I always feel like somebody's watchin' me...

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

Characters: Romano and anyone! Keep him company~
Setting: [F18] Study, evening
Format: Prose~ but I will match you!
Summary: It seemed like a quieter place to read than even the (original) library, with all its computer clickings and weird children running around everywhere. However, Romano wasn't prepared for how creepy this floor could be when one was alone.
Warnings: Romano maybe? Idk I will change this if something happens.

Once again, Romano had discovered that the tower had expanded, literally overnight. After the first couple of times, he began to handwave it as being part of this tower's 'magic' or whatever it had. He really shouldn't be believing in magic, it was kid's stuff. Stuff found in books. England's books, if we're being specific. Regardless, there were new floors.

Some of them were nightmares. He'd hustled down the stairs on each of those floors that morning. Especially that dark room-- and that bloody room. That was better left un-investigated, he thought. Leave that to the people who wanted to die horrible (equally bloody) deaths. Instead, he'd eyed the room with the tables and study nooks the way a person eyed a car they really really wanted. After eating for the day (ice cream and pie... again, ugh) he found some time alone to read a book -- just a short little romance novel he picked up from the library. The privacy promised by the floor was enough to lure him.

But when he actually found himself there, seated quietly and beginning to read the first few words, the lights dimmed the slightest bit. Almost unnoticeable. Unless you're a coward, then you tend to notice things changing like that. He tried to keep reading, but the more he read, the dimmer the lights seemed to get, until he was sure he was hearing things. Phantom knocking, whispers.

There was an awful feeling of something being just behind him, and though he fretted, he kept reading. If he turned around, he probably wouldn't like what he saw anyway. D-Damn it.

Comments

[i-luv-syrup.livejournal.com]

Canada had been on his way down from the roof when he'd noticed Romano sitting in the study room. The room he found creepy with its low levels of light but stepping inside it seemed to abate slightly.

He was almost positive that Romano would not see him so, standing near the desk he cleared his throat.

"What are you reading?"

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

That sudden, random, very real-sounding yet seemingly disembodied voice caught Romano by surprise and he unsurprisingly yelped. The book was closed and he turned around slowly to see what might be trying to contact him.

[i-luv-syrup.livejournal.com]

Matt sighed and waved a hand in front of Romano for a moment, wondering when the nation would clue in or he'd become slightly transparent enough to be seen.

"It's Canada."

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

Oh. It was only that guy. The less stupid North American brother. Romano's beating heart started to slow it's rapid thumping back to a more normal rate, as the scary thing ended up being less scary than he'd assumed.

"O-oh. It's just you. Don't scare me like that again, damn it!"

[i-luv-syrup.livejournal.com]

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just... no one can see me." he gave Romano a rather blunt look before adjusting his glasses. "Why are you up here? It's... rather creepy in here."

[invisiblebombs.livejournal.com]

His teeth were on edge. Karasu had had enough of the sweets that seemed to be passing for food here. He wouldn't deny that the first few days he'd enjoyed them (he'd only ever had pancakes, the once, and this was sweeter even than those, how could this be a bad thing?) but enough was enough. He was irritated, but not irritated enough to be murderous. Not quite yet. That would come later, he could be patient. But he was irritated enough to want, to need to play pranks on someone. And the brunet with the angry face and the hurry to his walk was a perfect target.

He stalked behind him, following him to a new area of the tower he'd never seen before, quiet niches to read or study or nap or something. Peaceful. Solitary. Jackpot. No one would be able to save his chosen victim from the torment he'd unleash. And, well, he hadn't been properly intrigued in a good while. This could be quite worthwhile, if his new toy proved properly entertaining.

With these thoughts in mind, Karasu wandered around the new space, close enough for the clik... clik... clik... of his boots to be heard, close enough to watch his chosen victim's reactions. Close enough to see and wonder just what was beginning to worry this new source of entertainment. He had not yet begun to play.

