[01xFirst Deduction] Slightly backdated to last night

[neverwrong]

Characters: Mello and YOU!
Setting: All around the Tower; specific floors mentioned are dorm levels, floor 47 (the curtain floor), floor 37 (the pitch black, covered in monsters floor), floor 35 (the floating lake), floor 34 (the long strip of land), floor 28 (the music floor), floor 12 (the projection room), floor 10 (the aquarium), and floor 1 (the cafeteria). Seriously, he can literally be found on any floor. Go wild!
Format: Action to start, but I'll match you
Summary: Mello wakes up in the Tower, starts poking around, almost gets killed a few times, freaks out a little, and refuses to eat the oatmeal.
Warnings: Possible swearing in tags, floor 34-induced suicidal thoughts, and vomiting I guess? Will update with more if needed.

[After Mello's initial freakout directed at his poor roommate, he decides to explore the Tower. Dressed in black leather and a long, decorative coat (with the Death Note tucked inside it for safekeeping), and armed with a pistol and a few bars of chocolate, Mello begins his slow trek down the Tower. He explores the dormitory floors first, with the full intention to interrogate anyone he comes across.

At gunpoint.]


[Geniuses are curious people at heart. So naturally, after being kidnapped, Mello wants to learn about this place as much as possible. Unfortunately for Mello, the Tower isn't exactly safe for people like him. When he gets to floor 47, all of the movement out of the corners of his eyes starts to get to him, and he reaches out to try and pull a hanging curtain back.]

Who's there?

[Intervene before he comes across a monster: y/n?]


[He most certainly hears the strange sounds on floor 37. They send a chill up his spine, but he's not the type to back down. Instead of stepping off of the staircase (a move that would certainly invite injury and possible death, though he doesn't know that), he stands in place, trying to strain his eyes to see into the darkness.]

What the hell..?


[When he comes across the floating lake, he stops completely.

As skeptical as he tried to be, all of his careful rationalizations were made worthless the moment he stepped out and saw the floating islands around the Tower. It has to be a dream. A dream, or maybe a hallucination, a projection, something-

But no. He's here now, and he knows that he's awake, and he walks around the edge of the lake looking for supports, or a screen, or something, but nothing's there. He's standing on a floating island. And if he looks down, he can see more floating strips of land below him, as well as more of the Tower, and this doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense, he's seen a lot of strange things in his life and this still makes no goddamned sense at all...

He takes a few unsteady steps down the winding path and toward the long strip of land coming up, leaving the long column of water under the lake behind him.

When he gets to the strip of land - floor 34, though he hasn't cared to keep track by this point - he takes a seat. His mind is racing, his head is spinning, and he's trying to calm himself down and make sense of all this, but it's difficult.

And, adding onto that, he feels a tiny, inexplicable urge to start walking toward the end of the strip...]


[By the time he finally manages to get back into the Tower and past the imminently dangerous floors, Mello has had quite enough. His trek from floors 29 to 1 is spent wandering around, glaring at anyone who comes near him, ruthlessly scrutinizing everything as he snaps off pieces of chocolate.

If you run into Mello on any of these floors, he'll be treading with caution. Expect to see him checking over the instruments that play themselves in the music room, or staring with his head cocked at the endlessly-repeating projection of worlds being destroyed on floor 12, or trying to figure out how the water in the aquarium keeps itself upright, among other things.

Of course, by the time he finally reaches the cafeteria, all of that chocolate has taken its toll on him. He collapses against the nearest trash can and starts to puke. Guess who's standing out as a shining beacon of "did not eat the oatmeal first"?]

Comments

Floor 34

[seekinganswers]

[Sheba had promised herself that she'd explore as much of the Tower as she could, but she was really starting to wish she'd skipped these outdoor floors. She was no stranger to heights, but every time she looked down the side of the Tower she remembered the chilling rush of fear that had coursed through her that day on Venus Lighthouse...

So far, so good, though. She hadn't really encountered much of anyone this far, but when she got to the floating strip of land, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was someone else out here already...

All in all, he didn't look too good...]

Excuse me... [She was trying not to be too loud; she didn't want to startle him into falling.] Are you alright?

[neverwrong]

[Mello snapped his head up, temporarily forgetting about his inexplicable (and stupid) thoughts about jumping.]

Does it look like I'm-

[He pressed his lips together and cut himself off. In the interest of not appearing too hopeless in front of someone else, he sucked in a deep breath through his nose before he tried to speak again.]

...This stupid place is driving me crazy. [He stood up, stepping back from the ledge a few steps to avoid falling off.] This- [He gestured around himself.] This island, this building- Am I really supposed to believe my world has been destroyed?

[He'd found the notion laughable at first, but the whole floating islands deal lent the theory a bit more credulity. He wasn't sure if he was ready to believe that his world truly was gone, but it seemed like he would have to expand his horizons and accept that he was no longer on Earth. At the very least, he was in a place on Earth where the laws of physics as he understood them no longer applied.

