(no subject)

[apprenticemage]

Characters: Open.
Setting: Room 1-16 and varying floors.
Format: Brackets preferred, prose okay.
Summary: Shirou's first arrival in Animus includes exploration, shock, and attempting to cope with the earth shattering news. Literally!
Warnings: None currently, subject to change depending on content.

Room 1-16

[ So that was it? The only explanation that Shirou got from such a terrible event was that the obvious? How could his world have been destroyed?! Everything was supposed to be okay wasn't it? Everything was supposed to be peachy keen and the world was meant to go back to normal. Even with one hand on the side of his head and the other clenching the letter trembling, the young Magus still couldn't believe it. He needed more answers... and that's where the other letter came in. It explained where it was, and most of the mechanics of how this "tower" worked. While the initial letter was left behind in the room, the other was folded up and placed into his pocket. There was a long period of staring at the floor with angry eyes before the trunk was checked.. and he found exactly what he was looking for. The same wooden sword that had been used many times before to defend his life would serve it's purpose once again. After a few practice swings, sword clenched tightly in hand, Shirou left the room and decided to do some exploration of his new home. ]

Floor 48 - Graveyard

[ Shirou's first stop was the graveyard on Floor 48. If his world really had been destroyed, maybe there would at least be some sign. There were many names that he didn't recognize, but one destroyed grave did perk his interest. Curiosity drove him to analyze the object utilizing Structural Grasp Magecraft and eventually utilize Projection to repair it... and the name on the headstone would cause him to freeze in shock. The name on the headstone wasn't her true name... so it was instantly assumed by Shirou that she had been a casualty of this "world destruction." Still trying to process this information properly, Shirou's eyes refused to leave the name "Saber" upon the stone. ]

Floor 24 - Empty Room

[ After the events in the graveyard, Shirou could be found with his wooden sword in the empty room practicing some swings. The wooden sword was reinforced and some practice swings were being performed. This was some kind of alien world that had the power to destroy his own (or so he assumed), so he needed to be prepared both in body and in mind. ]

Dormitory Floor 1

[ It was about time Shirou relaxed, so you'll find him heading back to his dorm room while tapping and scratching at the collar around his neck with a disgruntled face. ]

Comments

Dormitories

[eighteen_winters]

[Another day had come and past, though Illya was in a far better mood then when she had first arrived in the tower things were still rather depressing. To occupy her mind, and turn away ill thoughts of what may or may not have happened to her home world, she has taken to exploring the tower in between meals and time spent with her loved ones.

It was on today's walk that something amazing appeared before her crimson eyes. Though she had only caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, it had to be Him. Just a few weeks ago she would have questioned such a sight as a delusion of her addled brain. But her mother's appearance here had thrown all she had thought she'd known out the window. It was him, she thought, it had to be.

She approaches hesitantly, being ever so careful to avoid walking into any kind of trap the tower may have set for her. Quietly she speaks, hoping someone would respond to her plea.]

Onii-chan? Is that you?

[apprenticemage]

[ Knowing that his world had been destroyed didn't make Shirou the most eager of people to believe that he wasn't hearing things. When he whirled around out of shock, due to the jumpy nature he had in such a place, that shock was doubled when he saw Illya before his very eyes. Very much alive, and very much unharmed. ]

...Illya?!

[eighteen_winters]

[Of all the people that Illya had left behind, Shirou was among the most important to her. To see him here, even if the thought was more then a bit selfish, made her incredibly happy.

With tears beginning to form in her eyes, she quickly closes the distance between herself and her precious Onii-chan.]

Shirou...

Floor 24

[idolizer]

[ Those are some impressive sword skills, at least in Sayaka's eyes- who barely knows anything about swords. Sure, she's now training under a warrior to fight with her (bloody) knife, but that's definitely a different matter.

She stands at a distance, merely watching him, not wanting to disturb. Whenever he decides to take a break, though, she'll clap her hands, trying to approach him friendly. She doesn't know whether he's the aggressive type or less, after all. ]

You're very good at this, you know?

