♟ 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]

That's right. I don't want to fight the War here, either. What's the point? I don't have my Servant, and I doubt the Grail's here.

[A pause.]

Saber wants to kill me.

[puppy_lancer]

What, we got another Saber?

[vermicompost]

There's more than one?

This Saber is a woman with blond hair. Her eyes are gold. [Though they weren't always.] She looks different than I remember.

[puppy_lancer]

I've met Saber before. She talks really roughly, but she's a good person. Did you do something to set her off?

[vermicompost]

I don't know. I didn't want to fight her.

She said it had to do with the War, with something I did, but I didn't remember doing anything to her.

[puppy_lancer]

She must still be tense then. We tried to kill each other at first too, but she let up after she found out I didn't have a Master and there wasn't a Grail here.

[vermicompost]

She said she'd only spare me if I gained Ruler's protection.

I found Ruler, so I don't think she'll kill me now, but I don't know why she was so angry. She knew I didn't have my Servant. She almost killed me.

[He's still frightened, but thoughtful, too.]

[puppy_lancer]

Maybe I'll go talk to her. Time is all fucked up here, so it could just be something that happened in the future.

[But that meant Kariya would have to go back to his point in time and actually do that "something".]

[vermicompost]

It could be. She said she knew my "fate".

I don't believe her. I wouldn't do something to harm someone, not unless I had to.

[Except for Tokiomi, but he doesn't count.]

[puppy_lancer]

What about by accidents? Or as an act of mercy. Not like you can count those out.

[vermicompost]

That's true. I don't know. I don't want to lose, that's all. I can't.

[What had Saber said? Desperate Masters...]

[puppy_lancer]

Did Saber say whether or not you won?

[vermicompost]

She didn't exactly say, but I think--

I think she meant to say I lost. I can't believe that.

[If be believes that, then what will he have?]

[puppy_lancer]

Maybe you only lost out on getting the Grail? Or maybe someone or something else got to Zouken first.

[vermicompost]

Maybe. [He feels cold, uncertain.]

I don't know. I hope so. I'd like it, if that were true. I don't think that's what she meant.

[puppy_lancer]

...Try not to think about it too much.

[Knowing the future was a double-edged sword. The very actions taken to prevent a certain event might actually cause said event.]

[vermicompost]

You're right. I don't believe that I'll lose. Because I can't. [Too much depends on him winning. Sakura's future.]

Even if something happened for her, that doesn't mean it has to happen. She's wrong about me.

[puppy_lancer]

Doesn't...have to happen? I don't know if you can change time. Not unless you're dealing with true Magic.

[vermicompost]

If it hasn't happened for me yet...

What if it's a different future? [Yes, maybe he's a bit desperate.] She can't know that.

[puppy_lancer]

Wouldn't that be a matter of either second or fifth magic?

[Alternate universe or time control.]

Then again, this place does so much shit...

[vermicompost]

Yes--it would, I think.

[He's not a very well-tutored magus in the least, but he tries.]

It brought us here from different times, different Wars, so why not?

[Maybe he's just being stubborn, but that's Kariya.]

[puppy_lancer]

Kinda hard wrapping my head around it, I guess.

[vermicompost]

It is difficult to imagine. There's a lot about magic I don't know. But I think it's possible.

Maybe there are different versions of us, with different fates.

[puppy_lancer]

Maybe.

[It would be a beautiful thought, the knowledge that he had somehow succeeded in at least one world and that Misaya had remained alive.]

Would you say it's good or bad? The fact that another version of you could succeed where you failed?

[vermicompost]

I might not fail. I might be the one who succeeds.

[Or that's what he wants to think. But he considers the question.]

But I'd rather there be a me, somewhere, who succeeds. I'd rather Sakura be saved somewhere. So she can be safe. So it's good.