This is not the home I know

[relinquishing]

Characters: Guy and some of you people out there!
Setting: Room 5-02, the Dormitory levels, Floor 5, and Floor 38.
Format: Preference is brackets, but I'll follow suit.
Summary: When Guy left out on a journey, this is not where he was expecting to end up.
Warnings: Nothing for right now.

ROOM 5-02

[It was a horrifying sensation, not to remember where exactly you were. It was dark and a little bit cold. He could feel and hear. But for an agonizingly long moment, he couldn't do anything else. Words were caught in his throat, and he can feel that flicker of concern rising from deep in his gut. Was it just a nightmare? Maybe he'd drift back to sleep soon...

It's only when that concern slowly turns to panic that Guy's eyes suddenly snap open, breath coming hard as he yanks himself to a sitting position. Was it a dream? Where---

Where is he?

His fingers travel to his neck, eyes scanning the room for anything familiar as he tries to remain calm. These clothes... he's never seen anything like them before. And what the hell was this collar doing around his neck? The note on his bedstand is snatched up and read, but quickly put away soon afterwards.

"Let's all be happy here?" His brow furrows.]

Nice idea. Not sure how happy I'm feeling right now, though. More like I'm being held prisoner or something...

[Happiness wasn't really on his list of things to feel right about now. Not with how little they've seemed to tell him. And especially not if Auldrant's really gone...]

DORMITORY LEVELS

[After a simple change of clothes, Guy goes off to wander. It only takes a little bit of exploring his dormitory halls for Guy to realize just how bare the bedrooms around him are. He can't be the only one around here, right? Peeking in every doorway is starting to get a little tiring, and with no sound and no activity from any of these rooms, he's beginning to get the idea that not many other people live here.

Or, rather, not in this part of the building. Hopefully.

He's not quite in the mood to walk all the way down the stairs. So after a moment's hesitation, he heads upwards, only to find more rooms... and a much larger amount of people. He'll poke his head through the halls of each level, a reigned sense of urgency and concern behind his steps. He will stop if he's spoken to, but for the most part, he looks as if he's searching for someone in particular.]

FLOOR 5

[To be fair, he'd stepped onto the floor purely by accident. And for a very long moment, he didn't regret it whatsoever. The technology that suddenly surrounds him is absolutely astonishing, and had it not been in use, he would probably have been all over it to see how exactly it worked. For the time being, he watches from a distance and observes, awe in his eyes like a kid at a candy store.

That is, until someone directs him to the viewfinders. To see the somewhat familiar terrain of Auldrant in complete ruins, with not even the pool of mud and miasma remaining, strikes Guy cold from the minute he looks. For a long while, it's all he can do - view his world as much as possible and see if anything - anyone - might have survived. The more he watches, the more somber he grows, and he eventually turns away with a bitter disgust.

If this was some sort of joke, it wasn't funny in the least.]

FLOOR 38

[Something about the glass walls and layers of cloud and fog draw Guy off the staircase and into the lounge. He's seen Auldrant in ruins by now, yes. What kind of world had he been dumped on in the process, then?

There may be other people in the room, to which he'll nod his greeting with a tired smile, but he's decided to casually find a spot of these endless windows to lean against, taking a good look down as he does so.]

Man. How high up does this place really go...?

Comments

[38]

[bloodyashes]

[Man, Guy, how did you miss the pile of red hair in a beanbag as you passed? At least Asch has the excuse of his attention being on stalking Luke a book.

At the sound of the voice, though, he startles slightly and looks at Guy over the top edge of the pages. His first response is halfway automatic - ]

Too damn high, clearly.

[There's a slight pause, and then he folds the book down, one thumb tucked into it to hold his page. Guy deserves his full attention, if nothing else.]

So. You're here.

[relinquishing]

[He hadn't been expecting anyone to answer him, really. Hearing the response in such a familiar tone gets his head to snap up.

Oh. It's Asch.

He's barely hiding his lack of excitement, crossing his arms in front of him. Shame on you for sharing a voice with your duplicate.]

You sound surprised.

[So they'd been caught up in this whole mess, too? Damn. If Asch was here, then he'd have to be on the lookout for the rest of his traveling party.]

