001 - This Isn't Cool At All

[twentycoolpoints]

Characters: [AU2] Picky Minch and you!
Setting: Room 3-16 and around Dorm block 3, Floors 1 and 6
Format: Action brackets to start, but I'll totally match you!
Summary: Another new arrival wakes up and tries to figure out what's going on.
Warnings: None


Room 3-16 and Dorm
[It's bad enough to not wake up in your own bed, and bad enough that it's freezing. Not being able to move, even just to kick your legs and warm them up, that was really freaky-bad. Even in that short period of paralysis, Picky is starting to work himself up to quite a panicky state. So when it wears off he's up with such a start that he just about flings himself off the bed.]

Aaaagh!

[In the process of getting to his feet he finds the standard Welcome To The Tower note, reads it, and just... stares at it.]

Porky... Porky must've...

[And then it occurs to him that he might not be alone in here. This kind of looked like a dorm room. He folds the note up, wraps his bedding around himself for warmth, and hushes up while trying to take in what's around him. Maybe there's a roommate to have a chat with. Or someone in the hall that'll clue him in further.]



Floor 1, cafeteria
[Oatmeal for breakfast? Picky couldn't object too much. It was hardly his favorite, and it could really use some sugar, but it was hot and he was pretty hungry.

So hey, there's a teenager in a leather jacket, with hair in his eyes, actually kind of enjoying the standard introductory breakfast. And as he eats, he sits back and watches the other people wandering around. Maybe there'll be someone he knows. Maybe someone he can ask more questions to. And heck, some of these people are pretty weird looking. It's probably best to keep an eye out.]



Floor 6, forest
[This place was a tower, right? With lots of levels, right? Why not explore it? Why not check it out? So, pockets full of nutrition bars and head alarmingly free of clues as to the kind of trouble he could be encountering, Picky had explored his way up to the 6th floor. When he saw that it was a forest, that piqued his interest and brought him off the staircase. Sure, it was cold, but he had warm enough clothes on. Maybe there'd be something good out here? Something like...]

Oh, hey! A rabbit!

[There was one, right over there, a snowy white bunny just hopping past. And it didn't even scamper away in fright, like Picky had expected it to. Maybe the animals were friendly here?]

Hey there, Mr. Rabbit. Hey. You hungry? [Slowly approaching, Picky slipped one of the nutrition bars from his pocket and unwrapped it. And then he knelt and extended his hand, offering the end of the bar. The darned things tasted enough like sawdusty oats and spongey nothingness that maybe a rabbit would find them a worthwhile treat. Or something different than grass to nibble on.] Yeah, it's alright. C'mon, have a bite. [Maybe if it went well, he'd have a pet rabbit for himself. Could they keep pets in the dorm? He'd have to check with his roommates, he guessed.

Surely nothing will go wrong, here, and no one will need to step in to help! Or to point and laugh. It's just a rabbit, after all...]

Comments

Cafeteria

[twentycoolpoints]

Whht? Mmrrph...

[Picky tried to speak with his mouth full, but caught himself doing it, quickly swallowed that mouthful of oatmeal, and tried again.]

Uh... yeah. I'm new. Is it obvious? I'm not doing something wrong, right?

[He's got a bit of oatmeal on his cheek, still.]

Cafeteria

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko smiled and shook her head.]

No, not at all! You have to eat a bowl of oatmeal before you can eat anything else in the Tower, so you'll often see newcomers eating it. That's how I knew. You know..if you want, I can tell you what I know about this Tower. That way, you'll be prepared!

[Tohko didn't mention the oatmeal, but she did motion with her hand that he had some on his cheek.]

[twentycoolpoints]

Ohhh... I guess that makes sense. Huh, why oatmeal?

[The motion she makes seems to clue him in. He hesitates, wipes his cheek off with the back of his hand, and grins sheepishly.]

...yeah, if you can tell me anything about this place, that'd be really great. It's... kind of weird, here. Is this that... Project Harmony thing?

[Couldn't hurt to ask.]

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed.]

I have no idea. I guess it's because oatmeal is a pretty foul first dish, and the Administrators want you to know what sort of place you'll be in.

[She then gave him a puzzled look before nodding.]

I don't know what Project Harmony is..but, as far as I know, it's not part of the Tower. What is Project Harmony? Something from your world?

[twentycoolpoints]

Oatmeal's not so bad. It could use a whole lot of brown sugar, but I've eaten way worse things for breakfast. Uh... but what kind of place do the Administrators want us to know that we're in?

[Puzzled look, have another puzzled look. That doesn't last long before Picky tries to explain things.]

Well... in the way, way future, humanity messes the whole planet up and it can't really be lived on anymore. So... a bunch of scientists all got together to do something called Project Harmony. So they built a big ship and were going to, uh, fly it to the center of time or something, and everyone was going to live there.

