♟ 001 ♟ In the Tower With Kariya

[vermicompost]

Characters: Kariya and OPEN
Setting: various
Format: either
Summary: Kariya's arrival in the Tower
Warnings: blood, possible body horror


Dormitories:
It's confusing, arriving here. This place, the letters, they're alarming. How could the world be destroyed? Where's Sakura? Where's Aoi? Kariya's heartbeat is accelerated, his breathing harsh and quick. His own agitation agitates the worms within him. In this state, it's difficult for him to walk, let alone make his way through an entirely new, strange environment, but he does his best. At times, he staggers and coughs, or stumbles to one side, disoriented. He has to pause to rest, more than once. Blood flecks his lips, gathering at the corners of his mouth and sliding down over his chin.

"Berserker, Berserker..." He calls out now and then as he goes, but no one comes to his call.


Cafeteria:
He managed to make his way down to the cafeteria. Sitting at the table, he gazes down at his oatmeal he was given, mournfully. He's not very hungry. He tries to eat it, but even just the plain oatmeal is difficult for him to choke down. It takes him a few tries, but he takes his time. When he pauses to cough, he wipes up the scattered bits of oatmeal flecking the table, a little embarrassed.


Infirmary:
The medical facility looks promising, but Kariya isn't sure if they have anything there he can use. He doesn't know if there's any medicine in existence that can help him. He'd like to try, but he doesn't want to risk disturbing the worms further. It's hard to say how they'll react to any stimulus. Much of his life has become a matter of worm management. He walks in slowly, quietly. "Hello, is anyone here?"


Meadow:
After wandering restlessly, at last Kariya settles himself, all but spent, exhausted from his wandering. He sinks down among the flowers with a sigh. When he focuses his gaze on the blooms, he feels more content, calmer than he was before. The flowers are lovely and fragrant, the petals soft and colorful. He just wants to rest a little while...

Comments

[vermicompost]

I saw the gallery, before I came here. There's something strange, about all these floors. They're not right. Even this one is odd.

[But he nods, readily enough.]

Yes, my nieces. [That's really all he has left that matters to him, the two girls and Aoi.] And I have things to do at home. Important things.

[He has a war to win, after all.]

[puppy_lancer]

I guess...I've got something to do too.

[Strictly speaking, he's still Ayaka's Servant.]

But I'm not sure whether or not I'm still needed.

[vermicompost]

You do?

[He relaxes further. It seems like the man is just--talking to him, for some reason.]

If you think you might be needed, it doesn't hurt to try. To help, that's what's important. To do all you can, for as long as you can. That's what I think.

[He lets out a deep breath, another sigh.]

[puppy_lancer]

She's a strong girl. I think...she might be able to handle it on her own.

[The only reason he had taken that contract was to kill Misaya. And now that she was at peace, he finds himself doubting his contract with Ayaka. After all, hadn't he done enough guiding her to Saber and then distracting Misaya and Sancraid?]

[vermicompost]

[At this, he warms to Lancer, a little. He's just trying to help someone, like Kariya.]

I'm trying to help a girl, too. But she's so young. She needs me.

[There's no one else trying to help Sakura, and she's just a child.]

She's what I'm fighting for.

You can still try to help. Even strong people need help sometimes. [Offering help doesn't shame people, or Kariya doesn't think so.]

[puppy_lancer]

Maybe you can find her here? All sorts of people end up here.

Oh? Is that so? I had someone I could fight for...once.

[He gives a little laugh when he hears the suggestion.]

Someone else told me the same thing.

[vermicompost]

Do you think so?

[Really, few things would make him happier. Or so he thinks.]

Yes. [He admits it with something like simplicity.] She's important to me. Who did you fight for?

It's true, I think. Even strong people need help, and even weak people can give it.

[puppy_lancer]

I've seen people from my own future here. So why not someone from the past? Though, I'm not sure if it's necessarily a good thing.

[Oh yes, he would like to Ayaka again, or if he dared to hope for it, Misaya, but he knows this place is far from ideal.]

A very special girl. She...isn't here. I'm pretty much sure of it.

[After all, no magic could resurrect the dead, and even if she showed up, she would surely need to return to home to accept her fate at some point.]

[He makes a quick face at the scarred man.]

I'm far from weak, you know.

[vermicompost]

From your future?

I'd like to see her again. But--not if it's not a good thing. [He doesn't want Sakura to be in yet another bad situation.]

Maybe you'll find the girl you fight for, too.

[He shakes his head.]

Oh, I know. You wouldn't be weak. You must be very strong. I was thinking of--someone else. [He might as well admit it.] Me, really. I just meant even people who you don't expect to help you might be able to help.

[puppy_lancer]

Some sort of space colony. Didn't ask too much about it.

[His expression becomes gloomy.]

