! I knew ShinRa had something to do with this place!"

[midgarhorizon]

Startled, Reno jumped, looking up at her, but that was all the reaction she was getting. Not even a "what the hell" for her grace.

He was over Shinra or not-Shinra, the wars and fighting, and all of the rest of it. Instead, he just stared at her, nothing but that thoughtful, somewhat sad look.

[materiahunter]

Funny, she had expected a little something...more.

"Hello~?"

Nothing. The sad, kicked puppy look did not suit Reno and it was starting to freak her out. Pulling out a chair, she plopped down and stared at him.

cafeteria

[got_it_memorized]

He couldn't really say he was surprised to see Reno, since it was actually rather difficult to truly surprise Axel, but it had been a while since he'd seen the other man and so if nothing else he could say it was a pleasant, if unexpected, chance meeting. Grabbing a can of juice and approaching him, Axel frowned a bit as he drew closer. Something wasn't right--his hair wasn't in its usual ponytail for one thing, but there was something heavy and dark about Reno's presence today.

Axel didn't like the look of it.

Hooking his foot around the leg of a nearby chair he swung it out and plunked down backwards, resting one arm on the back and popping his juice open. Reno's usually bright eyes were haunted. Axel clicked his tongue.

"You look like the Underworld warmed over," he said bluntly, taking a swig of his drink and setting it down on the table behind him. "What happened? I haven't seen you for a few days..." There was an unvoiced offer to help if he could--be it Cure or otherwise... but he had a feeling this wasn't that sort of injury.

Re: cafeteria

[midgarhorizon]

A long silence filled the air before Reno spoke, finally shifting his eyes to actually look at Axel.

"I guess you missed that post one of the tower admins made." Emotions had been running high that day. Everything from the Labyrinth to the damn nutrition bars in the cafeteria to having to pester Shion into eating and drinking had weighed on him. He couldn't even remember why he mouthed off to Jason like that. The result had gotten him several days in one of his nightmares, literally.

"I went back home."

[got_it_memorized]

He shook his head. "No, I saw it," he said, taking another swig of juice. "I just wasn't particularly interested in what he had to say. I monitored some of the conversations, but that guy's less likely to give a straight answer than the damn Cheshire Cat, it seems." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I don't like giving straight answers, but I sure as hell expect to receive them."

Well, it was a personal double standard.

He gave a start at the next statement, though, setting the drink down again.

"Wait, what? You did?" He blinked, his jaw hanging ajar for a moment. "And then you got pulled back here?" That seemed a little cruel and unusual...

32

[capax_infiniti]

The abundance of life in the forest - non-threatening life, that was - was interesting. Going through it, seeing what was familiar and what was not, was a good way to pass the time and keep his recollection sharp. It was pleasing that such things had been added, and he strolled pleasantly through the brush, counting his steps in order to keep a mental map, eyes sweeping what passed for a trail.

He hadn't expected to encounter anyone, let alone one he recognized. The shock of red hair was very obvious, and he let his face fall into an expression of pleasant greeting. The young man was collecting berries - he must have been hungry for what the cafeteria was no longer providing. While edible, they were tart and would make one's mouth pucker, which wasn't a bad thing if one liked sour fruit.

"I don't blame you. My appetite has been minimal with the fare provided."

[midgarhorizon]

Looking up, Reno was way pass being started at encountering anyone on the floor by now. At least this time, it was someone he wasn't all that unhappy to see. Xehanort wasn't exactly a friend, but he wasn't an enemy either.

So it was a smile that met Xehanort's question. "I'm just collecting some to figure out what's usable. Knowing this place, there's probably poisonous crap growing here."

[capax_infiniti]

A brief nod. While his palate was hardly refined, he'd found the food offered to be bland at best. When all that was offered was nutrient bars, even when his body demanded food he'd had little desire to eat.

"Of course. All the better for one to accidentally consume and die a rather unpleasant death. That seems to be something of a theme to this place. Unfortunately, there are perhaps a few who have some base herbology skills and can identify a few species..."