towerofanimus | oo1 ⁂ o p e n

Entry tags:

oo1 ⁂ o p e n

Characters: Aqua and OPEN!
Setting: Various areas of the Tower.
Format: Initiating each sequence with action, but I will match your preferred format as you tag in.
Summary: After recovering in the dormitory, Aqua sets out to explore the tower.
Warnings: None to begin with; will update as necessary.

[FLOOR TWENTY-SIX ↪ the morgue]
[The journey throughout the tower is off to a rough start. She hadn't been comfortable leaving the 'safety' of the dormitory for a few days -- there was a lot of ground to cover in getting her bearings, regaining her sense of time ... getting used to the feeling of light against her skin. After some pulling at the indigo collar around her neck and the extraordinarily unpleasant experience of getting the liquid inside of it refilled, she's prepared to start the tower's exploration.

Some floors are omitted. Most just don't feel right and are avoided altogether -- and monsters encountered along the way are dispatched with ease and grace. Her first real stop is on the chilly, silent floor littered with the neatly organized dead.

It's a jarring experience, the click of her heels being the only sound that echoes through the room. A hand covers her mouth as she meets the unseeing eyes of one body ... and then another. And then another.

Is this ... what happens to people who die in this place?
Will she end up on one of these freezing metal slabs?

A sinking feeling is quickly settling in, and she intends to make her stay on this floor a short one.]

[FLOOR TWENTY-FIVE ↪ the meadow]
[A jarring contrast to the floor directly above her, she wastes no time in settling down into the soft grass and ghosting her hands over the tips of the blossoms and blades in awe. It's been so long since she's seen flora, and she's in no rush to leave any area that feels so peaceful ... and, to a certain extent, safe.

Exhaling slowly, she falls backward to sprawl out right then and there, closing her eyes for a moment and listening to the sounds of the meadow.]

[FLOOR TEN ↪ the aquarium]
[Several extremely close calls later, Aqua stumbles upon quite the discovery ...

Surrounded. She's completely surrounded by millions of gallons of water, reinforced glass cases large and small, all containing various forms of life -- almost none of which she's familiar with. For the moment, she forgets her compromising situation and the itch of the collar around her neck, stopping at the first pane of glass to lightly brush her fingertips against the clear barrier that separates her and a small cluster of glittering creatures, which she granted a hefty pause to heartily admire.]

[FLOOR THREE ↪ the library]
[Now ... this is more like it. For several moments, she merely surveys the area, counting the rows of books, walking in slow, sweeping strides as each section is observed. It's nothing like the library she remembers from the Land of Departure, but ...

Happening upon a row of computers breaks her train of thought and she's compelled to pause, bending over to get a better look at one of the desktops and canting her head quizzically.]

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[ Well, Aqua, there's a familiar face around. Or, rather, it would be if he didn't have his mask up and the Organization XIII cloak to obscure who he really was underneath.

Vanitas has taken a particular, if morbid, interest in this floor and the surroundings itself. So, this is what happens when someone dies, huh? Interesting.

But, hey, he's non-hostile right now. ]

Kinda makes you think, hm?

[ His voice is obscured, as well. After the previous incident, he's not risking anyone finding him out. ]

[She turns quickly on her heel to face the source of the voice -- one she finds vaguely familiar, but with the obstruction ... and all of the time that's passed ...]

These are things ...

[... Suspicion creeps across her features, but her tone is polite. Well ... as polite as can be expected, given the stark morbidity of their surroundings.]

... I'm not sure I'm ready to think about.

Edited 2012-09-03 05:28 (UTC)

[ Vanitas walks up to Aqua and gives her a nod. He has to be careful -- his first day here, he caused quite a bit of trouble. But, that's the thing about being around for ten years on your own. You tend to learn how to be inconspicuous and waiting when to strike. ]

Everyone eventually goes one time or another. You're either ready for it or not.

[ His arms remain at his sides and opens. Body language, beyond reading someone's heart, tends to speak volumes all on its' own. ]

So, then, why have you come here?

[The more he speaks, the more he moves, the more guarded she becomes. Something about this is not right -- something beyond being surrounded by semi-reserved dead bodies. Something about him. But it's a difficult distinction to make -- the darkness within a heart, the darkness that utterly permeates everything around her ...]

Just getting my bearings.

[Hostility creeps into her voice inadvertently, but she attempts to smooth it over by extending her hand ... albeit rather stiffly. Best to stay on high alert, she decides ...]

I'm Aqua.

[ Using his real name would just be too much of a dead giveaway. No, he had to use something less identifying as to who was behind the mask and the cloak that surrounds him.

Well, using the name that he gave April wouldn't hurt. ]

Van. Nice to meet you, Aqua.

[ He notices the hand in front of him and decides to shake it to show her that he's at least trustworthy to some degree. ]

[She doesn't look extraordinarily happy about it, but she shakes his hand, albeit briefly.

Wrong. It feels wrong.]

The pleasure is mine.

[It's a well-rehearsed response, but it's polite enough.]

