o2 [And it keeps getting worse] BACKDATED TO THE WEEK OF THE 17TH

[silentsacrifice]

Characters: Itachi and you!
Setting: Floor 22 (the art gallery), Floor 10 (the aquarium), and Floor 25 (the meadow).
Format: Action to start, but I'll match you.
Summary: As he spends more time in the tower, Itachi finds himself losing his grip on his powers.
Warnings: Possible violence/character death (if you want), general tower creepiness. I'll add more if anything else comes up.

[He didn't expect to find an art gallery in a place like this, but here one was, plain as day. Though it serves no practical purpose, he walks around, scanning the paintings with a barely interested gaze. His eyes land on a large picture at the end of a hallway, and before he can even get close enough to see it properly, he's filled with a sudden sensation of dread.

He thinks he should turn away and go explore someplace more likely to hold an exit, but his curiosity propels him forward. There's something eerily familiar about that painting... Even though he can't see any details from this distance, the atmosphere of it causes a chill to run up his spine.

When he's about five paces in front of it, he realizes why. He's looking at himself. He's looking at himself, staring down at the bodies of his clansmen, their faces bloodied and twisted into masks of pain. He takes a step back, blinks, and-

And it's gone. The painting has turned into a normal piece, one of a peaceful-looking meadow lit by moonlight and fireflies, no trace of himself or anyone he knows in the frame at all.

He stares for a few moments more. How ridiculous, hallucinating like that. Still, he can't seem to get his heart to start beating at a normal pace again...]



[He's never seen anything quite like this place. The water appears to be standing up all on its own, and every "tank" is filled with fish. Many of them, he's never seen before in his life. They come in all colors and sizes, and every once in a while, he sees the shadow of a huge shark or whale pass by. The way the fish hop from one tank to another could almost be seen as entertaining, if it weren't for one crucial detail.

Not all of the fish were harmless.

Itachi catches the movement of a fish out of the corner of his eye; it's leaping right for his face. He curses inwardly for being slow to notice it, and steps out of the way. That should have been the end of it, but the fish leaps at him again, several more in its wake. He dodges, but this time he sees the sharp glint of their teeth as they pass him.

Pirhannas.

He's ready the next time they leap out, pulling a kunai from his pouch and slicing each of them in two with a few flicks of his wrist. Again, though, he can't help but feel as if his reflexes are slower than usual. He frowns down at the bodies of the pirhannas at his feet, a few still twitching inadvertently in puddles of water.

He'll have to be more careful in this place.]



[Itachi had been determined to find a way out of the Tower since he'd landed in it. To him, the most probable way to do this was to explore the floors that lead outside. That was what took him to the meadow for what had to be the fiftieth time since he'd arrived here. A big open space like that has to lead somewhere, he's sure of it.

The peaceful landscape and the slight breeze should be comforting. They should, but Itachi has other things on his mind. A few days ago, he was just barely able to stop himself from inadvertently using Amaterasu. He'd never before slipped up like that; he didn't even know it was possible to come close to using such a technique without thinking about it first.

He could have brushed it off as a side-effect of using Mangekyou Sharingan too much, but it kept happening. Not just with his Sharingan, but with other techniques, too. Just yesterday, a shadow clone appeared right next to him as he was walking down the hallway. The day before that, he accidentally used a Water Release technique when he was exploring the pool floor.

And now, he can feel a burning in his throat that shouldn't be there - not unless he'd focused his chakra first, not without the proper hand seals. He stops dead in his tracks, bringing a hand up to his mouth as he bends forward slightly. He tries to hold his breath, but the burning makes him unable to. He purses his lips and blows, and a ball of fire easily twice as tall as he is forms in front of him and goes flying across the meadow. The heat of the flames cause plant life to catch fire and blacken underneath it. After a few seconds, the fireball dissipates, leaving only a burnt trail several yards long in its wake.

He straightens up and takes a deep breath. Hopefully, that'll be the only mishap he has today...]

Comments

floor 10

[fingerbangingood]

[Yusuke was still getting used to being around the tower, not knowing each and every floor. But still, more and more he was getting to know some of the people here, the real people and not the clones. Not all that strange, but some differences were surprising; Chie using actual shoe weapons for starters.

