♟ 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

[puppy_lancer]

Okay. I guess I'll ask and make sure if I ever see anyone of that description.

[Because he didn't want to accidentally kill some other hairless, withered old man.]

Because he sounds like an asshole and I don't like him.

[Really, did he need any better reason?]

Especially if he wants to use the Grail for something so selfish.

[vermicompost]

You should ask first, but I doubt he'll hide who he is.

I don't like him either. He's a very selfish person. He thinks only of himself, and nothing of the people he hurts. He's hurt so many people.

[There's a note of real anger in Kariya's voice. His voice quavers with it. His whole life was blighted by that man. Everything that happened is because of him.]

His own family.

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer audibly grits his teeth.]

If I ever see him, he's definitely dead. That's the worst type of magus.

[vermicompost]

Good. I'm glad. I want him to die. If you could do that, I'd be in your debt.

[He laughs again, with a slight edge of hysteria. Usually, he wasn't the sort of man to wish people dead, but he's changed, recently.]

He is the worst. I grew up with him. I tried to leave the family, but I had to come back.

[It's so strange, one Servant has already threatened to kill him here, and now he's actually talking to another one about himself. Maybe he's going mad.]

[puppy_lancer]

At least...he's not like your father, right?

[vermicompost]

He might as well be. He leads the family. He's my uncle.

[puppy_lancer]

I knew a father who cursed his own daughter...over the Holy Grail.

[Technically, he hadn't known the man. He only knew the daughter who had been cursed.]

Even so, your uncle sounds like scum.

[vermicompost]

His own daughter? That's terrible. [And Kariya does seem distressed by the news.]

I know a father, the magus who gave Sakura to my family. He gave the Matou family his own child, even though he knew she'd be mistreated. He knew what they were like.

Some people don't deserve to be parents. They don't deserve the families they have.

[puppy_lancer]

That guy is shit too, but he still doesn't beat the man literally cursing his own daughter to die and become a zombie if she doesn't get the Holy Grail in a certain amount of time.

[He looks thoughtful.]

...Why do you think they end up getting such good kids, though. Or rather, why do those kids get shitty parents?

[vermicompost]

My family is that cruel. Zouken would do something like that. And that father knew that might happen to his daughter.

[Or Kariya believes he knew, and that's what matters.]

But you're right. It doesn't make what that other father did any less awful or cruel.

[He shakes his head.]

I wish I knew. No one deserves parents like that. I would be a good parent, if I had children. I'd do my best for them, always. I'd love them so much.

[He knows he'll never have children now.]

[puppy_lancer]

And if I had kids...

[He shakes his head.]

Nah, I can't have kids.

[Not after what he did to his actual son.]

[vermicompost]

I understand.

I can't either, not now. [Even if he survived, by some miracle, he wouldn't be able to father a child. He had given up a great deal, to help Sakura. But I'd like to.

[It's not something he shares with people often, but in this place, does it really matter what he says? Lancer is easy to talk to, for some reason. Maybe it's because of how he feels about protecting his Master.

[puppy_lancer]

...Problems down there?

[For some reason, he wants to snicker. Maybe it's just the contrast between this thought and the overall gloomy atmosphere.]

I think I could've had kids. Back when I was still alive. But I'm not sure how I would've cared for them.

[vermicompost]

Oh, I--

[He's flustered for a moment, not having expected a remark like that, his face heating as he turns away, embarrassed.]

Yes, I guess so. [He gestures toward his body, his ruined face.] This is--a health problem.

It's not easy, caring for children. I know that. I don't know how I would have either. But I wanted to. It could've been nice, couldn't it? If we'd been able to.

[puppy_lancer]

It certainly would have been. My wife, at least, would've loved it.

[Emer...would have loved Connla too, wouldn't she? Even if the boy had been another woman's son, he had been Cu Chulainn's son.]

Are you really sure you've got no children of your own? Not even a few you could have left behind in the belly of one or two lucky women?

[vermicompost]

You're married. [He's a lucky man, as far as Kariya's concerned.] What's your wife's name?

[After a moment, he shakes his head.]

No, no, that can't be. I'm sure. I only have Sakura and Rin. They're Aoi's children. Aoi's my oldest friend. She has two daughters. They call me Kariya-Ojisan. I'm like an uncle to them.

[puppy_lancer]

Emer. It's been a couple centuries since I last met her. She's probably not around anymore.

[One of the few things about his death that actually made him feel rotten was the knowledge that he had left Emer behind.]

You sure? No girls? Not even ones you experimented with? But what you have seems nice too. You treat the girls well, I suppose?

[vermicompost]

Emer. That's a nice name. [But he frowns.] I'm sorry, that you had to leave her.

[He hesitates.]

It's not that I've never--but that's just not possible. [He's always been very careful, and really, he hasn't done that much.]

I do. I'd do anything for them.

[puppy_lancer]

Never would have if I were given a choice.

[But then again, death didn't give people choices.]

Eh, I'd just say be nice to strange kids. You never know. And in the meantime, I'm happy for you because you've got such nice nieces.

[vermicompost]

If you care about someone, that's the most important thing. I would stay with the people I care about always, if I could. I hope, maybe you can see Emer again, somehow.

[He's not sure what it's like for the Heroes, after they die.]

I'll be nice to children I don't know in any case, but I'm sure about that.

Thank you. I'm lucky to have them. They're good girls. That's why it's so important that I win the war. So Sakura can be with her sister and mother again, so they can be happy together again.

[puppy_lancer]

Maybe...

[This tower did take people from all over the place.]

Sakura...so that was her name. Nice name, but not particularly cool.

[vermicompost]

I hope you can see her again, although--it might be better for people not to be brought here, now that I think of it.

[He'd like to see Aoi and Sakura and Rin, but he wouldn't want them to have to deal with this terrible place.]

Yes, Sakura. I think it's a cool name. [But then, Kariya would.] It's very pretty. Like the flowers. She's a sweet girl. I made her a promise.

[He means to keep his promise.]

[puppy_lancer]

I still say the coolest Japanese name is "Reiroukan". After all, doesn't a house of miniatures seem to be a good place to have a murder mystery?

[vermicompost]

"Reiroukan"? That is a good name, you're right. I never thought of that, but I suppose it would be the proper place for a mystery like that.

Who do you know who's named Reiroukan?

[puppy_lancer]

A...special girl.

[He laughs.]

She didn't like the comparison, though.