[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 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.

[blackwitch]

[ There we go, now that's more the kind of reaction she was expecting - or maybe more like hoping - to see. So her attitude doesn't change in the slightest, except that she might even seem a little more amused. ]

So you're going to cling on to false hope instead? Suuure, if that's what you need to not give up and cry yourself to sleep at night!

[neverwrong]

Look, if you're trying to scare me, you can stop right now.

[He digs the toe of his boot into the floor, but the projection doesn't even ripple.]

In fact, unless you have anything helpful to offer me, how 'bout you just go on your way? I have a feeling I'll figure out a lot more about this place if I'm not distracted by your ridiculous attempts to drive this "your world has been destroyed" crap into my head.

[blackwitch]

Maybe I don't feel like leaving though! Besides, if you were seriously smart, you'd go somewhere else to figure out more stuff. There's nothing to find here, no-thing at all!

[ a giggle. ]

[neverwrong]

I've been exploring this place since I woke up.

[He turns back to her, biting back an exasperated little sigh.]

And saying it like that only makes me think there is something interesting here.

[blackwitch]

I'm not into something as lame as reverse psychology. [ She actually scoffs a little, as if she's actually insulted by that for some reason. ] Do you think I made this place..? We-ll, I guess I could have, but I can't claim ownership of this idea! I'm just a guest here too!

[neverwrong]

You sure seem to feel at home here. [His lip curls in disgust, as if her very presence is offensive to him.] Really, a "guest?" Is that what you think of yourself as?

[blackwitch]

[ Even his disgust doesn't seem to do much to her. At least, not to her outward demeanour, she just continues. ]

Of course. I'm an Endless Witch, I can leave whenever I want. [ a lie. ] I just like it here too much to go!

[neverwrong]

An Endless Witch, huh. [His tone is so flat that it's easy to gather how unimpressed he is.]

I gotta say, that phrase doesn't mean much to me. But hey, how about this - you tell me how to get out of here, I'll go, and you can have all the fun you want in here, all right?

[He's not expecting much, but it's worth a shot.]

[blackwitch]

[ .. Yeah. With Evatrice nobody should ever expect much. Since the grin on her face doesn't predict many good things. ]

You're saying it like I have a reason to tell you how to get out of here..!

[neverwrong]

That sounds like a cop-out to me.

[He looks pointedly at her collar. Would threatening her with a gun even be worth it? If she doesn't know any more than he does, he doesn't want to waste his time.]

[blackwitch]

Whatever, think of it what you want.

[ She shrugs a little, but still not really deterred. ]

You're just a measly human either way. How do you expect to get out of here all by yourself..?

[neverwrong]

[It's so weird to hear words like "just a measly human" coming out of the mouth of someone who looks pretty human herself. He'd have expected it from a shinigami, but not a strangely-dressed girl.

He scoffs, staring her down for a moment. Behind him, the projection lights up as another world is destroyed.]

...Human or not, I won't let myself get held captive like this. That's all there is to it.

[blackwitch]

.. Hehe.. Kyahahaha..! [ That laughter totally sounds sane. But not like she bothers hiding too much.. ]

I guess I'll see then how far you get! When you're done trying and you know you won't ever get out, don't just roll over and die, okaaay?! But if you do, at least let me help with that!

[neverwrong]

[The laughter catches Mello off-guard. He lifts his head, brows furrowed, and looks surprised while the girl goes on her tirade. But that shock soon turns to anger, and he crosses the floor in a few quick strides, heading for the staircase.]

You're crazy! Go antagonize someone else, okay? [He shoots her another glare, baring his teeth.] I'm not in the mood.

[blackwitch]

Su-re!

[ Sorry, Mello, but you're already on her target list now for people she wants to bully.. so even though it's over for now, she'll undoubtedly be back later on. ]

Good luck! I'll be waiting for you when that time comes! [ Although she seems to leave first here, vanishing in a cloud of golden butterflies. ]