And then he ran into Itachi. Memory served him well, as these two were about to fight one another one week, though nothing came of it. Still, it was a 50/50 shot in his mind that this was still the same guy, though something was off. Only one way to find out for sure.

Hence why he was walking over, finger pointing at a lunging pirhanna attack him before blasting it back into the water with but just a tiny beam.]

Sheesh, if you were gonna fight me with those skills back at the facility, I think we both know who'd win.

Re: floor 10

[silentsacrifice]

[Itachi snaps to attention when he sees the beam of light out of the corner of his eye. Again, he should've been able to detect this person long before they were standing right in front of him, but he didn't. He'll blame it on the fact that he's still getting used to being trapped in this place.]

The facility? [He raises an eyebrow at the newcomer. He appears calm, and ignores the insult.] ...Have we met?

Re: floor 10

[fingerbangingood]

[Yusuke stopped, taking some distance away from Itachi. Considering the clone had wanted to face him in a duel, it was a safe bet that Yusuke had to be ready for a fight if necessary. Too bad both of them forgot to set a time and place for such a thing.]

Well, considering you don't know anything about the facility, guess not. [Yusuke craned his neck, getting rid of some krinks in it.] Might sound weird, but I met another you, a clone.

[silentsacrifice]

[A clone? Itachi would have known if there were any stray clones of his running around. And he doesn't remember any sort of "facility."]

...Really. [He doesn't sound convinced.]

[fingerbangingood]

Yeah, really. Not a fun place, and still deciding which shithole here is better.

[Yusuke didn't blame the skepticism. Hardly anyone else believed him, and he lacked evidence to boot.]

Only met him once, though he seemed to forget that fight he owed me. A shame too. He sounded like he could have been fun to brawl with.

[silentsacrifice]

[The possibility that this boy came from an entirely different "shithole" gives Itachi a whole other slew of questions to ponder, so for now, he'll focus on the latter statement.]

I suppose I'm flattered.

[His tone is dry, though, and he's not looking at Yusuke. Instead, he's glancing at the water that flanks him, on the lookout for any more hostile creatures.]

[fingerbangingood]

Wonder if you're from the past or some crap. [He shrugs.] At any rate, suppose you got some questions brewing. I suppose I got time for a quick Q&A.

sorry for the late reply!

[silentsacrifice]

[It would have been helpful if this boy had been around when he first arrived in the tower to offer to have a Q&A session with him. Now, it just seems presumptuous. But it seems like he has good enough intentions, so Itachi will indulge without much of a fuss.]

How kind of you. [There's a hint of sarcasm in his voice.] Have you met many "clones" before, or am I the first?

it's cool, I have been slow myself

[fingerbangingood]

[Sarcasm, so it was definitely Itachi. A shame these didn't finish their little fight.]

Not really, but I heard a lot of people went missing for something.

Floor 22

[warriorscribe]

*When Enoch had followed the smell of flames from someone else burning a picture here earlier that day, he had encountered a fork in the halls. As it turns out, he's picked the wrong one trying to get back. It's by coincidence that he finds himself running into someone he's seen before.

The look on Itachi's face warrants concern, and the painting it's directed at confusion. It's enough to prevent him from simply passing by.

"Are you all right?"

Re: Floor 22

[silentsacrifice]

[Had Itachi not spent his entire life perfecting the art of hiding his surprise, he surely would've jumped when he heard Enoch's voice. As it stands, he has enough of a grip on himself to wipe the look of shock off his face, but he inwardly curses at himself for not hearing the other man's footsteps.]

Yes... I'm fine.

[He gives the painting one final, accusatory stare, then looks at Enoch.]

I thought I... [He seems to think better of completing that sentence, and trails off. He shakes his head.] It's nothing to be concerned about.

[warriorscribe]

*Strange, but, probably not as strange as it could be. Enoch had other things to worry about. Like how he was currently lost.*

If you say. *A pause.* You...wouldn't know the way back to the stairs, would you?

