towerofanimus | That which does not kill me better leave me incapable of returning fire or hiring council.

Entry tags:

That which does not kill me better leave me incapable of returning fire or hiring council.

Characters: Elena and YOU
Setting: All around the tower
Format: Can do whatever
Summary: Elena has been on her dead, broken planet for several weeks and suddenly finds herself back in the Tower. Its not really easy to decide which of the two locals was better.
Warnings: TBD

[Posted Notices]

X/S – You two better have been behaving while I’ve been gone. Come see me in the cafeteria at 4pm today. - E

R – You were right about the silence. - E

H – Item is almost at 100%. Perhaps a training session or two will push it over. Interested? - E

[Around the Tower|| Afternoon]

Clean. Clean felt so good. She had forgotten just how good clean could feel. Her trip to her dead, barren planet had reminded her of what horrible loss that they had narrowly escaped – and not once, but twice. If it hadn’t been Meteorfall, it could have surely been the Geostigma. That slow, painful death could have (would have) killed off the rest of the people living on the injured planet, the infliction from the Lifestream its last attempt to purge the world of Jenova’s cells. If you believed the hype from those...

Thoughts came to a screeching halt, an instinctive and natural reaction to prevent the thought or even reference to unpleasant thoughts. Instead, she moved to the Tower and those within it. It was necessary to meet up with several people, with one in particular under the guise of everyday activity. If Reno were to have found out that she had partnered with Cloud to keep an eye on him. It was all purely for his own good, especially if he was really brainwashed, which was something she also had to confirm was still true.

Not only that, but she had to check in with Shion and Xion to make sure they were still doing well. With her being absent, she was curious how their training had been progressing so she could jump in and assist where Reno needed the help. Then then there was Hei and Sou – two men with potential to be good assets against the demons of the tower. Demons like Ganon.

So many thoughts, so many questions, so many contingencies. It’s easy to understand how Elena could easily get wrapped up in her own mind, as she walked slowly – if not aimlessly – through the tower’s halls.

[Cafeteria|| Evening; 4pm]

Hunger came slowly. Having gone several days without, she hadn’t realized the severity of her appetite until she passed by the cafeteria and her stomach all but roared at her. Scowling down with mild-embarrassment at the offending organ, she patted her stomach sympathetically before looking back in. The room was unusually empty – as were the halls. Was there something going on she wasn’t aware of yet?

She’s utterly disappointed when she finds out that the only thing to eat are those dry, bland nutrition bars, picking up a good handful and heading over to an empty table next to the window. It’s clear by the look on her face that she’s utterly miserable as she chews through the first two bars, creating a carefully folded and stacked pile of wrappers on the table. Gaia, what she wouldn’t give for a nice, thick filet mignon with a port wine glaze, sautéed asparagus and wild rice, accompanied by a nice glass of red zinfandel on the side. Her stomach grumbled up at her, the mental image of the meal not coordinating with the cardboard flavoring of the bar, thus upsetting taste buds and stomach alike.

“...I know, but it’s all we have right now,” she murmured to herself, leaning back against her seat and staring out the window. Clouds moved lazily, her eyes slowly following as she got more comfortable, right left resting across left knee and arms folding lightly across her chest, and allowed her energy to return.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Xion would be there, hell or high water. Though she was certainly not getting down there alone. She was still sick, and felt... very woozy. Her fever was still there, though not quite as high as it had initially spiked. It did mean that the Tower was still very cold though, and she was wrapped in a blanket and half-supported by Shion.

It was thanks to Shion that she was even able to get down this far, actually. He'd helped her to the elevator, which had taken them down to the cafeteria. The fact that the cafeteria was as empty as it was at least made it easy to spot Elena

Once she got to said table, she all but collapsed into one of the seats, curling up and wrapping the blanket around her. She at least tried to keep herself from completely flopping over, but it was fairly clear she still felt pretty miserable.

Shion, despite the fact he had managed to help Xion down to the cafeteria did not look well himself. He was ignoring it for the most part, it wasn't that bad and people needed help and he could give that to him, but not if he gave into his own illness.

Xion shouldn't have been out of bed, but a summons from Elena was not to be ignored by anyone sane. He helped her into a seat and then stood next to her, mostly to catch her if she toppled over.