/MAKES UNSURE FACES FOREVER

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

Said chosen victim was happily (if not nervously) reading away at his little romance novel. The male lead in the book was no where near as handsome or charming as an Italian man, but Romano figured he'd chalk it up to being a product of American literature. At least, he assumed this was American literature. It was in english, but the author wasn't anyone he knew. Weird.

Heather stopped trying to run from the man she'd assumed to be her ex. As it turned out it was another; a tall dark and handsome stranger she'd never expect to see in real life, the type of man only found in her dreams. And here he was, catching her in the street and with sweat beading on his brow, he held out his hand. It was a wallet. Her wallet. The one she'd dropped outside of work when the hobo had leapt at her and surprised her. With a smile, the man leaned in closer and smALKSJDSDFOWIEHRJLSKDJFSDF---

What was that clicking noise? That clicking noise sounded close. So close. He nervously looked around him, definitely beginning to wish he'd second-guessed his idea to come to this floor.

MY EVIL SMILE. LET ME SHOW YOU IT. >3 Also purple prose alert.

[invisiblebombs.livejournal.com]

The nervous looks would have had Karasu steepling his hands and chuckling darkly, if he were a stereotypical villain from one of the little novels like his prey was reading. As it was he settled for moving closer, letting a laugh slide like dark velvet from his throat, and for good measure making certain his footfalls could be heard. The lights were dimming and flickering, and he wasn't quite certain what was doing that, but he couldn't complain.

After all, he could see just fine, even if adjusting to the lights was giving him a headache, and it just added to his creeping. There were more shadows for him to hide in. Perhaps this tower wasn't such a hindrance after all, if it (whether knowingly or not, he couldn't say) assisted in his schemes this way.

_{[ooc: LJ Y U MUCK UP MY POSTING LIKE THAT /table flip]}

creys

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

That laughter crawled up his spine like a steady and determined spider and it was all he could do to not be paralyzed with fear. The footsteps were getting closer and he really really really wanted to leave this room now. He turned to look for a source again, this time calling out.

"W-Who's there, damn it! I have a weapon, so cut the shit!" Said weapon was only his switchblade, but he wouldn't tell whatever was haunting him that. Best to talk big and hope whatever it is runs away. And if that fails, he's about to haul ass.

/ALL OF MY EVIL LAUGHTER >D

[invisiblebombs.livejournal.com]

Oh a weapon. Whatever would he do. Karasu was fighting back laughter as he heard the threat, and the quiver in the man's voice. He could play this game as expertly as anyone else, and he would. He stopped, a smirk in his voice as he called out.

"Perhaps I don't want to tell."

His steps were slower now, quieter, almost so quiet as to be unheard. This just got better and better, it was almost enough to make him forget how irritated he was before.

[airof.livejournal.com]

Venezia was rarely afraid by mere mysteries. But this did make her wary. In the end, after finding no evidence that this daring adventure would turn for the better, she paused at a floor for a moment to think on her predicament.

Sounds distracted her from her thoughts, eventually, (surprise) leading her to actually look about this seemingly harmless room. Oh?

Venezia walked up behind the man, excited for company, and waited for him to notice her.

Or was he ignoring her? She peered over his shoulder, as if to peek at his book or maybe him. "It's impolite to ignore people, you know!"

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

"AH SHIT!" W-Why oh why do people think creeping up on people when they're reading is a good idea??? Romano turned around to look at the intruder with wide and somewhat frightened eyes, that then turned to wide and somewhat surprised eyes. It was just a cute girl. A super cute girl, wow!

"I wasn't ignoring you, I was just... reading." He seemed offended by that; he would never ignore a pretty girl if he was aware of her presence. And didn't think the presence was some kind of monster at first...

[airof.livejournal.com]

Hey. Hey she didn't creep up okay. But you're forgiven since you called her cute She just kind of watched his little outburst, raising her eyebrows. Believe it or not, she just might be used to that strange reaction.

