towerofanimus | (no subject)

Entry tags:

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Characters: Reno, Xion, Shion and (open for Forest Floor)
Setting:
Wandering the Tower - hunting for the kids (Closed to Shion and Xion)
F32 - getting food
Format: Prose/action
Summary: It's the fourth day there's been no food in the cafeteria, and over a week since the lights went out. This isn't boding well and he's making plans for survival.

Warnings: Probably some cussing.

It was yet another morning of no lights and no electricity. Damn, that was starting to get annoying. Reno's EMR could generate some but that didn't mean he could power the whole damn room, but it did come in handy when he had to head out into the dark. It had taken some work, but he modified it it emit a blue light with the occasional spark. Not very bright, but it did the job chasing the shadows away when he stuck it at them.

There was no knowing what was going to happen anymore.

Shion in tow, Reno headed out into the Tower Dorms, and paused for a moment. Someone was missing...

"Hold on, we're going to look for Sweetness. Try to keep up, kiddo." That was when Reno tore off into the Tower.

Later. Reno headed down to the forest floor, island, whatever the hell it was with a bag and a bucket pilfered from somewhere else in the Tower (maybe a bathroom.) The forest was one of the few places left to get food, and Reno was dispensing with the usual training sessions with the kids on the meadow in favor of this. Things pretty much sucked right now, but aside from having to walk up and down the Tower stairs it could have been a lot worse.

Well, in a way this could still be considered training, all things considered. Trying to pick what wasn't poisonuous was a good skill to learn.

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Shion had been doing well all things considered. The lack of food and light had been worrying but he had managed to rationalise it. The light anyways- there was a storm, storms sometimes blew out power even in No. 6. Where the workers were and why they had no food was a reason for concern though...

He ran off after Reno, Reno's training had done some good and Shion was slowly becomming fitter, which didn't mean that he wasn't completely out of breath after a few moments, he kept up as well as he could though.

Xion was on the first floor, if Reno remembered right. Not too far from the staircase. He slowed down a little for the kid following him, not wanting Shion to be lost behind, his footsteps thudding into the floor. If it was a normal situation with a normal rookie back home, he would probably just tease them if they got left behind, but the Tower was anything but.

"Xion's first floor, right?" He called back.

Xion had been staying in Axel's room that night, as part of security precautions with Vanitas back in the Tower. It wasn't the most restful of sleeps, but it was a slight bit safer, which had made getting to sleep easier, at least.

When Xion woke up that morning though (or at least she assumed it was morning, it was hard to tell with all the storms), it took her a moment of pushing the vivid dream-memories out of her head before she noticed that the familiar head of spiky red hair was absent. That instantly raised red flags for her. Axel was always there, whether they were in his room or hers, making sure she was safe. If he'd ever left during the night, for any reason, she'd never known or heard about it.

At first, she stumbled out into the hallway, checked the network kiosk - only to find it was still down. She'd just been turning back to head her way back, maybe wait there until he came back from wherever he was, until she froze dead, catching sight of the screen on the door of room 1-04, where occupants were listed.

There was one less name on it than there'd been the day before. For a long time she stood there, staring at the screen on the door with a kind of numb disbelief, not even noticing the tears that began to slowly leak out of the corners of her eyes.

No....

No it couldn't be... Not now, not now. Not when they were starting to really be friends again, not when she still needed him so much...

This couldn't be happening...

But...

What else could explain it?

There she was.

Dragging Shion still, Reno walked up to her and touched her on the shoulder. "Hey, kiddo." It was said in his normal, happy voice- if only he didn't sound like Axel. That was when he noticed something was wrong. She was crying?

"What's wrong?"

Shion nodded, "Room... 1-01," he told him through through trying to breathe. He was glad Reno slowed down though because Reno had the light and though there were emergency lights on these floors he still worried they might go out as well.

All those thoughts left his head though as he saw Xion, he wrapped his arms round her though if she resisted or pushed him away he would let go. "What happened?"

Xion jumped and her head jerked sideways at the sound of Reno's voice - so much like Axel's that for a moment she thought it was him, there to ruffle her hair and probably call her silly for jumping to conclusions so badly. But no, it wasn't him. For a moment she simply stared up at him, jumping again when she felt arms around her and realized Shion was there too.

She didn't resist or try to push him off, though she didn't return the hug either. She was still too numb, the shock of what she'd discovered was all too raw. She looked from one to the other, then, over and up at the sign, then down at the ground.

"Axel's gone," she said quietly. He'd been there. He'd been right there when she'd fallen asleep, and now...

Oh.

Taking a long look at the name plate, he had a feeling Axel wouldn't be found in the Tower. This was his first time someone had just... disappeared like that, but he had heard of stories of other people disappearing.

"Maybe he just got to go home." It was possible. Reno had been home before, even though he wasn't sure this place was worse or not. "Don't cry for him, Sweetness. Cry for us."

Shion had heard of people disappearing, and people he had known had disappeared before... He hadn't really known Axel at all but he had known he was Xion's friend. Shion was fighting tears himself, for Xion because this was all so unfair. He didn't say anything, just continued hugging her and let Reno do the talking.

