(no subject)

[capax_infiniti]

Characters: Master Xehanort and whoever wishes to join him
Setting: Various locations around the tower
Format: Action to start, but I'll follow you.
Summary: Xehanort doing what he does best... whatever he's up to, that is. Also taking your candy because he can.
Warnings: Xehanort.

Floor 32:
[Every now and then, Xehanort scopes out a tree and begins to climb. He doesn't climb all the way, and tends to stop about halfway up. He seems to be looking for something, but whether or not he finds it is difficult to tell. Eventually he climbs back down, brushing leaves and bits of bark off of himself, before heading back to the stairs.]

Floor 22:
[He's not really looking for something specific, and seems to be content with wandering aimlessly, looking up at the portraits every now and then as though trying to judge where he is. It doesn't really seem to matter what manner of art falls before him, he doesn't react adversely or positively and simply takes it in regardless of whether it's someone or something he knows or not.]

Floor 17:
[Why in the world... Xehanort stands, looking around the room carefully as though his eyes can pierce the walls. It's clear from his expression that he expects something more from this place, and that perhaps he's disappointed that it's not manifesting itself. The screaming doesn't seem to bother him much at all, although he carefully avoids the handprints when he begins to tap at the walls.]

Floor 15:
[In the materials storage, he's contemplating what looks like slabs of marble. He raps his knuckles against them as though testing the sound rather than anything else. In one hand is a block of wood... dark red looking wood, perhaps rosewood for those who know their wood types.]

Floor 9:
[On his hands and knees, Xehanort listens to the sounds, deciding if he wishes to go further or not. It's tempting, but the tower is excellent at using the lure of curiosity... ]

Floor 8:
[A last lingering lick of darkness flickers about him as he exits the maze. His expression is thoughtful, although neutral... though he seems guarded, casting his eyes about as though checking to see if anyone has noticed his egress. He heads for the stairs quickly, as though desiring to leave the area with little incident.]

Anywhere:
[There's monsters about aplenty, and he takes down one that's particularly aggressive with ease, freezing it solid with his favourite Glacial Arts before filling the air with a blistering Megaflare, exploding the ice from extreme temperatures and rendering the creature to bits. He stops to stoop down and look over what exactly the creature was protecting...

candy? It doesn't seem out of the ordinary at all. Still, something has to be up with this... he goes to pocket the candy and move on, certain that answers will be easily obtainable soon enough.]

Comments

Floor 32

[tohko_amano]

Tohko breathed a sigh of relief as she ran down the stairs. She had finally managed to find enough candy around the tower to complete her quota-at the last minute, no less-and to reward herself, she had grabbed a copy of The Master and Margarita out of the library and was running down the stairs to read on the island.

However, she hadn't noticed that someone was going up the stairs and bumped into him, dropping her book.

"I'm so sorry!" She apologized to the man who, at least to Tohko, looked a little creepy. "I didn't mean to bump into you..I should have slowed down. Are you alright?" She asked, picking up her book.

[ooc: Tohko's costume is this thing. ]

[capax_infiniti]

He'd been making his way down the stairs - having to traverse them with Aqua's body had given him a new appreciation for the way his own worked and he was opting to skip the Corridors of Darkness until he was finished with such a foolish phase - when a young lady came bolting out of nowhere and slammed into him full-force. He'd been knocked off balance, but braces of darkness kept him from toppling and he managed to get himself righted as she was picking up her things. A book? That he could appreciate.

"It's no problem. You weren't injured, I trust?" He smiled pleasantly. Like many of the people he'd seen lately she was thrust into a ridiculous costume... a bit bracing. He kept his eyes at a respectable level so as not to make her feel uncomfortable.

[tohko_amano]

Even though the man smiled at her, his eyes and goatee made him look like a villain out of a story. While Tohko would have like to run away as quickly as possible, she knew that would be rude. Maybe he was just dressed up in a costume, like her, or maybe he was actually nice. Maybe.

"No, I'm alright. Thanks. By the way..I don't think I've seen you before. What's your name?" Since being new to the tower was a pain, especially since there were so many people here, Tohko was trying to learn all the names she could so that she would know who almost everyone here was.

floor 8

[lilpuzzleteer]

[Unluckily, this happens to be one of Luke's favorite floors- aside from the cafeteria, that is. He had been coming down to try and keep his reaction time sharp by purposefully getting lost and then winding his way back to the exit; it wasn't very effective anymore, but he was sort of at a loss for better methods.

Of course, it wasn't a floor he often found others at, and seeing someone rush out of it was even more concerning. He wasn't really suspicious, so much as worried when Xehanort approached the stairs.]

Um, is everything okay?

[He sure didn't want to wander in there if a monster had gotten trapped, which was his first guess. Second being someone dying and the units not yet collecting them.]

[capax_infiniti]

[The voice is unfamiliar, and Xehanort slows slightly to give himself a chance to see who's talking to him. He's never met this young man, and inclines his head slightly in a bow.]

