towerofanimus | [.oo8] A Compulsion of Memory [OPEN]

Entry tags:

[ou] naminé

[.oo8] A Compulsion of Memory [OPEN]

Characters: Naminé (OU) and any passersby.
Setting: Floor 11/later in the day Floor 3, December 26th
Format: Responder's choice.
Summary: Naminé's Christmas present from the Tower has put her in a strange mood. Studying ensues, resultant exhaustion included.
Warning: Memories/possible reference to kidnapping, violence, death etc. pretty much only as a past occurrence.

Floor 11

[Someone is seated at the edge of the lake, right in front of one of the waterfalls that empty into it. A couple of blankets are gathered around her, probably taken from her bed. Wrapped around her and even forming something a hood over her head, only a few strands of golden hair visible from behind her, they offer some amount of defense against the cold as she works. Curiously, there appears to be a small doll also tucked into the blankets, on the edge of them not far from the girl's right side. On her left, some distance away from her but close enough to imply that it belongs to her (whether she likes it or not) is a white cage, about the right size to house a small bird. It is empty.]

[Those who are familiar with it or have the sense for it may recognize, even before getting close enough to see what she's doing, that she seems to be practicing magic. Persistently, over and over as if training, she reaches out pale, slender hands to form glowing barriers against the falling water, allowing it to flow off over the edges of the spell but attempting to maintain or strengthen that shield as best she can. Other times, she does something else entirely, using another sort of magic to stop portions of the water entirely, as if they are frozen in time, though this, too, wears off eventually. Over time, she is becoming more skilled.]

[It looks like something has encouraged Naminé to do a little studying.]

Floor 3

[Later in the day, Naminé can be found in the library, several books relating to magic spread out on the table before her, the doll next to them and the cage on a chair by the far side of the table. Unfortunately for her, it seems she's done a little TOO much studying today, because she's out cold, head on her arms which are folded over the one book she was trying to use to FINALLY take a break, a book of fairytales (ironically) open to the story of Sleeping Beauty. The blankets are still wrapped around her, but in her sleep it has fallen from around her shoulders and now rests mostly against the chair itself.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It wasn't hard at all to follow in the beginning, and thus her smile was healthy, then. Though as Tohko continued, Naminé's lips slowly formed into a surprised 'o'; she didn't know the first thing about most of those books - save for the name Peter Pan, which was quite a strange thing to hear, but perhaps not as much so as it would have been if she hadn't already seen the movie version of Beauty and the Beast and learned of those sorts of situations before - and wasn't even familiar with most of the titles. There was a blink and then another, and then that smile was back, accompanied by a small laugh.

"I see what you mean...! I've never even heard of most of those. It sounds like you've really earned the title. It's good that the Tower has a library for you, then." There was a pause, then, half-playfully but sincerely curious, "Why did Barrie create Peter Pan?"

Tohko returned the chuckle and nodded. "You should read them then! They're really delicious and wonderful! I promise you, you'll enjoy them! And it is good that there's a library here. I'd go insane without it."

Tohko then grinned and started talking again.

"You see, Barrie was good friends with a woman named Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, and he often told her sons stories that involved Peter Pan. Inspiration also came from his elder brother's death, as Barrie's mother was terribly affected by the event, and Barrie thought that the idea of an immortal boy would make her happy. Of course, Barrie has always wanted to be an author, so this was also an opportunity to write, even if Peter Pan did start out as a play."

"You know, I think I will have a look. Thank you for the recommendation." It was definitely nice to have some direction. Mostly when she went to the library, she'd just go for whatever seemed to have an interesting title - at least with recreational reading.

"Huh...! That's so sad...! I mean-- it's sweet that he wanted to help, but...." She shook her head. "Life is strange that way, I think. People can grow so much from experiencing hardships. Or-- write books, I suppose."

"Oh, no problem! Let me know what you think of those books, alright?!" Tohko was always happy to recommend books to people, no matter the person and no matter what the book.

Tohko sighed and nodded.

"It is a little sad..but it's kind of sweet that those experiences managed to bring Peter Pan into being. Life is a little strange that way..but it's also pretty nice in that regard as well. In real life, and in stories, people can learn from the worst hardships, stand up after the worst of blows, and can still manage to scream and kick god in the teeth after all hope is lost. Things like that are just wonderful!"

"Of course. It's the least I could do." She'd likely never have read them at all without the recommendation, after all.

"Mm." Even if she wasn't sure about kicking deities in any part of their anatomy. Well, maybe if they deserved it and it would actually accomplish something, but-- "The heart can be so strong. It's amazing, no matter how many wonderful things I hear of people accomplishing."

"Well..I'm not sure about 'the least you could do', but if you wanted to read them and enjoyed them, that would be great."

Tohko nodded, smiling. "It is pretty surprising. People can undergo so much pain and have their hearts smashed..and keep going on, despite the pain and despite their scars. They even manage to heal sometimes. It really is quite amazing."

The mention of hearts being smashed has her straightening slightly with a sudden blink, and a moment later, her eyes avert for a few seconds before returning to the other girl. "... Yes. It is. It's... wonderful and terrible, all at the same time."

