towerofanimus | Infighting Week One

[They can be in the dark together. Sometimes, it's comforting.]

Team spirit. Y-Yeah. We're, um, we're a team now. That's...that's what that girl said, right?

So, um, we should have team spirit. Good idea.

[They're probably not a team for any good purpose, but they're clearly a team, now. Tara just wishes she knew a few more people. Or that Willow was here.]

Um, have, h-have you had anything to eat yet?

[This, at least, is quickly becoming Tara's default response to her teammates, whether she knows them or not. Because she does know that food has been scarce in the tower for the last few days, so, presumably, everyone would be better for a sandwich.]

Hmm. I still don't get it, but.. she said we're a team. [ She's clinging on to the little information she's getting out of all this. Besides, a team doesn't sound too bad to her - she likes the idea of belonging with a group of people, even if said group was formed more or less artificially.

The question makes her blink though and she shakes her head. ]

There wasn't any in the Tower. [ which means she still hasn't been looking for any right now. ]

I know. [Oh boy, does she know. Tara had gotten along well enough by summoning a few bits and pieces of food, in the form of plants and the occasional fish, but that had wiped her out almost more than whatever energy she gained by eating. Having someone around to give them food again, even if it was something as simple as a salad, was an enormous weight off her mind.]

But, um, they do here. Come on, I'll, I'll sh-show you. [She motions off down the hall, and will lead the way to the lounge and kitchen.] You should eat something. [After all, who knows how long they'll continue to have food?]

[ She gratefully follows the girl, almost seeming a little relieved at the idea that she'll finally get to eat again - not to mention she's glad to get help from someone else here. Her stomach seems to already perk up at the thought of food too, a grumble escaping from it as she walks behind Tara. ]

.. It's really alright to eat here..? Then why was there food here and not back there?

[Tara has a deepseated suspicion that it's because all the food being denied the people back in the tower is being provided for them here. But she doesn't say as much. The thought had taken her appetite away, but by then she'd still already eaten something.]

I, I-I don't know. Maybe they just...brought us somewhere, um, where there is food, but they can't get it back there. Or, or maybe they've gotten food already, a-and we just...didn't hear about it.

[Then, making her voice sound bright and unconcerned:] See? So it's, it's probably okay. Y-You need to eat. They have someone in the kitchen who can make you something.

... Hmm.

[ She nods, even smiling a little to herself despite the circumstances. She's still pretty oblivious to the workings of the Tower due to being new, after all, and she's pretty gullible in a sense she'd easier believe someone like Tara, who is older and seems more responsible and all.. ]

I'll make sure to eat something then. Thank you for looking after me.. it makes me feel really glad and happy.

[Tara immediately blushes in mingled pleasure and embarrassment at this. She's met a few people by now who display a frank kindness that she's desperately not used to, but...well, Tara used to take care of a teenage girl. She knows these things, and she misses that girl.]

Oh, n-not at all. I, I mean, I'm not doing very much. Besides...w-we're on a team now, right? Team spirit.

I think you're already doing a lot. [ especially compared to some of the treatment she's had before. ] Isn't that what matters?

And.. yes, we have to keep up the team spirit. I think that's the most important part, as long as we're together.. it's easier, I think.

Well, i-if you think so, then...yeah. I, I guess it is.

[Tara presses her hand over her chest, feeling her heart flutter with something warm and happy. She was still fit to be around children. Who would have guessed?]

Um, m-my name is Tara. What's yours'?

Urotsuki. [ She nods back, seemingly pretty content despite the situation now. Maybe since she isn't entirely alone - that helps a lot for her. ]

It's very nice to meet you.. even if it's like this.

Yeah. I, I've already met more people than I have all while I've been here. But...it, i-it could be worse, right?

[They've passed into the lounge, by ow, and there's a table nearby. Tara pauses to knock on it a couple of times before continuing to lead the way to the kitchen.]

I mean, there's food. And, um, movies.