[apprenticemage]

[ Given everything that's swimming around in Shirou's mind, who knows? Once he's actually gotten his head wrapped around everything and moved on, he should be the less aggressive type... That doesn't mean he isn't the hot blooded type, however. After a few more swings, he places his attention on the one-girl audience. ]

I've been practicing for a while. It doesn't hurt to be prepared in a mysterious place, right?

48

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer had found himself coming to the graveyard more and more, if only he could learn the names that had once been there. Of course, a fair number have been vandalized. He could've expected as much.]

[What surprised him was the boy repairing the headstone. First, he can't think up much of a reason for it other than some sort of misplaced altruism. Second, the boy had done the repairs with amazing speed. It seemed like he could match even Misaya in this category. He gives a quick, impressed whistle. Nice one, kid.]

[apprenticemage]

[ He was still frozen in shock by the time that Lancer appeared, and once he came into view his mind was thrown for a complete loop. Wasn't his world destroyed and, by indication of this headstone, wouldn't that mean even Servants weren't safe from it? So then why was Lancer standing before him...? Wait, no.. was he even the same Lancer? The clothes from his trunk earlier meant that Lancer could have just changed clothes, right? And that casual attitude despite everything definitely brought back memories... ]

Lancer...?

ɢʀᴀᴠᴇʏᴀʀᴅ

[angramaintsu]

[ In all honesty Rin doesn't notice him at first. No, she's still drawn to sit on the fresh grave of someone who's left her much to the disbelief of her "allies". Not that she's the type to really mope as Archer likes to snide at her, but it's just out of a lack of anything else better to do. As a result, the graveyard has an alarmingly ominous aura around it from her mere presence.

Today is different from other days though. Archer recently gave her an item as a reminder. ]

A reminder that once, you saved a stupid kid who didn't deserve it.

[ Rin mimics his words from that day out loud without the realization that some stupid kid was nearby. ]

[apprenticemage]

[ The shock of the headstone's revelation was replaced with a sudden sense of fear, as if there were some entity so wicked they were denied admittance to heaven nor hell. It was a familiar presence, but something seemed... off. Darker. Brooding. When you'd just seen the name of your precious person on a tombstone, you would be sure that your world had truly been destroyed too... But denying that cold, harsh fact was the figure of Tohsaka Rin sitting on a grave. ...But was she really Rin? Everything else was easily recognizable, but her hair was white, though perhaps more toward a silver color, and closer examination would show that her eyes weren't the same color either. He approached slowly, wooden sword still in hand, as if it would be a proper weapon should the devil herself turn her wrath upon him. ]

...Tohsaka? Is that you?

dorms

[tsunball]

[ When there's one red-headed idiot, there's always one nearby.. aka Leon is wandering to his room as well, a baseball bat in one hand and a baseball in the other. But apparently he's not really paying attention to the other people passing by, so he manages to bump right into Shirou. ]

[apprenticemage]

[ Already jumpy enough, when Shirou feels Leon bump into him the wooden sword in his hand is instantly prepped into a fighting stance and he tries to jump back. ]

Graveyard

[whiteblackknight]

A shock, isn't it?

[The voice just seems to come out of nowhere.]

[He doesn't sound to be very far away, however. He is wearing near pitch black, making him very hard to see.]

[apprenticemage]

[ Shirou is pretty used to hearing strange voices out of nowhere, so even though he can't make Allen out clearly he's still willing to respond. ]

How is this possible...? How can a person's world be destroyed so easily?!

Dormitories

[tempus_scorpius]

[Rolo sees him scratching at the collar.]

That can't be taken off.

[apprenticemage]

[ Shirou notices the one on Rolo and heaves a sigh. ]

So there's no way to remove it, huh...?

floor 48;

[swordedpast]

[ Where the Master goes, the Servant that isn't really hers here is sure to follow soon enough. So it isn't long after Rin's been through that another familiar presence arrives.

He stops some ways away as he sees the kid at the gravestone. He knows who that is. There's no way he can ever not know who that is.

With sharpened eyesight, he checks the name on the gravestone. And bitterly, he almost smiles.