I guess. I dunno. It's been a while since Mr. Kylen explained it all...

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko smiled.]

Well, at least you don't think it's bad. A lot of the people around here don't seem to enjoy it..and they want you to know that this isn't going to be a very pleasant place to be in.

[Tohko sighed. That sounded a little bit like Wilhelm's world, but only a little bit.]

I'm sorry..I'm from a different universe. That hasn't happened to me at all. In fact, I lived on Earth before I came to the Tower.

[twentycoolpoints]

Hey, some people would rather eat a whole pile of bacon and ham for breakfast. Different strokes, right? Now, maybe if they were hiding bugs in the oatmeal...

[He stops for a moment, there, then starts to use his spoon to sift through the remains of his breakfast, assuring himself that his horrible theories aren't true. Phew, okay...]

...different universe? Wow, really? So... so maybe this place is something different?

[tohko_amano]

That's true..however, bugs aren't hiding in the oatmeal, thankfully.

[Tohko nodded at his question.]

This Tower is in a different universe altogether. I don't know which one, but I do know that it is in a different place.

[twentycoolpoints]

Yeah. No bugs here! [Then he grins wide and makes a big show of powering down a few more spoonfuls. That he's quick to swallow, because there's more to be said.]

...mn, wow. But... maybe this is the center of everything, maybe not just time? So, that's why there's so many different people here?

[He leans in, and lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.]

Seriously, I keep seeing all these kids with horns.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko looked rather puzzled after he said that.]

I haven't seen anyone here with horns, but I don't think this is the center of the universe or of time. The Administrators probably just have some advanced technology that allows them to pull people from different universes here.

[twentycoolpoints]

You don't think? Really?

[He frowns, mostly in disappointment at himself. And here he thought he was sure as to what was going on.]

The Administrators... they're the ones that brought everyone here, right? If they're supposed to be saving us, why're things so... uh... bad?

[He hadn't seen too much badness for himself, yet, but he'd take her word for it.]

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko nodded.]

Well, that's the thing. They're probably lying about saving us from anything. There are two Administrators that torture people, Ruana and Jason. Ruana does it because she thinks that the experiments are fun games, and Jason just does it because he likes it.

[twentycoolpoints]

[Picky's posture subtly stiffens as Tohko explains matters. And then he sets his bowl of oatmeal down, pushing it away a few inches absently.]

Messing with people just because it's fun. Huh.

[He gives the cafeteria another look, slowly and uncomfortably. The last person he dealt with that liked to scoop up people and torment them for fun was his brother. This wasn't good.]

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed and scratched her head.]

I admit, I don't like it either..however, not all the Administrators torture us. Dax doesn't, and I don't think Riki does. If he does, I haven't heard of it yet.

[twentycoolpoints]

[Picky sank back into his seat.]

So there's four of them? Jason, Ruana, Dax, and Riki? Do they... make announcements? Or walk around, or stuff?

[tohko_amano]

Well, as far as I know, there are four of them. There may be more, but those are the ones I know about. And you'll see them on the network sometimes, but it's very rarely, and they don't often appear in person. I've never seen them, and no one knows where they hide away.

[twentycoolpoints]

Huh... so they all stay hidden. That kind of makes sense. I bet there are a lot of people here that are really unhappy to be here. And who'd want to take a shot at them, right?

[tohko_amano]

I don't think they're worried about getting shot at. After all, they managed to drag quite a few powerful people into this Tower without so much as a struggle from those people. I think they're hiding because they don't want to give us answers.

[twentycoolpoints]

Answers... so they're hiding because they just brought us here and don't care anymore? I mean, not enough to explain what the heck is going on?

[He rubs the back of his neck and groans.]

I really don't get this.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed.]

I know, it's weird. However, they're not hiding because they don't care. I think the majority of them are hiding because they either don't have the time or energy to deal with us or because they like seeing us be confused.

[twentycoolpoints]

They're jerks. I think I get that much.

[He sighs, and then pushes back from the table and rises.]

I think I should go take a look around. Uh... oh! Hey! Your name, what's your name?

[He grins and extends a hand.]

I'm Picky Minch.

[tohko_amano]

Well, that's good then.

[Normally, Tohko wouldn't have known what a handshake was, but she had read so many books that had dealt with handshakes that she knew what to do. She grabbed his hand and lightly shook it.]

It's nice to meet you, Picky. I'm Tohko Amano, the book girl. If you want, I'll go with you while you explore.

[twentycoolpoints]

Nice to meet you too, Tohko!

[With a handshake exchanged, Picky was feeling pretty good. Maybe he had just made a friend? He was pretty sure that he had just made a friend. Wow...]

Uh, if you want to come along, sure? Do you know your way around, at all? Have you been here long?

[tohko_amano]

I know my way around! I have been here for two months, after all.