I like both of those. [ she smiles thinly, as if it's some sort of slight joke. ]

It's not very different from the usual tower either, right? I thought we were going somewhere that would be really different..

No, it, um, it doesn't seem that different. I mean...if, i-if everything wasn't so big, I'd think we were still in the tower. But, here, a-and the other two areas...that's, that's bigger than any of the other floors I've seen.

That's what I was thinking about too.. I don't know if this could be any place inside the tower, but.. [ ... ] We don't know what's outside of it either, right..?

Or did someone find out already?

Um, i-if they have, they haven't told me. And, and our powers won't even work outside. If they did, I, I-I could probably just fly down and see.

As it is now...I can't ever s-see anything, past the clouds.

[ Her eyes widen a little at that. ]

You can fly..? [ normally it wouldn't be that surprising of a thing, she's seen it plenty in her dreams, but this is different. It's real. ] Can you do other things too?

Y-Yeah. Well...kind of. I, I'm not that great at it, a-and I can't do it for long. But...y-yeah. I can fly.

[Ah, the trickiest of all questions. Tara looks a bit embarrassed, for a lot of reasons.] Oh, just...s-spells. Lots of different spells. It's, um, kind of hard to explain.

Even if it's hard to explain, I think it's amazing. I've never seen anything like that for real before. [ 'for real' as opposed to 'in dreams', of course. ]

Can you show them off too..? You know, just like magicians do.

W-Well... [Ordinarily she'd love to, ordinarily magic is more or less the only thing left in her life that Tara can be proud of. But her hand goes to fidget with her collar. There are only a few traces of indigo left in it, and she's weak, the energy she'd stolen from Kohaku long since used up.

This pod, this enclosed space, isn't a good place to drain someone. Who knows what would happen?]

M-Maybe later. I'm, um, kind of tired. Been a busy day, you know? H-Here. [She places a hand on the small of Urotsuki's back, enough to shunt her forward enough to speak with the drone behind the counter.] Just, um, ask for something.

[ She manages to turn her head back curiously a last time, blinking at her - was something wrong..? But she can't really determine it all the same, so instead she asks for something fairly simple at first, just a bowl of tomato soup, and so she gets it. (It doesn't take long for her to already be scooping spoonfuls out of it and into her mouth - she really was hungry without food in the tower. ]

... It's yummy. [ in case that wasn't obvious from how quickly she was eating. ] Does that mean I can see it some other time though? I'll show you something in return then too.. promise.

Of course. ["Something in return"? Did that mean Urotsuki had power of her own? Tara had used up all of Kohaku's power to get herself to the clinic, and being just down to her own power was putting her on edge, maybe she could...

...and then Tara goes cold when she realizes what she's thinking. She'd been making to join Urotsuki at the table, but then, then Tara takes a step back.] Y-Yeah. Later. I, I-I just need to rest a bit.

Urotsuki, I'm, I-I'm going to just...look for some people. W-Will you be okay here?

[ There's a brief blink, as if she finds the sudden retreat a little surprising, but it's nothing to draw her attention too much. And as much as she dislikes being alone, she's used to it by now, so she nods in return. ]

.. Yes. I'll be fine. [ for a moment she stares at the food, but then back to Tara. ] Good luck looking for them.. We'll see each other again later, right?

Yeah. [This, at least, Tara can reply without hesitation. She's finding Urotsuki's company almost reassuring. Or perhaps bolstering, is the better word.] I, I-I saw that, um, we had movies. Do you like movies? I-I like movies. M-Maybe we can watch one later.

.. Yes. I like movies. I haven't watched them with someone else in a while though.. [ she hums, as if thinking of when exactly the last time was, but once she can't recall it she just gives up. ] .. So it might be more fun together. If we do.. I'll look forward to it.

We will.

Promise.

[Tara might just speak above a mumble in her efforts to claim the television, for the chance to watch a movie with someone else.

She gives Urotsuki a small wave, and then ducks out of the kitchen, not daring to breathe again until she's across the lounge and in the hallway.]

Infighting Week One

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