The nickname was still one she was getting used to, and it caught her attention and made her blink up at him in faint surprise, listening to what he was saying.

"Cry...?"

She reached a hand up and around Shion's arm to touch her face, blinking when she saw that yes, her cheeks were wet. She wiped the tear tracks away, blinking her eyes rapidly to stave off any more.

Xion hadn't heard about what their homes appeared to be those who went back, so to her, hearing that he went home put her in mind of him going back to their worlds, to Twilight Town, or any of the other worlds they'd been to. She didn't ever exactly hear what had happened before he'd gotten here, but it sounded like there was maybe some trouble. Hopefully he could take care of it now... make everything right again.

Still, that last part of what Reno said didn't quite make sense...

"Huh...? Why?" she asked.

Shifting uncomfortably, Reno shoved his hands into his pockets. "Because-" even he sounded unsure here, and usually... Reno was always sure around the kids. He tried to be a "pillar of confidence," someone they could look up to, and to him that meant strong as well. "Because we're the lost ones."

How the hell did that even make sense? "Axel got to go home, or someplace else. It's probably better than here. A city with lights, where monsters don't want to eat you and war is a memory."

Placing a hand on Shion and Xion's shoulders, one to each, he sighed. "Whatever. Don't worry about it, all right? I'm still here, and sure as hell not going anywhere without you two."

Shion let Xion out of the hug, but reached down to take her hand, to keep the connection since he figured she needed it. Reno's words hit him hard, they were the lost ones. Whatever had happened to those back on their worlds, whether they were continuing life or whether the worlds really had ended... and whatever people went back to... It was hopefully better than here...

He smiled, trying to act brave for Xion's sake, because she was scared, and had more reason to be sad than him. He nodded and squeezed Xion's hand. "It will be alright."

"A sunset," she said quietly, a tiny smile on her face, "There's a sunset there." A sunset, sea-salt ice cream... things she missed, from a happier time.

Xion didn't react when Shion let go and took her hand. If anything, the contact - both his hand in hers and Reno's on her shoulder - reminded her exactly of what they were saying - it would be... well maybe not okay, at least not right away. But... they were there. She isn't so sure that there'll be guarantees that they can stay - would Axel have left if he had the choice... but for now... they were here.

She smiles a little weakly, looking from one to the other. "Thank you."

It still hurt. Axel being gone. Nothing would change that. But the hurt... it was a little less, knowing she still hand friends here. Friends she cared about, who cared about her.

There was a slight pause here. Glancing at Shion, he made a slight nod in her direction, then he started to study her face carefully. It had been easy deciding on Shion because he had been so lost, especially after the Labyrinth. That was what the Turks were good for, recruiting the lost people, the ones that nobody else had wanted.

Xion was one of them now, wasn't she?

Was it luck, or fate that these were these were the same pants he had worn while making extra pins? He had kept them in his pocket and forgot about them.

Taking his hand from Xion's shoulder, he reached in his pocket for one of the rejects he had made before finally getting the shape right for Shion. This one wasn't the diamond shape he had gone for, it had sort of morphed into a slightly irregular heart, but he thought that somehow seemed to fit Xion.

"Here." Reno didn't explain to her what exactly he was giving her. That would come in time, when he finally told her what Turks were. Right now, it was just a promise. "I think ya need this right now."

Shion nodded back, half suspecting what Reno was about to do. He didn't let go of Xion's hand, because he wanted to support her. A sunset sounded nice... he had not seen the sunset in a long time, not properly, you couldn't see past the fog that surrounded the tower here. He stayed quiet still, squeezing her hand again letting her know it was alright. Though she probably knew, because she trusted Reno as well.

Holding her free hand out, Xion accepted the gift, turning to look from Reno to Shion before down at the object. In all reality she... didn't know what to expect. She sometimes got things, back with the Organization but... usually it was an item which had an obvious use, such as potions or synthesis materials. This... was different. It reminded her of Roxas, leaving shells by her pillow while she was asleep.

So it's definitely with some surprise and wonder that she stares down at the pin. The shape of it was familiar, at least, and she turned it over in her hand before looking back up.

"What is it?"

"A promise. Me and Shion, we're your family now." That was the closest he could come to describing what it meant to him. The other turks had different views on it, but ever since he joined, it had become much more than a job to him, even though he didn't like to admit it.

"It means we got your back when you need it, and it means I'm gonna do my best to make sure you can stand on your own when you don't."

Shion smiled again and nodded at Reno's words, it was still strange to him even though it had been a week since Reno had given him the pin. Family to him had always meant a lot, it had been his mum, her smiles and tears, their home in Lost Town, before in Chronos. But he had always been taught that family were just that, people who you happened to be related to, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters.

The West Town had taught him different, Inukashi whose entire family was dogs. Families came in many different forms. Nezumi would probably laugh at him for this... if he were here...

Shion focused on Xion and Reno, trying to stay in the present, in the now. Not to be sucked back into that room... "We'll look after each other Xion, promise."