[bloodyashes]

[Yeah, yeah, save it for the one who actually wants to see you.]

A bit.

[Mostly, he finds it odd that Luke had been here alone for months, and now they're all showing up at once. The Tower has strange whims.

Speaking of.]

What's the last thing you remember?

[relinquishing]

[What, did you think he had died? How thoughtful of you, Asch.

The question strikes him a little odd, but eh. He gives a shrug. It shouldn't do any harm.]

Following your directions, actually. I was still hitching a ride to Daath to go find Luke - you'd mentioned he'd be going to Aramis Springs if he ever woke up.

Well. I can't really say I expected to wind up here instead.

[He could make the joke that Asch just gives horrendous directions. But right now, that seems in incredibly bad taste. Even for Asch.]

FLOOR 5~

[holychord]

[Whenever Tear needed to pass through the fifth floor, she normally did so quickly. She didn't really believe that Auldrant was gone, but that display was so convincing, and so awful, she wanted to push the very idea of it from her mind.

But, she was still fairly observant, and she recognized Guy almost immediately when his movement away from the screens caught her eye.]

Guy...?

[relinquishing]

[He wouldn't blame her. After seeing the display for himself, he really wishes he hadn't bothered to look. The voice is familiar, though, and the relief is clear on his face when he looks over at her.]

Tear, hey--! It's... heh, it's good to see you. [His voice is short a bit of that normal cheerful spark, but the smile is genuine enough.] I can't say I thought we'd be meeting up again like this, though.

You feeling alright?

[holychord]

Yes, I feel fine.

[That was an odd question. She was cold, sure, but she hoped she didn't look ill or something.]

It's good to see you too. But... [She frowned at his phrasing.] Were we separated before you arrived here?

[relinquishing]

Well, yeah. [By a few hundred miles of the earth's core, actually.] You stayed behind in Yulia City. You never really explained why, but the plan to go back up to the Outer Lands was kind of sudden--

Why, is that not what you remember?

[myblueskies]

Really really high sir, but there's only a few more floors and you're at the top! Until it grows again. [Have a flour covered, bare footed boy with a plate that still has a few cakes on it grinning at you.]

Do you want a cake sir?

Uh-oh, Guy hasn't had his oatmeal, this won't end well

[relinquishing]

Huh? Oh, sure. [Wow, kid, aren't you a little bit of a mess? He doesn't really have anywhere to put it, but he'll pluck one of those cakes up with a thankful nod.]

Hahah... so what's the occasion?

sob I am so sorry ;;

[myblueskies]

[Romeo is usually a mess, he is twelve, mess seems to be attracted to him.] It's Christmas sir!

greatest first day ever, barring being killed

[relinquishing]

Christmas?

[He sounds clueless. Probably because he is clueless. But the kids seems earnest enough.]

Can't say I know what that is. It must be pretty special if you're putting this kind of work into it, though. Could you tell me more about it?

Floor 38

[always_lies]

[This was the place that Azula seemed to find herself in the most when she wasn't exploring the Tower and looking for food. It helped her think and meditate on her situation and what things she and Tahno could do to return home.

So absorbed in her own thoughts, when a strange man spoke, it startled her. Instantly, her face flushed and she grew angry at herself for being so easily sneaked up on.]

It has 53 floors, including the "residential" levels.

[Her voice sounded carefully neutral, like she was just giving a report on a tactical situation.]

[relinquishing]

[The answer from a complete stranger is a surprise. Her voice and tone are so similar to Legretta, he can't help but jump to the conclusion of military background. But no, no, he was getting ahead of himself, right?]

Is that really enough to reach the clouds, though? Not that I've ever seen a building this big before. But something about that number doesn't seem exactly right.

[Yes, he's implying that this tower is much taller than it should be. It doesn't make sense. But then again, not much of this place was making sense to begin with.]

[always_lies]

[She sits up a bit from where she had been lounging.]

The captors are reputed to be extremely powerful. It's possible they can create the fog surrounding this building. From my own explorations of the Tower, certain rooms shouldn't exist. That's also possible. It's been difficult trying to document the things they have done.