Tohko looked at Namine for a moment, puzzled, trying to make sense of her reaction. It was like she thought hearts could actually be smashed like that. Maybe they could be, in her universe. It made her think about a certain blue-haired boy that had experimented on hearts. Just remembering it made her sigh, but she didn't comment on it.

"..That it is. But it usually turns out to be wonderful rather than bad most of the time."

Naminé did not miss the look or the sigh, but also refrained from comment. The truth would probably be a bit too strange for discussion, and perhaps also an unwise topic for other reasons.

"Mm. But--... I guess... it's just sad, how much so many people have to go through, even if they do come out of it stronger than before."

After dealing with everyone in the Tower and being a bit strange herself, nothing would be too weird for Tohko. However, she smiled a little at Namine's comment.

"It is a little sad..however, thanks to that pain, characters and people are able to understand things a little better and grow. Sadness and pain makes them stronger."

Nor would many things be too strange for Naminé, but she is mindful of telling others things that would trouble them, be it because of the tone of the subject matter itself or because it was cause for confusion.

"Yes.... I've... seen a lot of that happen before." She shook her head. "It seems like it's just the way the worlds work." It was just a shame that they had to be that way.

Tohko nodded.

"I've seen that happen at home too, and I've read of it too. However, even though that's the way the universes work, it's not a bad thing. Without understanding pain, one cannot understand joy. It's like they say at home: The world is not beautiful, therefore, it is. By realizing the sad and bitter things, you see the good and sweet things as well."

"No Darkness without Light and no Light without Darkness. It does seem to be the same, no matter where you go or what you're talking about. Both are necessary. Things the way they are couldn't work otherwise. To change that... would mean changing the way everything functions, in a way so fundamental that life would probably be unrecognizable. It's not possible," As far as she knows, anyway. "... and probably not advisable. But it is interesting to think about, sometimes."

At the mentioning of light and darkness, Tohko looked a tad puzzled, but nodded her head.

"It probably would be a dangerous thing to do, if you tried. However, it is interesting to think about. It might make a good story for someone someday. Pardon me for asking..but do you know a boy with short blue hair that wears a lab coat? He's a scientist that's really interested in the heart."

A reasonable comparison when one is familiar with her worlds, but perhaps not so when one isn't.

The question gave Naminé visible pause. She recovered in fairly little time, but perhaps not soon enough. "... I might. What's his name?" Because she could match the description to someone she knew, yes, though not without some slight discomfort and the desire to be certain before jumping to any conclusions.

Tohko sighed and scratched her head. This obviously made Namine uncomfortable. "Sorry..I didn't manage to catch his name..however, I do remember that he might have done some horrible experiments on the hearts..and he seemed to be a really big jerk. I'm sorry if I bothered you by mentioning him."

The blonde paused, then shook her head. "It's alright. It's just-- if you're talking about the same person I'm thinking of, then... it may be best for you to keep your distance." There was another pause, for just a moment, then, "If you don't mind my asking... how old was he? Or-- how old did he seem to be, that is."

Tohko sighed. "Probably.." However, Tohko was bad at avoiding people that she should have. Mostly because she was way too stubborn to give up on them.

Tohko then nodded. "Sure. He looked to be about nineteen."

Naminé could relate, in some ways. The answer caused her brow to knit, a frown tugging at her lips. A moment late, she nodded back. "I was afraid of that. If that's the case, I'd have to stand by what I said before. He's--" What was the term? "... probably bad news."

Tohko sighed and scratched her head. "I had a feeling that he wasn't a wholly good person. But..could you tell me why? He wouldn't tell me too much about himself or his past, so I was never able to figure that out. I guessed..but I'm not sure if my guessing is correct."

"Well--...." She faltered, trying to think of how to phrase it. "Let's just say... that he has been very manipulative in the past. If it suited his ends, I don't think he would hesitate to try to use you. It may not be in his interest to now, but-- it's definitely something to watch out for." That really wasn't even the half of it, but getting into the details - that might not be in anyone's best interest, either. The less involved Tohko was, the better.

Another chess player, huh? Tohko sighed. First Wilhelm, and now this guy. Why did the Administrators like bringing jerks and manipulators to the Tower? For extra conflict? Tohko nodded.

"Right, I understand. He's another chess player of people. Don't worry..I'll be careful. I've already dealt with another chess player in the Tower, so I'm a bit prepared."

"Something like that, yes." An apt description, it seemed. Naminé blinked at that last part, head raising slightly. "I... suppose it's good that you're ready, if you do have to handle that. Still, I'd-- suggest avoiding it entirely, if you can." Now, to indulge her curiosity. "... Who was the other one?"

Tohko nodded. "Alright then. And don't worry..I'll try to avoid being a pawn."

Tohko then sighed, thinking about the best way to describe Wilhelm. "..A white haired man named Wilhelm. He's in the Tower too, and he's even more dangerous than this blue-haired boy, as he can play chess with his whole universe and not care or be detected until it's too late."

A smile finally started to return to her face. "Thank you. I'll try not to worry too much."

Naminé was content to be patient through any waiting necessary. Any attempts at a smile, however, fell away at the answer. "The whole universe?" It was more of a way of testing those words out than a sign of disbelief. "... He does sound like trouble. I'll be certain to be on the lookout. -- He didn't hurt you, did he?"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject