(no subject)

[friendlyfiend]

Characters: A'kin the Friendly Fiend and YOU
Setting: 3-18, dorm floors, and the Cafeteria
Format: Willing to follow your lead
Summary: Arrivals are confusing; arrivals when the Tower is preparing for mischief doubly so.
Warnings: None


Room 3-18
His first thought is that he must have been summoned; that he's been gated by a fellow 'loth for some reason, or that somehow, somewhere, some berk had got their hands on a copy of the Book of Keeping... But why him, of all yugoloths, and why is he immobilized flat on his back against some kind of soft surface, why is he not hearing demands or gloating or anything at all from whoever or whatever is responsible for this?

The thirty seconds of paralysis seem to stretch on for ages as A'kin's mind darts from one unanswerable question to another. Once he's able to move, his surroundings still offer no answers. There's no residual summoning magic that he can detect; no magic at all, save for a few suspiciously familiar items in the trunk by his bed; no watching presence that any of his divinations can reveal. The sense of resistance when he tries to teleport tells him that this isn't anywhere in Sigil, but he can't reach familiar locations on other planes, either. The only thing the arcanaloth can find that might be some sort of clue is a tiny note tucked in some clothing, and its simply-written message of destruction is completely implausible.

"What are you playing at here, I wonder...."

Forcing a pleasant, amicable grin that he's not really feeling right now, A'kin steps outside.


Dormitory Hallways
"......"
"I'm sorry, say again?"
"....."
"My friend, I don't understand..."
"......"
"I don't follow, cutter...."

Anyone departing from or returning to their rooms may find themself greeted by an odd sight- a worker unit being interrogated by a jackal-headed being in brightly-colored robes. As the one-sided conversation continues, his look of confusion at the unintelligible babble deepens into a worried scowl. Being transported against his will was troubling enough, but this...

Cafeteria
Having eventually given up on that information source, A'kin eventually meanders his way to the Cafeteria, hoping that the lure of food will create an informal gathering place. From time to time he idly picks at the unappetizing oatmeal, but the majority of his attention is on the other diners.

Comments

Room 3-18- welcome, fellow roomie!

[mostremaining]

Gilbert was just about to enter the room when he noticed the "fiend" in front of it. The first reaction was an ungainly squawk of surprise, but he regained his composure and took a look at the nameplate by the door. "You're the new roomie?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. "A'kin the Friendly Fiend... is that you?"

Re: Room 3-18- welcome, fellow roomie!

[friendlyfiend]

The yugoloth's canine ears twitch a little at the harsh sound, but his smile never falters as he follows the other's gaze.

"The very same. One of these tags is yours, I take it?"

[mostremaining]

"Yep! See the one that says 'Prussia'? That's me! But I go by Gilbert. I represent the country of Prussia, you see." Well, represent-ed, but Gilbert wasn't about to let little technicalities trouble him like that. "By the way, just what are you? Aside from a 'fiend,' I mean."

And cue misunderstanding in 5... 4... 3....

[friendlyfiend]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gilbert." A'kin ignores Prussia's question for the moment, distracted by what the other's phrasing seems to imply.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you arrive here? Does your country often send representatives to places like this?"

[mostremaining]

"Ha! I wish it was that simple. Look, I'm going to tell you some things you're probably not gonna believe." Gilbert pursed his lips, formulating the explanation in his mind. "You've been whisked away from your world to this tower. There's no real rhyme or reason to who they pick or how exactly you get here. You just go to sleep one day and bam! You're here."

Cafeteria

[disgracedvoid]

[Darkleer is sitting in a corner of the cafeteria, a sizable lunch nearby as he eats distractedly, absorbed by some book he's reading. He does look up from time to time, if only to keep track of who arrives. And maybe figure out a way to avoid certain trolls he really has had enough awkward meetings with. The sight of A'kin causes the highblood to arch an eyebrow and follow him with his eyes. This tower keeps getting weirder and weirder, doesn't it.]

Re: Cafeteria

[friendlyfiend]

[The thing about people-watching is you tend to notice pretty quickly when someone is watching you back. Locking eyes with the grey-skinned stranger (a tiefling, perhaps?), A'kin acknowledges the attention with a grin and a wave.]

[disgracedvoid]

[At least Darkleer is not in the least bit intimidated by the fact the other noticed. Rather than wave back - we're not going to discuss grinning and the impossibilities there of here - Darkleer simply tilted his head to the side in acknowledgment, hair rustling a bit.]

Cafeteria

[warriorscribe]

A'kin may have seen this man sleeping when he first woke up. He's since donned some strangely-shaped pure white armor (where was he keeping that? Or could A'kin sense it wasn't mundane?), and he seems to be keeping his breakfast simple, some pears and bread rolls. He feels A'kin's eyes on him and looks up towards the source. The oatmeal has him coming to the wrong conclusion; he thinks this is a newbie jealous of the people who don't have to eat oatmeal. He isn't sure what to make of the stranger's appearance, but it isn't like he's dripping vileness or anything. So with a friendly smile, he gets up to approach his table.