[relinquishing]

Just a bunch of smoke and mirrors, huh...?

[Not that it makes any more sense than before. But if they had the power to pull people from other worlds, then creating illusions shouldn't be beyond their reach, in theory.

He sighs roughly, a hand running through his hair as he stares back down into the fog.]

You'd think they were just playing around with us, if they're bothering with tricks like that.

[38] I am so sorry this is late >: 1/inf.

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke didn't normally go up as far as floor 38; the easiest way to it was taking the elevator-thingie to floor 41 and walking down. Problem was, floor 41 had squirming, wriggling things in it. Sure, the elevator and the staircase didn't really go into the room itself, but still.]

[Still, he had wanted some alone time. Last month had been crazy, even if it didn't directly affect him, and now this month it was even colder than before. He was so damn thankful for those deer hides at this rate...]

[He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts and snuggling under his cloak that he didn't think much of the voice in the room. It even took him a moment to pin it (wrongly) to a person; oh, sensei was here. Maybe he wouldn't mind just sitting in silence toget--]

[sacred_flamer]

[...wait, why would Yu be asking how high the Tower went? Didn't he already know?]

[He sloooowly lifted his head, staring...]

[sacred_flamer]

[...oh dear Lorelei, let this not be some stupid joke from Jason.]

G-Guy...?

Done. XD;

[sacred_flamer]

[It took a moment, but it finally clicked in his head: this was really his best friend. Once it did, he reacted as any seven year old would... by doing his very best to tackle Guy to the floor, clinging and sobbing and yammering on and on and not caring if it wasn't making any sense.]

Guy! You're here! You're really, really here! You're so damn late, dammit...!

A replica is never late, nor is he early; he arrives precisely when he means to.

[relinquishing]

[With Guy's attention as taken as it was with his surroundings, he doesn't quite spot that flash of red until he feels another body launch themselves against him. He squawks as both boys go toppling to the floor in a heap of limbs, trying to right himself somehow below the constant stream of words and tears and long, messy hair splaying all over like a matted web.

Having already seen Asch today, it only takes Guy a split second to realize who it is.

There's laughter and a barely audible apology before arms are thrown around Luke, one holding him in a tight hug while the other roughly messes at his hair. Oh Score, he's glad to see you're alright--!!!]

FFFFFFF

[sacred_flamer]

[Luke couldn't help but cry -- sob was probably a more accurate description. Oh man... it was Guy; his best friend, and the person he had wanted to see for so long. Being around his roommate and his friend had been so difficult; they both sounded like Guy, both reminded him of his best friend in different ways. Sometimes it was painful to wake up in the morning and hear Lelouch muttering about something under his breath, just like sometimes training with Yu reminded him of the time in Saint Binah when the two of them had practiced in the middle of the night, and Guy taught him a new skill.]

[It was a long time before he finally lifted his head, wiping his puffy red eyes on his gloves.]

G-Guy... I missed you so much...

ROOM 5-02 sorry this is late sob

[oforder]

It is merely an attempt to keep you calm.

[ The voice came from a nearby desk. The man seated there was dressed in a simple, if futuristic business suit, and he had white hair with bright red eyes; perhaps a sign of albinism. However, his voice was entirely deadpan; not a hint of inflection anywhere. He had a small glass of wine in his hand, as well as a small, paperback book open in his lap. ]

Whether or not it is worthy of paying heed is up to you. A wise man, however, would take note of the collar around your neck, and realize that their definition of happiness is not the same as yours.

No worries!

[relinquishing]

[The voice of the stranger is a bit startling - Guy had assumed he was the only one in the room. He swings his legs over the side of the bed, glancing over at the other man cautiously.]

Sounds like you've had the time to think about it.

[oforder]

I have. However, time itself is an irrelevant concept to me.

[ He's an immortal cosmic entity, and the Compass, conveniently left in the library in his makeshift office in case someone was dumb enough to try using it, allows him to predict all possible futures (just not necessarily the future that is going to happen). ]

Reaching the conclusion that the Administrators are deceptive does not necessarily require patience. Merely perception.