Xion's eyes widened a little. Family...? They were... a family? She ducked her head. She was a puppet, nothing more. A creation. A replica. She never had a family. The Organization might have counted once, but... they lied. They kept things from her, she was always scared that if she wasn't useful to them, she would be destroyed.

Maybe it was some childish naive idea, but... she believed real families weren't like that. They were more like Axel and Roxas, the way Sora was with Kairi in the memories she sometimes saw.

Families made you feel happy, and safe.

She blinked her eyes rapidly against a new onslaught of tears, this time for an entirely different reason. After a few moments, her hand closed over the pin and curled up next to her heart. She looked up once more, smiling.

"Yeah... we will," she said. So thank you both...

There was time enough for sentimental stuff later, but he ruffled her hair briefly before saying, "Don't worry about it. Now come on, we got work to do."

It was definitely gonna be a long day, and now he had an idea that he'd have to keep them occupied to keep minds off the fact the tower seemed abandoned this month.

Even though the fact they were stuck in a tower that had had no electricity for days, it was pouring down; water dripping through the trees and thunder rolled overhead. Even though they were only here because all the food had disappeared from the tower, Shion was... happy was probably too much of an overstatement but compared to last month he was. Cheerier definitely, positive even though things had gotten more dire.

"You'd think looking out the windows that this planet was lifeless," he was saying, if either of them was listening, "But this forest has a remarkable amount of life in it, I would have thought it created by those who brought us here since it just appeared overnight but it has a remarkable amount of biodiversity which really... you couldn't copy, just knowing about what is supposed to be in a forest doesn't mean you would be able to replicate one like this..." He was babbling but it was better than getting mired down in thoughts since all of this made no sense and if he stopped to try and process it he would scare himself.

"Unless they let it grow wild, but where did they keep it, how did it survive in this world, I mean the sun didn't even rise on day in February..." He broke off as he spotted something. "Oh I think this is edible..." He went over to the mushroom he had spotted.

"I think it is Hydnum repandum," The words were pronounced strangely, they were in a language that had long since been lost but existed in the names of many things. Shion had never actually seen mushrooms in the wild before, but he had studied them, learned all he could when he was just a child and Shion didn't forget things easily.

Reno watched Shion a bit in fascination. If this vegetation had been from his own world, he might have been more helpful here, but the sad fact was he was learning a lot from just watching the kid go through the stuff. None of it was familiar to him save for a few things here and there, and considering the differences he wasn't wanting to risk anything.

Figures his lost-in-the-wild survival training would be useless here.

"How do you know all this stuff, Shion?"

"Back when I still went to school, when I was a kid." Shion bent down to collect another mushroom, putting it in a seperate bucket, as he wasn't completely sure it was edible and he would have to examine it further. "I studied ecology."

"And you remembered all of that?" The turk was impressed. The kid had a brain on him all right, if only he exercised some boldness to go with it, he could go places.

Shion nodded, "I remember everything." It wasn't even really a boast, he was just stating a fact about himself. He bent down to examine another mushroom.

"I thought so." Taking a moment to consider, he bent over and picked up a mushroom, showing it to Shion for approval. "Ya remember everything, exactly as you saw it? Clear pictures in your head? Back home they call it photographic memory."

Shion studied the mushroom for a moment before nodding, holding out the safe bucket. "Yes, exactly as I saw it. I think that was why I was going to be put in the special program in school, it's a useful skill I guess..."

He shook a little and buised himself by studying another mushroom, even as images of Nezumi being stabbed for his failure to answer questions.

"Yeah. It's extremely rare. Most of the people like that back home become scientists." Dropping it in, it was Reno's turn to learn it seemed, as he listened to Shion. "Tell me about these mushrooms. The kinds on my world are way different. And anything else you can recognize down here."

"They do in No. 6 as well." Shion didn't elaborate, he didn't have to. He didn't know exactly how much of his punishment Reno had seen; and he didn't really want to know, but he knew that there was very few of his sins and mistakes that Reno didn't know about.

"This one is called a giant puffball, because it looks like one I guess, it's edible though we might need to find some way to cook it. There's plenty of wood we could find a fire. We are lucky that we are coming into the time when most mushrooms are common. A month or two ago and we would have been out of luck." He spotted some berries as well and was distracted for a moment while he studied them with a small frown.

"Oh they are Juneberries... these are safe. See this bit." He pointed to the crown part of the berry. "There is no type of poisonous berry in my world that has a crown like this."

Focusing on what the kid was saying, he nodded. "Crown berries are not poisonous. Got it. Uh... you know, ya might write or draw descriptions of the things you find in here. Y'know, just for reference..."

Shion nodded, "That's a good idea. Though I'm not very good at drawing..."

"Ya could always ask. A lot of people have been comin' down here lately... some of 'em are going to get sick if they pick the wrong stuff." Examining a plant, Reno identified it as one Shion said was poisonous, and shook his head at it. "This one is a bad one, right?"

"I will. Especially if we don't have food given to us, hungry people are going to take risks." And a lot of the species looked alike.

He nodded at Reno, "Yes, that one is deadly."

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Forest for cute

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