Despite her short time back in the Tower, she'd received enough intel to understand just what was going on. The building was freezing cold and people were, naturally, falling ill. It helped somewhat that she had a stronger tolerance to the flu - what with year after year of obtaining flu shots - however that didn't mean there weren't others who were suffering.

Elena got to her feet when both Shion and Xion appeared, eyes narrowed with concern as they came close and Xion all but fell into her seat. Clearly the girl was sick, but Shion... Shion seemed somewhat out of sorts as well, but hardly as visibly ill as Xion. Sitting back down, she gave the pair an apologetic smile.

"Thank you for coming, you two. But if I had known you were so sick, Xion, I would have come to you. You - and you, Shion - look like you could use some rest." And a heartbeat later. "I've been out of pocket for some time - how are you two holding up? Anything going on I need to know?"

Xion doesn't say much, doesn't even whine or complain about how much resting she's been doing. Though really, all this feeling sick was starting to get old. Really old. She was tired of feeling miserable.

"It's a Jason month," Xion mumbled finally, "Don't know if he's done anything yet." She'd thought it might be this - the flu, but... then everyone had told her it was just being sick. Normal. Definitely not something Jason had done, though not leaving the heat on was certainly having an effect. He seemed to like... bigger things than just testing to see how people held up against a normal illness.

Edited 2012-12-27 16:55 (UTC)

Shion wrapped his arm around Xion, mostly to keep her upright and nodded at her words. "He is definitely aggravating it, the cold, the lack of proper food. There are a lot of people sick and a few of them seem to have strange symptoms. There are also some people who are sick who shouldn't be for various reasons. I believe that Jason may have a part to play in this."

There's no need for either to say anything about their current state. The ever-watchful, always critical eye of Elena saw all. Well, more like she was able to pick up the important and key pieces information that their appearances alone provided.

Elena is quiet and patient, listening to both Xion and Shion's information, giving a little approving and acknowledging nod where appropriate. Sitting back, she took a few moments to compile the information, along with everything she'd seen so far.

"I agree. Its safe to say that Jason has his hands in this situation. I doubt that a Tower with this sort of technology would have faulty air and heating. And while getting a cold is normal, I wouldn't hesitate to think that there's something more sinister happening."

Her eyes then moved to Shion. "Can you explain what you mean by strange symptoms?"

"Here."

And as if he was some dark angel from above, Hei, while masked, hands her a plate of deer meat, cooked and tender, juicy and the smell easily filling the small area.

"Got your note earlier, by the way."

A dark angel indeed, one that - had she the strength and he the tolerance - she would have thrown her arms around in joy for the blessed treat. Whether he had heard her mental prayer for actual food or not, the fact that he had offered her a hot meal was enough to pull a genuinely grateful smile out of her as she took the plate. One would have thought she was being too fool-hearty to just take offered food from a masked man, but she had recognized the voice almost instantly.

".....Thanks."

Motioning for him to sit across from her, she wasted no time in cutting into the meat and taking a bite - and failing miserably to stop the little contented moan. It wasn't so much that she'd forgotten what a decently cooked steak tasted like - it was that the meat was actually very well seasoned and cooked just right.

"This is delicious. I owe you. Again." Nodding her head, she put the fork down, letting the newly added protein settle in her stomach before continuing. "Good. I didn't want to make it too obvious who it was meant for - there are too many snooping eyes in the Tower."

"Noted. Constantly had to notify others to keep their business to themselves that were new." And by constant, he meant about one familiar woman. He took notice of her appreciation. Good to see someone liked it, even if it wasn't his best.

"At any rate, I can't train with the materia. Most in the tower have been stricken ill, myself included."

"That must have kept you busy - especially if you had a newcomer that asked a lot of questions."

Its hard to miss her appreciation of the hot meal, having returned to the cooked meat and getting more than halfway through it within a few bites. But the weight of the food was a little over-powering, especially after having gone so long without even a crumb to live on, and she's having to stop again to let her stomach digest.

"I didn't mean right away, you know," she returned with a little laugh. "I picked up that something odd was going on with the Tower, what with the cold air. Its only natural that people started getting sick. And I heard its Jason's month so...it might not end well.

What are the symptoms?"

"So long as it prevents me from thinking of the past, I don't mind."

Anything to not fall back into the depressive state that seemed to cling to him. At least being useful helped push back those thoughts that seemed to try and form lately.

"The flu," he answered. "Fatigue, excess body heat, hallucinations, etc. Jason is pouring in a lot into this."