She...she's not here. Probably never coming here. If there's some world or some point in time where she's...still around, then I'd rather her stay there and be happy.

[He nods.]

Yeah, that person who told me to help others was pretty much the last person who I expected to help in a situation like mine, but she still helped. A lot.

[vermicompost]

Space? [He's not sure what to ask about that, himself.] I don't understand this place at all.

I only want Sakura to be happy, too. That's what matters most, even if I'm not with her. That's she's all right.

[He warms to Lancer a little more. He wonders what it must be like to have a Servant who he could talk to, who might actually understand what he wants to do.] I'm glad she helped you. That's what I try to do. To help people who need it.

[puppy_lancer]

Hey, it was the future or something. Anyway, I can't remember it. Chances are, if I ever come back remembering something about that, I won't be able to remember what we're doing now.

[He doesn't quite understand the nature of this place either. Was it supposed to send him home so he could be summoned into that Grail War in space? Or did the Grail just churn out another copy?]

You're a nice guy.

[The best part is that he's actually nice, not like the condescending, overly perfect behavior from Saber.]

Just be careful not to get in over your head.

[vermicompost]

That's confusing. [He's not sure what to make of it at all.] You lose your memories?

Me? [He hadn't expected the compliment.] I don't know, I try to do what's right. That's all. I'm not always nice.

[He shakes his head, though, at Lancer's final words.]

It's too late for that.

[Even though he's set upon winning the Grail, he knows it wouldn't be wrong to say he's in over his head.]

[puppy_lancer]

Well, what happens in my world is special. You might not understand it. Let's just way that I'm probably going to end up dying before I go to that space colony.

[He laughs.]

Nobody can be nice all the time. And even if you're in over your head, you tried, didn't you?

[vermicompost]

[The man seems nice enough. He's not sure if he should take the risk of letting him know that he knows about the Grail War, but it's not as if he's a Servant that Kariya's fighting against. Yet he keeps things vague.]

Your world... Is it because of--what you are?

[He thinks for a moment, then nods.]

No, I guess no one is. I did try. I tried, and I'm going to succeed. I'll win. [He's sure of that, because he has to win.]

[puppy_lancer]

[He stares at the man, wondering how much of it was a lucky guess and how much of it was actually knowing Lancer was a Servant.]

Yeah, you got it. I'm not like other people.

[Actually, he's not even a human now.]

Win? Are you in some sort of contest?

[Did he get all those scars from some sort of sports accident? Lancer could almost see him as a racecar driver whose scars had been caused by a fiery accident during a race.]

[vermicompost]

Yes, I didn't think so. You're different.

[He had no way of knowing which hero this Lancer was, but he had to be one, didn't he?]

You could say that. I'm fighting in a War.

[puppy_lancer]

Huh? You could feel it?

[Was this guy a magus of some sort? Maybe even a Master?]

You could say the same thing about me. Only, I've fulfilled my main purpose.

[vermicompost]

Yes, you could say that.

[He's wary after what happened with Saber, but he's not very good at dissembling.]

I need to get back as soon as I can, to keep fighting. It's important. I can't lose, no matter what.

What was your main purpose?

[puppy_lancer]

It was...

[He sighs.]

It was to save a girl. And then to release her. She's at peace now.

[vermicompost]

[He's silent for a moment. He can relate to that, very much. This Servant doesn't seem so bad, not like the others he's met.]

You're a Servant, aren't you? And that girl, she was your Master?

I'm glad she's at peace, that your work is done.

[puppy_lancer]

[He frowns.]

How did you guess? Are you a Master as well?

[But he relaxes when he hears the second sentence.]

You're right, on both accounts. Just wish I could've done better.

[vermicompost]

[Kariya winces, despite himself. Was it a bad idea to reveal himself? He knows how dangerous Servants can be. He was nearly killed by Saber already.]

Yes, but I don't want to fight anyone here. I only want to go back.

[None of the people he wants to fight are here, as far as he knows.]

I wish that, too. I made mistakes. I'm sorry that things weren't better for her.

[puppy_lancer]

[He glares at the man a little more.]

I'll believe you for now. No Grail here to fight for anyway. And even if there was, I want nothing of it. You probably shouldn't either.

[It was a dirty, corrupted thing.]

I should've listened better and slacked off less.

[He shakes his head.]

All in the past now, though. Can't change it.

[vermicompost]

[He feels small beneath that glare, but it seems his risk has paid off, because Lancer isn't trying to kill him.]

I don't want the Grail. I only want to win it. I'm going to give it to someone else.

[Someone who definitely shouldn't have the Grail, he knows, but that's the deal. He has to turn over the Grail for Sakura to be freed.]

I wish I'd been stronger. There are a lot of things I should have done.

But you're right. We can only deal with what's ahead of us. We can't change the past.