♟ 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

[angramaintsu]

"A little after the beginning of October." A calm reply, almost as though it wasn't out of the ordinary. Seems she's used to the loss of eight months out of nowhere. "When I arrived, the tower was under attack and ah, I lost access to my circuits."

In short, the worms almost destroyed her that week. Without a source of prana to feed on, she had been in a lot of pain. Not that she lets that show as she looks off to the side.

"I've been alright. The monsters don't stand a chance against me and my Servant is here now."

[vermicompost]

He knows what lost access means, perhaps better than anyone else would. "Rin." Of course, she doesn't show that she's upset. She's so strong. "I'm glad. That you're all right."

A pause. "You have a Servant, too? You're fighting in the War? But that's-- How is that possible?" There shouldn't be another Grail War so soon, not with Rin the age she is. She's still young. What could have happened?

[angramaintsu]

"There was a problem with the last war." She explains as though she has no trouble doing so, although her manner of speech is more blunt than she'd like.

"Something happened and as a result, the next Holy Grail War happens a lot sooner than expected. Instead of having as much time as others before me, the war began prematurely. I'm afraid I don't know of the circumstances, only that it happened that way and there was nothing that could be done about it."

Yes Kariya, that meant children were fighting in this war.

[vermicompost]

Kariya pauses, letting this information sink in. It's--it's awful. Young people, fighting in the War. He hadn't wanted Sakura--or Rin--to have anything to do with the War and all it stood for. That was part of the reason he'd entered the War, so that Sakura could be free of such things.

"A problem... but what happened? So soon? That can't be. I hadn't thought--anything like that could happen." It makes him feel as cold as he had when Saber had spoken about his "fate".

He coughs, but tries to keep his emotions under control, though the expression on his face is plain enough. "Are you all right?" No, of course she isn't. "Is there anything I can do?" Even as he says it, he knows there probably isn't, not with the two of them here, not if he isn't there for her in her time. He wishes he could be...

[angramaintsu]

"I'm afraid I don't know of the details." Had she lived with someone who probably cared to tell her the full truth, she might have found out. Instead, Zouken only gave her knowledge that brought her pain such as Kariya's death.

"As for all of that." Rin pauses to consider if there was anything at all she can get him to do that was within reason. Her silence is probably a good enough indication that there was nothing she can ask of him.

[vermicompost]

He shakes his head. "That's terrible. It shouldn't be that way. I wanted it all to end, not for you to have to fight... I'm sorry, Rin."

He nods at her silence. He's not sure what he'd expected he could do, but he wanted to try. "You can always ask me, if there's something you need. Or maybe we can do something together, something nice."

[angramaintsu]

"Something together?"

The thought of spending time with someone else mortifies her truly; if Kariya is around her more often, then there's a better chance he can uncover just how horrible of a person she's become. The thought eats away at her more than any of the creatures that infest her body as she tries to keep her hands steady.

"I'm afraid I have plans for now. You should return to your room before it gets to be too dark."

[vermicompost]

"Oh. I see." He doesn't want to press. She doesn't seem pleased at all by the idea, which disappoints him somewhat. When he'd first seen her, he'd hoped... Maybe they could get to know each other again.

"Before it gets dark?" He's not sure what time it is, or what time it gets dark here. "Does that matter here?" After all, they're inside, and it seems relatively quiet. "Is there a curfew?"