Arrival

[medicalpunch]

Characters: Sakura and YOU! And at one point Sasuke
Setting: Various places in the tower, as listed.
Format: Starting with action, but will match your preference.
Summary: Sakura's first explorations in the tower.
Warnings: None to start, will update as appropriate.


[Floor 5: Security Center]

[Staring through the cameras at the various ruined worlds is nearly gut-wrenching, but Sakura steels herself against the emotional onslaught, studying each one, trying to divine some sort of order or secret behind them. She can't believe it's real -- although she knows that her own world was facing devastation in her last memories of it, it still doesn't seem real to her that this many worlds have found their end. (It doesn't help that the entire concept of there being this many worlds is a little difficult.)]

[But she's studying them nonetheless, her expression stony and determined.]

[Floor 2: Infirmary]

[It's natural that this floor has caught her interest, and she's giving it a particularly thorough examination. If this is all the medical facilities she's got to work with, then she'd better be clear on what she can do.]

[The stock of medicines is beyond disappointing -- small and basic things, here, as well as a couple extremely specialized formulas she quietly imagines to be ones required by specific residents -- but nothing that she considers truly needful, and no facilities for formulating her own, at least not here. She'll have to see if anywhere else in the Tower is more profitable than this. But she knows the treatment area, at least, and she's reasonably certain it will accommodate any work she needs to do.]

[Cafeteria]

[She's been given the obligatory bowl of oatmeal, and is regarding it with an expression of distrust. Not that oatmeal is necessarily an objectionable meal -- she's not exactly been enjoying gourmet since leaving Konoha to join up with the Joint Shinobi Army -- but the simple fact that she has been told she must eat it before partaking of anything else has her wary. What exactly does this oatmeal hold that it's so obligatory?]

[She stirs it around a little with her spoon, then takes a tiny bite, holding it on her tongue and trying to sort through the tastes, trying to use chakra to work through it as though it were a poison, searching for what makes it special.]

[Floor 28: Lab]

[Sakura is moving through the lab with a frown on her face; not working on anything, not yet, just investigating, figuring out what she'll have to work with in the future. Wherever she is, she's stuck now, and she'll have to make the best of it -- and she's already figured out that in a place like this, her skills will probably be extremely useful. So she needs to know where she can formulate antidotes -- and quite possibly poisons as well. She's investigated the infirmary already, and while it's decent, it won't do for formulating the more complex antidotes she's expecting to need.]

[This is the last place she'd want to work on them in, with poor instructions, no labels on some of the materials in stock, and no idea how much of the equipment works. However, she'll do her best with what she has.]

[Sasuke's room]

[Exploring the dormitories found her the door with Sasuke's name on it, sending her blood running cold. Sasuke, here? There are certain assumptions that she feels almost driven to make; while she doesn't act immediately, within a day or two of her arrival, she finds the room unoccupied and slips into it, tamping down her chakra as best she can and concealing herself.]

[Waiting.]

[He has to come back, this is where he sleeps, and when he does, she will do what she failed to before. Naruto's not here now to suffer the consequences of her attempt. It will just be the two of them.]

[She'll do it this time. She'll kill him. She'll end this destructive tension that's been tearing the remnants of their team apart for years. For Naruto, for Kakashi, for herself... she'll do this.]

Comments

[snowdriftassassin]

[Xue looked up in thought for a few moments before looking back at the girl and shrugging.]

From what I be gatherin', it be any food mon. I ain't no researcher but I be hearin' dat it isn't a pleasant experience when ya try ta be doin' odawise.

[medicalpunch]

I see.

[She considers that, turning over all the possibilities that suggest themselves, then takes a small bite of the oatmeal, turning her senses inward toward it.]

I can't detect anything unusual about it.

[snowdriftassassin]

[Xue'Kol nods,]

Aye, I didn't either an' I be dealin' wit poisons all my life mon. Den again, it mite jus' be magical, or some oda weird ting dat makes it work dat way.

[medicalpunch]

I suppose.

[Which is an answer that she hates, but if she can't find anything about the oatmeal, then she's willing to stake that there isn't much to be found, chemically speaking.]

[Enough on that; she realizes she's being a little impolite.]

Thank you for the advice; I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Sakura.

[snowyvalemaiden]

[Xue smiles and nods,]

Don't sweat it mon. I'm Xue'Kol, nice ta be meetin' ya. Ya got a nice name, I tink it be fittin'.

[medicalpunch]

Thank you! [She giggles, shaking her head.] Everyone says that, I suppose it's a bit of an obvious name... [With a little flip to her cherry-blossom pink hair] but we do love naming puns where I come from.

[snowyvalemaiden]

[Xue chuckles,] Aye, well, obvious as it be. Tis a pretty name fer a pretty gal. [Even if she was a human which would usually be someone from the opposing faction, Xue was never one to judge based on race or affiliation. Everyone had their reasons to be who they were and that was what made them worth while, or not.]

Back home der be more of a namin' fashion in regards ta accomplishments. Den again, it all be dependin' on what race ya be mon.

[medicalpunch]

Our world does that, too. People earn nicknames, titles, or alternate names based on things they have done, abilities they have, or events they're famous for.

[The mention of races makes her curious; the concept doesn't particularly exist in her world, although there are people of very different appearances.]

What does your name mean, then?

[snowyvalemaiden]

Snow blade, [Xue replied with a warm smile.]