Quite all right, young man. Why do you ask?

[He can't help but wonder how much Luke has seen...]

Assuming Xehanort is working down from Floor 8 and will eventually get to Floor 4 - OK?

[neverbeamemory]

[Before heading into the Cafeteria for dinner, Sephiroth had spent time working up the floors from the ground floor - he'd encountered the infirmary and the library thus far. He really is determined to find out what's on every floor. The monsters that appear out of no where don't really seem too much of a challenge on these lower floors but Sephiroth has a suspicion that it will get harder the higher he climbs. They seemed to be dropping candy as he dispatched them, it was odd but Sephiroth bore no mind to the candy he left behind; what does he need that for?

The full length of his katana; Masamune remained tucked behind his forearm and at an angle stretching up behind his arm, ready to be engaged in whatever monster wanted to lunge at him next. Upon entering the Fourth floor from the stairwell, Sephiroth's emerald gaze was drawn to the view out of the windows and only a second in time he noticed the feral creature out of the corner of his eye; a neat evasive slash from it's groin up to it's shoulder as it lunged at him and Sephiroth avoided the claws. A powerful kick to it's head followed as the monster slumped, launching it back the way it had came; dropping it's candy near to the lounge area.

He'd only just looked back to the view out of the window when from across the floor there was the sound of shattering glass. Or at least thick glass. No it had sounded a little too fleshy for that. Masamune was raised with the blade curved out and down from his shoulder towards the direction of the sound. If it was another monster, he wasn't about to nearly be caught out again]

Fine with me

[capax_infiniti]

[He'd just straightened out from taking the candy when he could feel the presence of another. Casting a quick look around, he soon laid eyes on his roommate, looking ready for a fight himself. It made sense, the monsters were thickening. Everyone had to be on their guard.]

Did yours drop candy, as well? Unusual...

Re: :-)

[neverbeamemory]

[Unusual. So it wasn't the norm for monsters to drop candy. Sephiroth had thought it was weird but there were so many things in this tower that were weird he just considered it one of those quirks.]

[Sephiroth lowers the tension in his stance toward Xehanort a little but still keeps a cautious set of eyes on him and occasionally the rest of the room. After a moment, Sephiroth drops the stance and heads over to pick up where his slain monster dropped it's candy. He picks it up carefully and since that didn't cause anything to happen he turns it around in his fingers. Wondering.]

Wonder what this is all about then....

dorm corridor monsters!

[notagiraffe]

Taiki rounded the corner, Sanshi and Gohran at his side at the same time that Xehanort took down the monster. As the thing exploded blood sickness hit Taiki and he stumbled, Sanshi caught him; wrapping her arms around him and lowering him to the ground.

"Sorry..." The little giraffe costumed child whimpered, not knowing who it was who had taken down the monster.

[capax_infiniti]

Straightening up from his inspection of the monster's remains, he turned around in time to see a group of people... a familiar voice hanging in the air. "Ah... Taiki?" he asked, coming over to the group, eyes roving until he spots Taiki's face in the costume. "What happened?"

[notagiraffe]

Taiki blinked a few times before recognising the figure as the kind man who had carried him down the stairs. "Master Xehanort... sorry... blood... it makes me ill..." He struggled to his feet, still clinging to Sanshi.

[Floor 15]

[doc_brown]

[ Hey there Xehanort, you get to have a Doc walk in the material storage right after you did,n after all this floor is like his second home. Unfortunately, today Doc looks like... A certain half-ascended Goa'uld. He looks around as if looking for something then sighs before turning to Xehanort. ]

Excuse me, would you have seen the aluminium? I can't seem to find it but I'm pretty sure there was some left!

[ Note how the voice and tone do not fit AT ALL the threatening costume. Nor does the behavior. The most annoying really is that force-field mask thing over his face, but at least eh can see. And he notes what Xehanort has in hand. ]

Marble and wood! Are you about to start a project?

[capax_infiniti]

[There's a costume that draws his attention quickly. It's strange and flamboyant, but then again he's got something similar (though much slimmer).]

Aluminum... I believe it's over there, however I'm not entirely certain. This is my first time in this particular area.

[He gestures over to where the more metallic materials are. Whoever this is, the costume isn't entirely apt... it's almost amusing to hear the Doc's voice coming from it.]

I'm investigating the quality of materials... there's a certain sort I'm looking for. I'm not certain that this stone is it... [he raps the marble again] but I would prefer something harder than wood.

[doc_brown]

Ah, yes there it is!

[ He examines the area Xehanort pointed and look at the aluminium before turning back to the other old man. ]

I would advise you to use metals then, steel is a traditional choice but it's hard to say without knowing what you wish to do with the material! But I agree, wood is indeed a pretty bad choice in all circumstances!

