towerofanimus | keeping busy [backdated to before the gathering started]

Characters: Zack Fair and anyone who encounters him.
Setting: All dormitory floors; take your pick.
Format: bracketspam is preferred, but I'll match you
Summary: Trying to inform people, and keep them from panicking. ...This can only end well, clearly.
Warnings:None I can think of; will edit this if something changes.

[It's fairly clear when the power goes out that something is off. It gets clearer that something is wrong when people start disappearing, one by one, and they're not the people who were brought to this tower. It gets crystal clear that something is terribly wrong when it's impossible to find any food at all in the places where it's supposed to be. That's when Zack's training really kicks in, and he starts to do something. What might that something be?

Writing signs so others can have an idea of what to do and then putting them in easy to see places.

Like above an emergency light near the staircases on every dorm level he can get to. He doesn't block the stairs as he tapes them up, and those who get close enough will be able to read his blocky handwriting. Yes, folks, he hand wrote these babies. ...at least they're legible?]

You probably noticed by now that things aren't so good in the tower. Until we can figure out what happened, there's a few things everyone should do:

Drink lots of water and stay calm. People have survived longer than a month without food, so long as they have water and didn't panic.

Try to avoid fighting any monsters; there's no one in the infirmary to help out if someone gets hurt and blood loss or broken bones won't help anyone in this mess.

Don't go anywhere alone if you can help it. There's a reason the saying goes "safety in numbers". Travelling with a buddy's also a good way to make sure nobody gets lost alone. It's easier to find your way back with a partner.

[There's probably more he could have written on those things, but the idea is to be concise and keep people calm, not freak them out more than they probably already are. Those who find the signs are welcome to tear them down, but come on. Why would you do that? Don't you want people to have an idea of what to do?

Also, those on the Third level of dorms can find him kneeling near a terminal alcove, pawing at the machinery to try and get it to work...or trying to find something near the bottom of it. Those close enough will hear him muttering to himself, as well.]

Come on...where's that access panel...

[Yeah. He's trying to pry it open. Someone stop him before he breaks his hand or worse.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That train of thought makes Zack stop, peering at the sphere in his palm. Yes, it's raw electricity. Yes, it hurts like hell when it hits you, but...]

I'm not sure. It's not a very strong spell, and I haven't really trained with it so it's not that powerful, but...[He pauses, putting the sphere back in his bangle and rubbing the back of his neck. What to do, what to do...]

What other options do we have? If there's a message left on the network, we have to get it somehow.

We might need some sort of transformer... though the problem would be finding one...

If the electricity isn't really that strong... I guess it won't hurt to try it out. You can control the voltage, right?

Could try and find one in the workshop, maybe. I mean, it's got just about everything else, so who knows what's up there.

[Not that he actually knows what a transformer is, but they should have something that'll work, right? ...Right?]

I think I can control it, but I've never had to do it before so we probably shouldn't bet on it. It's definitely strong enough to hurt a person, though.

Well, it couldn't hurt to look.

Then we should go to the workshop to see if there's anything we can use.

Yeah. Frying the thing's not gonna get us any closer to seeing if there's a message on it, that's for sure.

[He looks away now, trying to find the stairs. The emergency lights are kinda crummy for seeing with, even with his vision as good as it is. Now...where are those things.]

You wanna wait here? It's a long way down to the workshop.

I... I can come with you. I'm not scared! [it's better than being left on his own...]

[Not scared seems to be a bit of an overstatement, but Zack just nods and smiles, gesturing over his shoulder now that he's found the staircase again.]

Keep close, okay? I don't know if it's night or day right now and running into a monster's not gonna help, either.

Mn! I will.

[And he's going to stick very close to Zack.]

[Very close to Zack is probably the best idea, even if it just so happens that they got lucky and there's no monsters on the way down to the workshop. Once they're in, however, Zack hesitates and sheepishly rubs the back of his neck with one hand, the other holding the ball of fire that lit their way down here.]

Uh...you know what a transformer looks like, right? I've never seen one before.

Eh? You haven't? Umm... I have... [Though he's not quite sure how they're going to use it with electricity magic] I'll go look around then.

[Now it's Zack's turn to stick close, that ball of fire still in his hand so Chihiro can see what he's looking for. Zack will also be looking around, and he tilts his head after a few minutes.]

Think you could describe what it's supposed to look like? Two sets of eyes looking are better than just one.

Hmmm... well, the ones we use at home look like a little black box with wires coming out of both ends.

Something like that, huh...okay then. [And with that, Zack starts to look around with more care, trying to find the thing that was just described in all this mess. But he clearly doesn't have much luck, because it's only about fifteen minutes later that he stops and sighs, shoulders slumping.]

Any luck? Cause I haven't seen anything that looks even a little like that.

I don't seem to be able to find anything like it either... Sorry...

[Zack shakes his head at that. Sorry? Why is this kid sorry when it's not his fault?]

Doesn't matter. But I guess trying without it's kinda stupid, huh? For all we know, the thing'll spit the power right back out at us if it's too much for it to handle.

[It's an automatic reaction. Don't mind him, Zack...]

Mn. It would be very dangerous...

[Zack doesn't mind, truly. He's just curious.]

Definitely not worth trying, then. Last thing we need is somebody taking all that power in one hit. [siiiigh.] Come on. I'll take you back upstairs. Not safe to be down here alone.

That really is a pity... I was thinking of trying to hack into the system to find a way out... Mn. Okay. Ah, I don't think I know your name yet. I'm Chihiro, it's nice to meet you, sir.

Maybe when the power comes back on, man.

[A pause, then he seriously considers whacking himself over the head. Manners, Fair! Your mother taught you better than this!]

Right, sorry. I'm Zack. Nice to meet you too, Chihiro. [Here! Have the hand that's not holding the fireball extended in your direction. Handshake?]

Mn. I hope it does soon...

[He smiles and and shakes his hand.]

keeping busy [backdated to before the gathering started]

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