So ... what beings you to a place like this? Curiosity ... ?

[ Vanitas echoes that sentiment, but it would throw more suspicion on to him than needed if he didn't shake her hand. ]

You could say that. There's not anything interesting going on in the tower.

[Aqua will find that she isn't alone in enjoying the peace this floor provides. Even if it isn't fully in its former glory since the attack on the tower, there were worse places than this. In fact, she may just sense multiple presences coming from one singular source... Yet there is only one set of footsteps slowly approaching her.

Maybe he should leave her be...? But, she seems a little troubled by something.]

...Are you alright?

[There is a vague sense of no longer being alone, yes, though her ears must be deceiving her -- she only hears the footfalls of one person, and she trusts the sensitivities of her heart more than her ears.

Sitting up quickly, her eyes dart about, settling at last on the stranger. She blinks in bewilderment, considering, for a moment, summoning her weapon, but ...]

Yes ... of course.

[She doesn't stand, but she adjusts her sitting position so that if she has to, she can be on her feet in a jiffy.]

Who ... are you?

[He shrugs faintly. Really, he was just passing by when he noticed her sitting there. His own sword remains sheathed at his side. He won't be attacking; he has no reason to. After all, they seem alright... if not disoriented. Though he does blink at the question.]

Yu Narukami. [...] I didn't mean to startle you. Arriving here can be a shock to most, and I don't remember seeing you before.

[It's hard, for one guy to patrol the entire tower by himself. He normally doesn't come to the more peaceful floors and instead stays on the ones with more monster sightings, but he needed a break. Clearly he's not the only one who finds these things awe-inspiring.]

One heck of a sight, isn't it?

[She jumps a little, not expecting company before turning her head to address a fellow 'inmate', as it were, with a polite smile and a nod --]

Beautiful ... I've never seen anything like --

[-- before doing a full-on double-take, stifling a small squeak of surprise as she recognized that voice ... that face.]

-- ... Zack? Zack Fair?!

[Zack doesn't even blink in surprise that she knows him; he just grins and nods, rocking back on his heels.]

Yep, that's me. And you are?

[Sorry, Aqua. He...isn't your Zack.]

[[Rose has been admiring the fish for a while, journal in one hand and pen scribbling sketches of aquatic life she hasn't seen before in the other. When she notices the other person admiring some, she wastes no time approaching.]]

Aren't they lovely?

[A brief glance to the other admirer of the aquatic life, a quick, childlike smile and a nod before she turns her attention back to the comb jellies drifting about in the tank.]

Truly lovely ... I wonder how they glitter and glow in the dark like that.

[A hand traces the path of one of the stray jellies in wonder.]

Some kind of magic, maybe ...?

I think it has something to do with the light! At least if I remember correctly. My dad took me to an aquarium once back home and they had a lesson on all sorts of jellyfish, and I'm pretty sure these were covered.

[Riku's frequented the aquarium floor countless times during his stay. It's impressive to see all the different aquatic life, including creatures he never would've dreamed of seeing up close. And that's after spending time in Atlantica.

But when he spots Aqua there, watching the jellyfish, he immediately turns her way, taking a stop right next to her.]

Sure are something, huh?

They truly are ...

[She cannot drag her gaze away from the hypnotic motions of the comb jellies, and she doesn't quite recognize the voice. ... Not right away, at least.]

I haven't had the chance to explore this floor yet ... but I think I may have already found my favorite exhibit.

[She notices a tiny of silver in the corner of her eye, giving way to a subtle glance, and --

-- ... Woah. Talk about a blast from the past. Aqua's stare is averted from the creatures in the tank to the boy standing next to her, trying to evaluate whether her memory is playing tricks on her ... or maybe it's an illusion of the tower. Because he certainly looks a lot like ...]

It definitely beats some of the other floors. I'd say this and the meadow are probably two of the tamest.

[They sure beat some of the more dangerous and nightmarish sections of the castle.

But once she stares, Riku shifts a little. He places a hand against his neck and tries not to stare back. One thing Aqua may notice is the star-shaped charm attached to his belt-- it looks like one of her Wayfinders, only made out of Thalassa shells. There's also a blackened, crown-shaped necklace attached, though the familiarity is probably lost to her. Sora didn't have his necklace at age four, after all.]

...Guess I've got some explaining to do.

I've... been to the meadow.

[Still staring rather blatantly.

The boy from the island?
... How did . . . ?

She kneels, though their difference in height isn't quite as drastic as when they first met ... and places a cautious hand upon his shoulder.]

It's been a long time ...

[A long, long time.]

... But ... Do you remember me? Riku, right?

That's right.

[He smiles faintly.]

Hard to forget strangers from another world. I held onto those memories the best I could.

[Unfortunately, her wish for Sora to protect Riku from the darkness didn't quite come through in his universe. Not when Sora's been split into a Heartless and Nobody, leaving Riku searching without any solid direction.]

[He hasn't yet explored the aquarium as much as he'd like, having spent most of his time here either eating, reading, or hunting monsters at night. Some of these creatures don't even exist in Tamriel, and no slaughterfish in sight. Interesting.