The comment caused Elena to pause, eyes moving over the mask curiously. She knew a loaded statement when she heard one - especially one she'd heard, and used, herself. But, for the time being, she wouldn't approach the subject and the driving forces behind the comment.

"Ugh. I didn't think there was a way to make getting sick with the flu worse - but I'm sure Jason will find one. How have you been holding up?"

Re: Cafeteria

fusedstars - 2013-01-01 03:45 (UTC) - Expand

Cafeteria

provenworth - 2013-01-03 15:22 (UTC) - Expand

[Legolas made stops in the cafeteria everyday, despite the cursed temperature of the tower. He wore a cloak over his shoulder and the hood pulled up to hide the damage done to his hair. Haldir had reassured him but, self-conscious as he was over it, he couldn't bring himself to let anyone see the shortened locks.

Stepping into room, and expecting it empty, the elf was surprised to see a young blonde woman in there. She looked familiar, if only slightly, but the name escaped him if it had ever been given. Even more surprising was the fact that she was eating the nutribars. Disgust filled him at the thought of eating them, even for survival but when there were better options...

Making his footsteps just a bit heavier as he approached her, the prince set a hand upon her shoulder and made a noise to capture her attention if his footsteps had not.]

My companion and I have been hunting. There's venison and other meat that can be cooked if you would prefer it over these.

Edited 2012-12-20 22:11 (UTC)

Her disgust with the food option is more than evident by the displeased look on her face. She'd rather eat raw fish from Junon Harbor than these nutrition bars, but beggars couldn't be choosers - and so with each miserable bite came an equally miserable look. Oh, the things one does for survival.

Despite the nearly deafening crunch of the bar in her head, Elena still manages to pick up the sound of approaching footsteps. She doesn't make any motion to regard him - with the number of people in the Tower it was hard to tell who was friend or foe, or just a curious onlooker. When he touches her shoulder, an action she had not expected, the muscles in her neck move, an involuntary shudder just barely evident beneath the layers of her suit.

Turning her attention to him, as both the physical touch and the audible noise could only lead one to conclude he wanted it, she turned her head up to look at him. And for the briefest of moments she was sure that she'd seen him before.

".....That's awfully kind of you - to offer hard-earned meat to a stranger. What's the catch?"

The tensing of her muscles does not go unnoticed by the elf and once he has her attention, he removes his hand from her shoulder. Of course Legolas is being polite, he won't force his touch on anyone for longer than is necessary and especially not with those he's not on friendly terms with.

"Catch? There is none. We do this to help the other tower residents because we're some of the best suited to the task as the cold doesn't bother us as it does others."

Even now, the elf was still barely touched by the cold. Yes, he felt a chill in the air and it drove him to wrap himself in cloak and hood for more reasons than just his vanity but he wasn't a shivering mess as many people had become.

While she says nothing about the touch, when his hand removes from her shoulder she appears more willing to talk, less on edge. She shifts in her seat to face him, trying to keep up a level of politeness that matched his own.

"Again, that's very kind of you. I'm sure the people who are lucky to come across your generosity are thankful for the..." Her eyes move to the nutrition bars with a disapproving glare before turning back to the young man. "...alternative."

"Ah, but I've been rude. Would you like a seat?" she asked, hand moving to the seat across from her. "It must be nice to not feel the cold - I wouldn't mind having that little ability myself."

"I offer the alternative to anyone who would want it. I've eaten those before and found the oatmeal to be far more palatable."

With a smile, he does take a seat. For a moment, he seems as though he's prepared to remove his cloak but remembers the state of his appearance. Best to keep it on for now until Haldir could prove to him that others wouldn't find it as horrifying a change as he did.

"Thank you. To be perfectly honest, I do feel the cold but it doesn't bother me as it does mortal beings. A gift from Iluvatar to his children.

Nodding, Elena gave a short laugh. "I'd have to agree with you. These things are...horrid. So I might actually take you up on the offer. I don't know why we're expected to stomach them except for maybe the Admin's sick amusement."

Returning the friendly smile with one of her own, Elena can't help the feeling that she's seen him before. It wasn't so much the way in which he spoke, which in and of itself was unusual and thus unique, but that there was something ethereal about his entire presence.

"I may not be I-luve-a-tar's - Odin's beard, that's hard to say, I'm sorry if I pronounced it wrong - I may not be one of his children, but I'd be happy to have the same gift. I'd take sweltering heat over the cold."