Shit.]

[seekinganswers]

...

[Her expression was sympathetic. He seemed to be new, too - even newer than she was. Had he only just arrived? Maybe. She'd at least had a few days before coming across these floors - if it was his first day here and he'd found this floor so quickly, no wonder his head was spinning.]

That seems to be what they want us to believe. There are a lot of people here who don't believe it, though.

[While she herself wasn't one of them, she wasn't going to try and convince him that his world was gone. Not while he was having such a hard time adjusting. She looked down at the floating island, then raised her head a little so she wouldn't look over the side. She supposes he must not be from somewhere where floating pieces of land - or floating anything, really - were common.]

I'm told it just takes some time to get used to everything... but it can help if you don't face all of this alone. What's your name? I'm Sheba.

[She might not be able to change the fact that she probably helped destroy her own world, and she might not be able to get herself out of this tower, but if there's something she can do to help someone else here, she wants to.]

[neverwrong]

[Mello felt it again. That little buzz in the back of his mind, a tiny picture of rushing toward the edge of the strip and throwing himself off it, but he shook those thoughts away as best as he could. He chalked it up to a human's irrational desire to flirt with danger, and he made sure to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground.

He glared at Sheba, and for a moment, it almost seemed like he wasn't going to answer. But finally, he spoke up.]

...Mello. [He shoved his hands into the oversized pockets of his coat, protecting himself against the bite of the cold.] So did you just wake up here too, then? Or have you had more time to get used to it?

[He spit that last part out in a tone that implied he didn't think he would ever get used to such a place.]

[seekinganswers]

I woke up here just a few days ago...

[The glare didn't really faze her too much; she'd seen worse. He wasn't Saturos and Menardi. He wouldn't be able to incinerate her in a burst of temper.

She frowned a little and, seeming to notice the cold for the first time when he put his hands in his pockets, she wrapped her arms around herself. What she wouldn't give to have found a warmer cloak in her trunk... Right this moment, it felt like Prox was balmy by comparison.]

I'm impressed, though. You seem to have explored a good amount of tower in a short amount of time... that takes talent.

[neverwrong]

[Mello ate up her compliment like it was made of chocolate, though he didn't let his pride show on his face.]

Yeah, well, I don't like to waste time. How much do you-

[He stopped, shifting a bit where he stood. He took another step back and glanced over his shoulder, at the edge of the strip of land looming in the distance, that ledge that seemed to be urging him to jump, jump, jump-

And he looked back at Sheba, shaking his head more violently now.]

...do you know about this place..?

[Despite the fact that it seemed like he had to fight against every inch of his mind and body to do so, Mello managed to take a step forward, toward the pathways and away from the ledge.]

[seekinganswers]

...?

[That was... odd. Sheba knew by now that the Tower could make people behave strangely, but she hadn't thought it happened so quickly. Why had he stopped speaking, and why was he shaking his head? It might have had something to do with the edge; he'd glanced at it... she took a step closer to him as he stepped forward, just in case.

No one was falling off the side of a tower on her watch.]

To be honest, I don't know that much. Just the really basic stuff, like that it's apparently impossible for us to eat anything without getting sick until we eat oatmeal down on the first floor, and that the people in charge of this tower are not very nice.

[She held out a hand and beckoned him forward.]

I've also heard that some of the floors here are more dangerous than others. Maybe we should see about getting back to a floor that's inside the Tower's walls, Mello. It'll be easier to get somewhere safe from there.

47;

[harepiece]

[OKAY so approaching a stranger from behind on a floor like this isn't the most intelligent thing he's done since his arrival, but this floor is one of the first ones he had been warned about. It's also one of the only ones he hasn't explored himself yet, which is why he decided to drop down to it today.

At least he has the sense to make as much noise as possible in his approach to prevent any sudden scares.]

You shouldn't do that!

[neverwrong]

[The sudden noise catches Mello's attention. He drops his hand to his side and turns to see who it is that's talking to him, his brow furrowing in annoyance.]

And why is that?

[Just like him, this kid has a collar on. Mello's beginning to wonder if there's anyone in this stupid place who isn't wearing one. If not, the collars would certainly make for good camouflage - if whoever was in charge was wearing one, too, it would throw the actual prisoners off. Mello can't rule out that possibility, so he remains suspicious of everyone he encounters. This boy is no exception.]

[harepiece]

You wouldn't like what you saw on the other side, probably! [Not that he has any real idea what is on the other side; the warning he got was pretty ambiguous.

He moves forward to smooth his hand over one of the nearby curtains, ignoring the shadow that briefly ghosts across it.] I've been told you can only pass through this floor unharmed if you don't look behind any of these, and it's usually a good idea to take the warnings of people who have been here a long time at face value. They usually know what they're talking about!

[neverwrong]

[Despite how sincere the warning sounds, Mello does not look convinced. In fact, he looks almost affronted, and he directs his rekindled anger at the boy.]