He pauses near a young lady, and by this time he's not surprised at anyone with such odd hair colours.]

Quite facinating specimens, would you not agree

[Oh. Another observer. She shuffles to the side a little, making room to make sure that he had enough space to get a good view of the creatures in the tank without invading his personal space.]

They're really beautiful ... What do you suppose makes them glow and shimmer like this?

[A cant of her head as she turns her attention back to the tank of comb jellies.]

They must shine so brightly after nightfall ...

[He keeps his red eyes on the creatures. Even if there is no point in hiding what he really is anymore.]

I would almost be tempted to say magic, but nature can be just as odd.

That is true...

[She chances a curious glance his way, but has ... certainly seen stranger things.]

There are so many odd things about this Tower. Are you trapped here as well?

[He glances at her, giving her full view of his too-sharp features, then looks back at the sea life.]

I am, and have been for a few months now.

[She shouldn't be doing this. She really shouldn't be doing this. She should probably still be in bed resting, her friends and those from her world would certainly think so.

She was getting the tiniest bit stir-crazy, though. And darkness corridors made normally long walks much shorter, so she supposed so long as she was careful, and left at the first sign of trouble... Also so long as she went somewhere others - especially Vanitas - weren't as likely to go, which made floor 10 a likely candidate. Plus she liked going there, though currently the amount and kind of movement required to kneel down was a bit too uncomfortable to manage, so for now it's just watching.

She doesn't leave the corridor fully open - it seemed rather ominous like that. But she does leave the sort of foundation for it there - a sort of dormant disc of swirling darkness like the one she'd always return to RTC at.

She tries not to wander too far from it, but it's rather restricting, keeping it within several strides. So in the end, she does end up going further than that, and it's there that she pauses, eyes wide, seeing someone she hasn't seen in a while.]

Aqua...?

[ In the library itself, against a bookshelf, there's an android who has a mountain of books around her and is flipping through them extraordinarily fast - almost as if she's consuming the information at a rapid pace.

She does look up when Aqua comes in and tilts her head before placing the book she had down and stands up to approach the newcomer over at the terminals. ]

Greetings. Have you not used these before?

I -- ...

[Glancing at the tower of books briefly.]

... I've never used anything devices like this before. I beg your pardon ... you look very busy. Are you familiar with them?

[Indicatively, she tapped the side of the computer monitor.]

[ Sertoria catches Aqua's gaze towards the books she gathered and shakes her head as if she was answering her thought. ]

Affirmative. I have used them before and I would not mind teaching you how to use them.

[ She walks over and moves her hands skillfully across the keyboard, showing and explaining the different procedures, filters, and more. ]

Do you require something to write this down on?

[There's just something... peaceful about the rows of books. It helps one quiet their mind of all the noise and just be.

Or if you're like Terra, you're here for a book or three. Mostly random topics, but there's a random cookbook in there. And something about basic metal working -- his armor is in bad need of repair.

Rounding the corner of one book case puts him in view of the row of computers that he often sees being used by one person or another. He starts to head for a table on the other side, but a familiar head of blue hair catches his attention--

And shock hits him. Not just familiar; he knew that person, remembered seeing them fall into Darkness as he rose upwards, his vision blurring.

The books fall to the floor, unable to keep his hold as the shock and some other emotion well up inside him, freezing him in place. This was--] ... Aqua?

['Please be real, please be real--']

. . . ?

[Her breath catches in her throat at the sound of her name being called -- not the fact someone was calling her by her name, no. It's the voice that spoke that caused her heart to seize and her body to momentarily become rigid ... paralyzed, temporarily, by the sudden surge of familiarity.

When the ability to move is regained, she wastes no time in stepping back from the row of computers with a distinct, uncharacteristic lack of grace. As she stares openly at the visage of her friend. Or ... she's pretty sure he's her friend -- he looks so different. Something, somewhere ... is off.

And so for several moments she just stands there awkwardly and the two of them stare absently at each other.]

Terra?

[Her throat is dry, and for a moment, she's certain that her eyes are deceiving her. Surely not here, of all places ...]

[A choked sound escapes him as now, of all times, his voice fails him. Words escape him, and almost all coherent thought has come to a stop.

Inwardly, he likely knows that he makes for a sorry sight; his hair now a good bit longer than he once kept it, a black leather coat instead of a shirt and hakama, and his armor is not in the best shape--scratches, dents, and chips in the enchanted metal indicating that he's been through several hard fights only recently. One might almost say he's practically a pale shadow of who he used to be.

'She... hasn't changed at all.' To his senses, her heart feels the same as it ever has - Light, like moonlight reflecting off waves.

He still doesn't trust himself with speaking around that lump that has formed in his throat, even if it's to confirm that yes, he's here, he's himself, there's no trace of Xehanort left in his heart, however damaged it is--

Without a word, he reaches into a pocket in the coat and pulls out his Wayfinder. It doesn't look brand new anymore, but it appears he's been making an effort to take care of it as best he can.]

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