Archer silently approaches Shirou at the grave. He's not sure yet what he's going to do. He only knows that after everything he's been through, both in his own world and here, he can't deny the urge to hurt this boy somehow. ]

Are you wondering if you could have prevented it, Shirou Emiya?

[apprenticemage]

[ Thump. Thump. A warning rang throughout his entire body, as he quickly whirled around to a stand to face one of his least favorite people. The sound of his voice spooked him a bit, and the wooden sword in his hand was now clenched tightly and risen. Without a moment's hesitation he utilized Reinforcement on the sword, making it deadly enough to at least defend himself. His feelings on the Servant were mixed: While he was never able to agree with some of his actions and the words that came out of his mouth, the fact that he had sacrificed himself to save the group made a bit of envy rise up in him. Compared to Shirou, Archer was actually able to save someone. ]

You--!

[ And then he spoke, and like nearly everything that came out of his mouth his words hit close to home. How the hell did the man before him know him so well? They were complete strangers... or so he thought. ]

...I could have! If I had just been quicker, and stronger... then maybe our world wouldn't have been destroyed.

Floor 48 - AFTER EVERYONE ELSE HAS LEFT HIM ALONE.

[scorchedchivalry]

[There is an ominous presence behind Shirou, detectable only a moment before a dark sword, partially concealed by an eerie black and red prana, swings over his head to slice straight through the gravestone.

Again.]

That is to remain rubble for a reason, Shirou.

[Pale yellow eyes, bleached out hair and an aura very much like Rin's, Saber looks down at Shirou with an unreadable expression.]

[apprenticemage]

[ For a minute, Shirou was ready and willing to leap up at the sudden ominous presence. Unfortunately he didn't get the chance to as the headstone he had just recently repaired was destroyed. The anger welling up in his body was discarded when he leaped up, sword in hand... and came face to face with the very same owner of the headstone. Well, not entirely the same, which Shirou would eventually find out. ]

You-! ...Saber...?!

[ No... this wasn't his Saber. There was a different feeling than the warmth he normally felt from her. It was evil, brooding... It was pretty damn similar to the other Rin's. After what Rin had told him, it was clear as a cloudless sky that this wasn't his Saber. After the initial shock, Shirou attempted his hardest to ignore her and turn back to repair the gravestone. Despite her words, he wasn't going to stand there and let his Saber's headstone disappear. As far as Shirou was concerned, Alter had no right to touch it. ]

[Dormitory]

[wirefu]

It's no use.

[There's a voice in front of him, belonging to a young woman who must have just exited her own room, a curiously sympathetic look on her face. Fat chance of Shirou actually noticing that look, though, because he might be too busy noticing... well. Everything else. Specifically the woman's silver hair and red eyes... a very, very similar look to someone he knows well.]

The collars don't come off, as far as I can tell.

[apprenticemage]

[ Once his attention came up to focus on Iri, the words that he was beginning to speak became caught in his throat. Long story short, this woman reminded him of an older Illya so of course he would make the mistake of mixing the two up. ]

...Illya?

Floor 48

[prototyper]

[ She was up here for some reason. She had already seen the names of her father and sister here, but what about her own servant? She refused to believe he and her world were both dead and gone.

She almost walked past him, when her eyes caught the name of the headstone. And, she stood next to him, a bit away for distance, with her hands behind her back. Was this the very same Saber she met on her forst day here? ]

... I'm sorry. Losing your servant is... painful.

[apprenticemage]

She wasn't just my Servant...

[ The mixture of feelings running through Shirou's head and heart disallowed him the ability to say what she truly meant to him... but the implication was there. Their bond was far different than that of a Servant and their Master... it was love, in it's purest form. ]

Dormitories

[vermicompost]

[Kariya's mobility is less than it had been when he first arrived, but he doesn't stop trying to move nonetheless. He staggers down the hall, but pauses at the sight of someone pulling at his collar.]

Hello.

It's hard, isn't it, to have to wear this? I wish it could come off.

[apprenticemage]

[ Shirou's attention shifts to Kariya slowly, and the look on his face is a bit tense. ]

Yeah, it just feels weird wearing this thing. Guess you got stuck with one too.