Is that some sort of a threat?

[harepiece]

[oh no he keeps running into the weirdest people... He raises his hands in a placating gesture, attempting to assuage some of that anger.]

Not at all! I'm just repeating what someone told me. Things can get a little dangerous here, though, so it's better to err on the side of caution.

[neverwrong]

How can you be so calm?!

[Mello doesn't mean to snap like that, but he ends up yelling anyway. How are the prisoners in this place so complacent? They should be trying to find a way out with everything they've got, not taking warnings blindly and going about their business.

He takes a few steps forward, tugging out his pistol. He doesn't know if he'll have to use it or not, but between this kid and whatever is apparently hiding behind those curtains, he's not taking any chances.]

Are you really gonna believe whatever you're told, just like that?

floor 12

[blackwitch]

[ Evatrice is just passing by - in her witch outfit, for once, so that might explain why Mello stares at her when she does. Not that she's going to acknowledge tht excuse though, she immediately glances back at him (disregarding the projection completely herself, apparently) and cocking an eyebrow. ]

Wha-t?

[neverwrong]

[The strangely-dressed girl most certainly isn't the weirdest thing he's seen in the Tower so far, but Mello glances at her when she walks by. He only looks at her for a second, though, then goes back to watching the projection.]

This is some pretty fancy technology. [He takes a step forward, examining the wall in front of him. Everything is seamless; he can't even pin down where the wall meets the floor.] I guess this lame CGI is supposed to help convince us that our worlds really have been destroyed, huh?

[What he doesn't say out loud is that the "CGI" he's lambasting isn't badly-done at all. If he didn't know better - and, rest assured, he does - he would say it looked like a video feed.]

[blackwitch]

.. "CGI"? [ She's just slowly spelling it out, she's never even heard of that before, but she's from way back in time compared to him..

Although she figures what it is from the context. Or, well, vaguely at least. He thinks it's fake, right? Well, it probably is, but if Evatrice can take an opportunity to spook someone.. ]

So, are you scared by it then? Isn't it scary, the idea of your world just being gone like that..?

[neverwrong]

[Mello doesn't bother to explain the concept of CGI to the girl. Instead, he focuses on her question, and it's a question that makes him scoff.]

Psh. Please. Maybe I'll be scared when this place gives me some irrefutable proof that my world is gone, but until then, forgive me if I'm a little skeptical.

[That's not to say that he denies the place has supernatural properties, of course. It's clear enough for him to see that something strange is going on, but he won't mourn the loss of a world that might very well still exist. Hell, he won't even rule out the possiblity that he's still on his world, but in some sort of contained bubble where nothing makes sense. A simulation, perhaps, or some sort of drug-induced state that he'll snap out of before too long.

Mello knows one thing concretely, though: whatever's going on, he's going to get to the bottom of it. Then he's going to punch whoever put him here straight in the face.]

[blackwitch]

Kyahaha, so you're the stubborn type! Even when someone shoves something in your face, you still won't believe it, riiiight?!

[ Well, she's known more types like that. They did believe it after seeing her magic as the last thing before they died, though.. ]

What kind of proof do you even think this place could give you?

[neverwrong]

[He turns to glare to her, practically boiling over with tension. He's in no mood to be laughed at by a stranger, not after the day he's had.]

Forgive me if some things stretch the limits of credulity. I won't deny that there's something wrong with this place, but as far as I'm concerned, I've been given no reason to think that my entire world has been destroyed in the blink of an eye.

[He turns away, scowling.]

If there's proof to be found, I'll know it when I see it.

Floor 47

[technologic]

[April has never liked this floor, especially after the time she had let her curiosity take over and she had pulled a curtain back. So she tends to try to get past this floor as quickly as possible.

But then she spots Mello about to pull back a curtain. So it's gonna be a 'y' to the intervening.]

Ah- No, don't pull it back!

[neverwrong]

[Mello turns around to look at her, yanking his hand back.]

What? Why not?

[technologic]

[She relaxes slightly when he yanks his hand back, though she still looks wary.] Because if you pull it back, whatever is behind it will attack you. It's happened to me before, and I've heard it's happened to others too.

[neverwrong]

[Mello narrows his eyes, giving the girl a suspicious once-over. Then he turns his attention back to the curtain, appraising it to decide whether he'll go through with yanking it back or not.]

Oh, yeah? What's behind it, huh?

[He almost sounds amused, as if he finds the idea of anyone attacking him laughable, but there's a dangerous edge to his voice. The girl's warning sounds like a threat, and Mello does not like being threatened.]

[technologic]

[April frowns slightly, rubbing the back of her neck as she looks over at the curtain.]

If I told you it's one of the more powerful monsters in the tower, would you believe me?

[neverwrong]

[The deadpan look on his face should answer that question for her.]

...Monsters?

[His voice is flat, and he raises an eyebrow, imploring her to explain.]