"Don't worry, you only have to eat that once."

[friendlyfiend]

Pleased to see a somewhat familiar face, A'kin returns the cheery grin and moves over to accommodate the newcomer.

"That's certainly a relief... I can't imagine this would be a popular destination if this was the only sustenance available."

As he shifts position, his gaze momentarily drifts across the unexpected and oddly-designed armor before returning to Enoch's face; he may not have any divinations currently active, but as a purveyor of magical items, it's certainly caught his attention.

"Is this... concoction... some kind of initiation ritual, then?"

[warriorscribe]

"In a way." Enoch sits down, leaning a bit to the side to avoid sitting on the bit of armor high on his right leg. "It enables us to eat the rest of the food here."

[friendlyfiend]

"Curious..." A'kin muses between reluctant bites of oatmeal.

"You seem well-lanned. Is there anything else I ought to know about this place?"

[warriorscribe]

The look on Enoch's face can only be summed up with the phrase Where do I start? Eventually, he stares down at the plate, having decided eventually on simply summing it up at once:

"Despite the child's hope - and I don't doubt it was Zo who left that note - this is a place where happiness is hard-won."

[friendlyfiend]

The look on A'kin's face, in turn, is a rueful I know, I know. Still, as long as returning home continues to not be an option, he has to start somewhere.

"Some of the floors I passed through were places to be well peery of, but I could say the same about parts of my home burg. I'm sure I'll manage well enough."

He pauses for a moment, staring down at his oatmeal as if hoping that it would suddenly reveal the answers he needs. His captor- or rescuer, if the note is to be trusted- is a child? What kind of a child has that capacity? Could it even be possible for Sigil to fall, just like that? Or is that just a fantasy out of a childish game?

"This Zo, though... you've met them?"

Dorm hallways

[divinitysoiled]

The halt that Catarina came to was almost audible. This was one thing she never expected, never wanted to see. Another like her, one that would definitely be more powerful than her. One that would easily kill her. She slowly started to growl, her body shifting defensively.

Re: Dorm hallways

[friendlyfiend]

"I'm sorry, is something wrong?"

A'kin turns towards the source of the growl, expression sliding from concerned into apologetic as he notices her obvious discomfort. His posture remains relaxed and casual for the moment, but in the back of his mind he begins readying a defensive spell. Hopefully things won't have to come to that, but...

Re: Dorm hallways

[divinitysoiled]

"Who are you?" She started to circle him, her entire body language wary and almost scared.

[friendlyfiend]

"My name is A'kin. Sometimes called the Friendly Fiend."

Refusing to follow the circling, he takes a slow step back and continues speaking in soft and soothing tones.

"Are you alright?"

[divinitysoiled]

"Friendly." She repeated him, her voice dubious. "A fiend, friendly."

Catarina lifted her chin at the movement, taking note that he was allowing her to circle to his back. "I know you can tell what I am."

[friendlyfiend]

"A trait sadly all too rare among fiends, I admit- but I promise, I won't bite." At that last remark he turns to face Catarina once more, regarding her with an appraising eye.

"Actually, I don't believe I've ever met quite your type before. Some kind of cambion or other hybrid, if I'm not mistaken?"

Dormitory Hallways

[boxingemperor]

The bad thing about the tower is that it's home to a menagerie of threatening creatures of all shapes and sizes.

At first, Akihiko slows his steps upon sighting the humanoid before him, falling into a defensive stance. Once he's able to hear what the creature is saying, however, he lowers his guard...but just a little. 'Sorry'? 'My friend'?

"It's a waste of time to talk to them."

[friendlyfiend]

"So it would seem. I'm not sure if that was even language."

A'kin shakes his head, chagrined.

"You're familiar with these entities?"

[boxingemperor]

"I'm not even sure if they're really alive." Akihiko scratches his head, frowning as he looks upon the drone. "They're the only ones with red collars."

Realizing the jackal man isn't an immediate threat, he closes the distance. The Dark Hour and Tartarus, along with their denizens, makes it easier to keep his calm. "Yeah, unfortunately. You must be new to the tower."

[friendlyfiend]

"I found myself here barely a few hours ago," A'kin responds, nodding affirmation.

He taps a clawed finger against his own indigo collar. "Are the colors some sort of group identifier, then? Mine doesn't have any virtue or function that I could discern, beyond being sodding resistant to removal attempts."

[boxingemperor]

He shakes his head. Getting information here has been rather frustrating. But everyone in the tower is usually open to share what they know, hoping that maybe they can draw useful info by putting all the pieces they obtain together.

"We don't really know. All I know is that you need the liquid inside of them to survive here, and that the colors determine what day you get your check-up."