[ And, a gasp. ]

Oh I forgot to introduce myself, Doctor Emmett Brown- [He extends a hand to shake Xehanort's hand, not for more than five seconds though.] I spend a lot of time on this floor working on my projects- Although I usually don't have to wear such a ridiculous disguise! But on the matter of materials, we have developed quite a few tools and organized the floor so metals and other such materials can be easilly bent, shaped and used! You're free to use them if ever you need them.

[ He then grabs some quantity of that aluminium. Yeah, this old man is somewhat eccentric. ]

floor 32.

[obfuskate]

[ Up in one certain tree, Xehanort may or may not notice a bit of an... abnormality. By that, I mean that there is a hedgehog, surprisingly calm, curled up in an adorable little ball of fuzz on a branch. He is pretty high up, but he isn't difficult to spot, thanks to his bright red stripes making him stand out among the leaves.

Approach him? Complain? Pet him? Marvel at how cute he is when he makes grumbly noises and furls up even tighter? ]

[capax_infiniti]

[A sleeping hedgehog. He's been to nonhuman worlds enough times that it's not too much of a shock, although it seems to be more of an anthromorphic animal... perhaps a world he hasn't visited. It's entirely possible, there's far too many worlds out there after all.

The lack of proper camouflage in the form of red stripes seems to indicate vanity, which implies that perhaps this creature is from a more advanced society where such things aren't as necessary anymore. It's interesting...]

Greetings. Sorry to have disturbed your rest.

[Answer, no answer, either way he'll make his presence known. It's only polite.]

[obfuskate]

[ The greeting got a flick of an ear at first, a sign that Shadow is conscious and aware of the new company. However, he reacts in a manner that is surprisingly sluggish for him. He takes his sweet time shifting and stretching from his prior position, all before curling back up plenty more loosely than before.

Don't think he's going back to sleep yet, though. His eyes are open. Wide open. ]

... Mm. [ He yawns quietly, tail twitching as his body tries to situate itself into a more alert state. He looks towards him groggily, the sleepiness residing in him sucking away any emotion he might have had, good or bad. ]

Who are you, and why have you awakened me?

floor 9

[handstands]

[troubling.

no one seemed to have any idea where his friends were. no one could say for sure that they were 'gone', but no one seemed to be trying to find out, either. Terra would. he hoped they were gone from here, back home to something better, someplace kinder than here. still...

Terra is nothing is not disciplined, so no matter how unlikely it is that he'd find anything, he will search every floor, and ask everyone he see.

so that's why he's here, on this impossible floor. he'd rather know they're not here at all than assume.

and what a strange sight! to see a familiar coat and hairless head grappling with the unsettling feeling the floor has to offer. Terra just folds his arms, his expression icy but with a small smirk.]

I think I prefer you crawling on your belly where you belong.

[capax_infiniti]

[There's that voice, all too familiar... and not that sort of winding, rambling tone that he's used to hearing from the one that's here. Terra's back, it seems... and he chuckles at that, backing up a little so he has room to push himself up onto his knees and turn to address the young man.]

I'll keep such a thing in mind. I'm certain that information will come in handy for the future... ah, as you have received your "reward" of sorts, perhaps it's time to have you earn it. Do you remember your last tenure here?

[handstands]

[oh that doesn't sound good. NARROWING HIS EYES AT YOU OLD MAN]

I remember just fine.

Floor 17

[stalemates]

[If a little girl in a Lambchop costume is what he wanted to see in the room, then here it is!

She steps up behind him.]

Are you afraid of the handprints?

[capax_infiniti]

[Well hello little lamb girl... that's an interesting costume.]

Perhaps in the sense that I do not want to get blood on my garments yet...

[stalemates]

Hmmmmm...but that's easy to fix, right?

[She steps forward, brushing her fingertips (from under a Lambchop-hand-flap coming from the sleeves) against a print.]

Floor 22

[earthshards]

[Just his luck that he was essentially passing through. Though some of the paintings are nice enough.

Given how low his personal Luck stats are, just being on the same floor as Xehanort almost guarantees them crossing paths. It's just a miracle it hasn't happened sooner.

... okay, he can keep this civil.] I didn't think you were an art lover.

[See? Civil. Not even a hint of the irritation he would usually have when talking about you.

... just try to ignore the stupid costume.]

[capax_infiniti]

[Well, hello there. This is one of those rare moments where an actual reaction escapes from the elderly master. Shock and suspicion cross Xehanort's face for the briefest moment, and his eyes narrow as he takes in the features of the individual addressing him.

The similarity is there, but there's enough evidence to counter that this is truly Eraqus. The voice, facial structure, the colour of the eyes and hair, the height and build... it's familiar in other ways.

With that out of the way, he turns to look at the piece of art before them. A striking image of his future and Terra's past, a rather vivid and surreal image of Xemnas and the void. Whether he recognizes the piece at all he gives no indication.

Instead, he shrugs, hands raising up to the sides in a loose gesture outward.]

I have a fair appreciation for the arts. Culture is important. Why would you know such a thing of me? I don't see Eraqus as being one to wax poetic about my interests.