Last of me family doh we didn't have a family name... Not one I can be recallin' anyways. Ma was a pirate in da South Seas, pa? Well ma nevah be talkin' 'bout 'im. Said he had his own life ta be livin' an we weren't part 'a it.

[Xue laughed and shook her head.]

[medicalpunch]

That's a lovely name. [She smiles, meaning it genuinely. It's a very ninja sort of name, too -- it sounds like whatever Xue'Kol is, she's a warrior too.]

There are plenty of people I know without family names -- in fact, one of our allied villages, most of them don't have family names at all. I suppose it just isn't a tradition of theirs.

[snowyvalemaiden]

Thank ye, [Xue returns the smile with a nod.]

So what kinda world ya be comin' from mon? Ya don't seem too fazed by all dis so far.

[And she hoped that continued to be the case. This place could be torturous to some... Especially during the first days.]

[medicalpunch]

[That comment makes her laugh wryly.]

I don't think I'm handling it so calmly as all that. Mostly it just... doesn't feel real, any of this. Like it's just a dream I'm going to wake up from. I'm sure I'll be throwing a fit once it sinks in that it's not.

[In fact, there's a certain amount of unease in those last few words, as though acknowledging the false source of her calm aloud is starting to break it.]

[snowdriftassassin]

[Xue'kol nodded and offered a reassuring smile, finishing off her plate and heading over to sit at Sakura's table.]

Yeah, it be kinda hard ta wake up ta all dis, especially wit da letters dat ya get wit dis little souvenir. [She adds, tugging at her collar before shrugging.]

But hey, ya seem ta be a strong gal. It's... gonna take all ya got ta make it here but it ain't too bad if a keep ta da safe areas. And truthfully mon, der be plenty of people who be pretty nice an' carin'. Lookin' out fer all da oders seems to be a common ting 'round here.

... Not ta say ya shouldn't be careful still, since we also got da unsavory and vile types but... Not much ya can do yanno? We're all kinda stuck here for howevah long dat may be.

[medicalpunch]

I can deal with the unsavory types just fine.

[She doesn't look it; even for a young woman, she's not particularly imposing. But she holds herself well, and there's lean muscle in her bare arms.]

There are safe areas here? Most of what I've seen so far seems to be anything but.

[snowdriftassassin]

Well, as safe as dey can be mon. Da stairs be yer only way in or outta a dangerous room and da dorms be fairly safe. Sum floors aren't too bad, like da meadow one, da tech one, dis place.

Der be plenty a ways ta try an avoid danger but even den... It be kinda hard ta avoid da owners of dis place when dey be decidin' dey want ya fer one of da experiments ran in dis place.

[medicalpunch]

Experiments?

[That is a terrible, ominous word, in this context.]

So the rooms aren't bad enough, then. All the ugliness on these floors... [She gestures toward the ceiling, all the floors above them.]

[snowdriftassassin]

There be a couple a nice floors really, but I can undastand wat joo mean.

As for da experiments... yeah, da upper ups. Da owners of da towah dey... well sumtimes dey be doin' sum experiments mon. Sometimes ya can be avoiding dem but der are times where ya can't.

And mosta dem... well mosta dem can be fatal. At da end of most'a dem, dey be rewardin' ya.

[medicalpunch]

Fatal...?

[Well now, that's not an encouraging thing to hear!]

[snowdriftassassin]

Ya mon, gettin' killed here be... well, pretty common ta be honest.

Pretty sure dat be why ya can't really die. Dey be makin' sure dat joo can continue ta contribute to da tings around da tower even if ya be meetin' an untimely fate mon.

But, [Because there's always a but.] Dyin' too much starts takin' a toll on ya. Kinda like a penalty I be guessin'.

[medicalpunch]

[Okay, that one's going to take some wrapping her head around. And not just because she's had some experience with the resurrected dead in a pretty unpleasant way.]

They bring people back from the dead. [Just so she's clear on this. Her voice is flat as she says it.] Over and over again?

[snowyvalemaiden]

Aye mon, [Xue replied without batting an eye. She was more than serious about this particular part of the deal.]

Joo die, it be almost assured dat joo be comin' back some short time latah.

[medicalpunch]

[She shudders at the thought of it.]

That's...

Ugh. As much as I've wished not to lose people, that isn't the way I'd go about it. That's terrible.

[snowdriftassassin]

Yeah mon, sadly, der ain't much anyone can be doin' 'bout it. Der be people who've been here years an' no luck.

An' granted, where I be comin' from, we have certain people who can be ressurrectin' but dis... dis not be how I would like ta be comin' back. Only ta die in anotha experiment, or to one of da creatures in dis place, or one of da treacherous floors.

[medicalpunch]

Is there any hope here?

[It's a softer question than she really intends, touched a little with despair. No way to leave, no way home, and now this... not even death is an escape.]

[snowdriftassassin]

I nevah stopped hopin' mahself mon.

Where I be comin' from... well, hope is a heavy word. There's not a time when we not be facin' a world endin' threat or a war. Every time we defeat or beat back an enemy dat can be destroyin' all life, anotha one rears it's ugly face 'round da corner.

So I be guessin' it jus' be easier fer someone like me to simply survive an' keep on livin' fer a solution an' a new tomorrow.

Pretty much all one can be doin' in dis place as opposed ta succumbin' ta despair.

[Xue offers a reassuring smile and a playful wink.]

So don' be givin' up yeah? Pretty gal like joo must be lookin' forward ta a bettah tomorrow I'd be tinkin'