[silentsacrifice]

[Itachi always respects a person who has the good sense not to press an issue. And, adding to that, he wouldn't mind getting out of here either.]

I do.

[He's been meticulously memorizing every inch of this tower as best as he can. Unless the way to the stairs has miraculously changed since he got here, he should be able to find his way out fairly easily. He turns and begins to walk down a hallway.]

Follow me.

[warriorscribe]

Thank you.

*He starts following Itachi. He's normally better about these things, but he hasn't been in the best of shape this past week.*

[silentsacrifice]

[Itachi says nothing, just makes his way through the winding hallways. He keeps his eyes fixed straight ahead, but he's unable to stop himself from getting a glimpse of a few paintings here and there. Every once in a while, he thinks he sees a familiar landscape or a long-dead person's face, but he convinces himself that he's being paranoid.

Before long, they make it to the staircase. Itachi holds back a sigh of relief, glancing indifferently over to Enoch.]

[warriorscribe]

Thank you again. I don't think I'm in any shape to fight the monsters...they start appearing when the sun sets. *And being unable to see the sun on this floor, well, he has no idea how close they're cutting it.*

[silentsacrifice]

It's no trouble. I think I've seen all I need to see on this floor, in any case...

[That last bit of information catches his attention.]

Monsters?

Floor 20

[thebigsister]

[And then something far larger looms nearby, swimming frantically to cross the water wall into a new reservoir, as if chased by something. The large fish jumps and just as it's crossing the corridor, Eleanor teleports above it, falling down on it foot first, immediately impaling the thing with the harpoon at her wrist. She slides back a little, watching her prey twitch somewhat as she flicks the harpoon clean.]

That should do it.

[Then she notices Itachi, tilting her head in that awkward angle of hers.]

Ah, I'm sorry. I hope I didn't startle you.

[...yes, she's been surviving this month on fish. Want some?]

[silentsacrifice]

[The sudden appearance of the large fish makes Itachi turn his head, but otherwise, he shows no surprise. Just as he thought; his earlier reaction speed was only a fluke. He's back on track now.

Both the woman and all the fish are dripping water onto the floor. He moves a foot back nonchalantly to avoid the growing puddle.]

Not at all.

[He doesn't stare, exactly, but Itachi does take note of the strange suit this woman is wearing. It looks foreign in a way he can't quite place, though he's not too put off by it. Most of the tower's inhabitants dress in what he would consider odd clothing, so he's more intrigued than he is confused.]

[thebigsister]

Good.

[She steps back from her catch, waiting for it to stop writhing and finally die.]

I don't suppose you're hungry and in the mood for fish?

[Supplies are running low, she knows, and she's willing to share with those who can't provide for themselves.]

[silentsacrifice]

[Truth be told, he is rather hungry. Even without his reluctance to eat the tower's food, it seems there's surprisingly little to go around.

But far be it from him to admit that so easily.]

No thank you. [He glances down at the fish's still body, and the gaping wound in its side.] You earned this meal.

[thebigsister]

Well, yes.

[She cocks her head to the side some more.]

But I'm pretty sure I can't finish it on my own. So if it's about that...

[silentsacrifice]

Hm.

[Itachi takes another look at the fish. It is rather large, he supposes. He wouldn't take food from someone who needed it more than him, but he's not stupid, either. If someone's offering him a meal in a tower that's demonstrated a remarkable inability to provide proper nutrition to its residents, he'd do best to accept.]

I suppose, if you're certain you can't finish it on your own...

[His gaze flicks to the sliced-up bodies of the pirhannas on the floor. They wouldn't make much of a meal, but he's sure he could find something bigger to kill, were he to keep exploring the aquarium.]

But rest assured, if you retract your offer, I won't go hungry.

[thebigsister]

Pretty sure I won't be retracting the offer.

[She shrugs again, bending down to grab the thing by the fin. She's eaten these before, so she's pretty sure they're safe enough.]

I just hope you like it roasted, though. Because without power there aren't many options.

[silentsacrifice]

I'm not picky.

[He stands by and waits for her to lead him to wherever they'll be roasting this fish.]