And a heartbeat later.

"By the way...you seem a little familiar. Have we met before?"

Re: Cafeteria

bow_of_the_galadhrim - 2012-12-29 00:46 (UTC) - Expand

Cafeteria

provenworth - 2013-01-03 18:03 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Cafeteria

bow_of_the_galadhrim - 2013-01-03 23:31 (UTC) - Expand

"Lost?"

A voice spoke up from some distance behind Elena. The dark haired teen had a habit of patrolling the tower, something she had picked up doing of her own free will, and that patrol had become somewhat more anxious this far into the month. With the number of people behaving strangely or so sick they might collapse, Homura had decided it was worth making sure the halls weren't full of trouble.

She had a handgun held at her side to help with that.

"This is hardly the time for aimless wanderings."

"...Hnn?"

Stopping in both her tracks and thoughts, Elena turned slightly to look behind her, pushing blonde bangs out of the way. She was somewhat surprised to see the teenager behind her, nothing but seriousness in her posture. Eyebrows lifted, an impressed smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth, at the sight of the firearm.

"No, not lost," she started, turning slowly to face the girl. "Just...patrolling to get myself familiarized with the Tower. I figured that, with the halls as empty as it is, now would be the best time before things got worse."

Her hand moved, motioning to the firearm in her hand. "I take it you're doing the same thing?"

The notice went ignored. Reno probably had seen it by now, but the knowledge Elena was back in the Tower couldn't help all the rollercoaster he had been on since getting sick.

The latest in the downward spiral of that rollercoaster was him sitting on Floor 38, tucked away in the corner with one of the more comfortable chairs, a next of blankets and a box full of alcohol from the bar. Several bottles were empty, and one more held in a hand that emerged from the blanket nest and just hung there. Occasionally, hand and bottle disappeared into the nest only to come back out again, the bottle looking a little more empty each time. The only other thing visible was his uncombed, tangled mop flopping over the back of the chair.

The sheer quiet of the Tower was a little unnerving, working her way from floor to floor. Very few people were out and about, meaning that many hallways were void of all signs of life, her footsteps echoing rather noisily against the walls.

Having finished a patrol of the 37th floor, she had moved up to the lounge on the 38th, curious to see if maybe anybody had decided to gather in the open space to converse - or at least be sick together. And she was right, there was somebody in the lounge. It was hard to see through the pile of blankets just who it was, though the pile of bottles certainly narrowed the field. Her footsteps are light and nearly inaudible as she moved forward, angling her approach to see if she could see any clues as to just who -

It was the red hair - it was always the red hair - that gave it away. A frown formed when a hand holding a bottle disappeared into the nest and, after a few moments, returned with an even emptier bottle. Lips pursed as she stood just only two feet from his seat and in a single fluid movement reached over and took the bottle from his hand, lifting it up to the light to see just how much was left.

The hand made a token search for the bottle, then gave up and just pulled into the blanket nest. A muffled sigh heaved through the nest, and the blankets shifted. Even the hair disappeared for a moment.

"What do you want, Cloud?"

Apparently he didn't realize it was Elena just yet.

Not much left, that was a good thing. Not that it mattered given the number of bottles that sat empty nearby. He'd obviously been at this for quite some time. Which only beg to question what had happened while she was gone.

Honey-colored eyes blinked before looking down at the nest, a look of something between surprise, irritation and amusement flashing across her face. Putting a hand on her hip, she wiggled the bottle to force the audible sloshing sound of liquid against glass.

"Cloud isn't here. And just how many have you drunk today?"

"Not enough." The voice turned irritated, and the hand emerged again to grab around for the bottle again. Or her wrist. Either one would do. "Come on, Elena, cut me a break. I just had the most fucked up month. Shion and Xion probably hate me. You've been gone. I want to get shitfaced."

Cafeteria

provenworth - 2012-12-27 17:05 (UTC) - Expand

Got Katy's okay to say Shion helped her down here (Plus she'll be tagging this one shortly)

here I am! also for plot purposes can this be set before Reno and Ganon stuff?

YES. OMG, GUYS! LET TURK!MOMMA LOVE YOU ALL AND TAKE CARE OF YOU

;w; /clings to Turk!Momma

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TURK!BABIES!! /clings to

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Around the Tower

Around the Tower

After the 24th, Floor 38

After the 24th, Floor 38

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