"You must really like the book," she admitted, oh did that sound conceited? Grinning, Venezia leaned almost too familiarly beside him to look at the book. Personal space? Sorry, we don't have those here. "What's it about?"

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

He tried to ignore the warmth spreading over his face as she leaned closer. It wasn't a common occurrence here for a girl to be that...that close. When he realized she was trying to see what he was reading, he quickly closed it and propped his elbow on it, suitably obscuring the title. S-She didn't need to know that he was reading a horrible romance novel okay.

"Book? What book? This book is stupid."

[airof.livejournal.com]

What on earth! She couldn't tell if he was being difficult or just didn't want to talk to her about it (the odds!!). She stands up fully and puts her hands on her hips. "Oh? Then why were you reading it?"

[creme-master.livejournal.com]

Francis found that whenever the tower added something onto it something went horribly awry. This wasn't the happy sort of awry, either. This was the kind of awry that sent his thoughts back to the darker corners of his memory and made him seek out whatever solace he could find.

One of the added floors to the tower looked like a study room. It was calm, quiet... Francis had been quick in returning to his dorm to grab that blasted Kindle he'd been gifted, figuring he could continue to read the mystery novel he'd started in peace. He noticed, oddly enough, that the lights were flickering a bit when he returned later on and the floor was empty bar from the familiar curl and squared shoulders of a certain Italian.

It wasn't like Francis was using that stealth to creep up on Romano but it seemed like the grumpy man was too engrossed in his book to notice. Well. It would have been rude to not greet an old er, companion, no? Plus, Francis would have gladly liked some angry cursing to distract from the odd feeling he got from this room. Putting a companionable hand on Romano's shoulder he feigned a little cheer.

"Salut mon ami. How are you this fine evening?"

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

The weight of a hand on his shoulder made him stiffen and squeak, fearing he'd finally been found by whatever monsters were lurking the tower. The ones he'd heard about from Prussia were pretty frightening. The voice that followed, however, gave cause for an entirely different set of fearful shivers. This was no monster, but he might as well have been to the Italian.

Slowly, he craned his neck, the color in his face drained to an unhealthy pale, but he stood (sat?) firm in the face of his mortal fears. "What the hell do you want, asshole?"

[creme-master.livejournal.com]

The hand remained for a few seconds longer than entirely necessary before he pulled away and instead pulled out the chair beside the Italian with an easy smile. Francis was used to Romano's more than miserable attitude though such a thing was rare to deter one with so much ambition (or sadism) as the older blond.

Leaning back, the man shrugged as he surveyed the room with his eyes alone. Best not to tip anything off. "Romano," he started off, tone casual. "While I am by no means unsurprised with your language I must ask for you to refrain, n'est-ce pas? I was merely looking for a quiet place to read. The same as you, non?"

The lights dimmed again, causing Francis to look up with a bit of worry crinkling his brow. "Have they been doing that while you've been here?"

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

Romano instinctively scooted his chair away from France, fairly uncomfortable having the man that much closer that suddenly. His smile wasn't very reassuring either. Curving his mouth into a deep frown, the Italian thought himself unlucky to be joined in a similar quest by this man of all people. "I'll use whatever language I--" The lights dimmed, then.

With that, Romano quieted quickly, fear taking over and blocking out whatever inflammatory remark he had planned for the Frenchman, replaced with something much more timid and honest. "Y-yeah, I've been trying to ignore it actually."

[creme-master.livejournal.com]

"Christ..." Setting the reader down on the table he seemed to quiet as well. If the usually abrasive Italian had shut up he was going to take the hint. There were voices that seemed to be coming from the far corners of the room. There was something off about the voices though, because when he could have swore that he'd placed them it would shift.

Like the two men were being circled, and Francis didn't agree with such unseen danger. He reached up to rub at the hairs standing on the back of his neck and he frowned. "Are there no normal rooms in this place? Why are you staying put alone?" Hell, Fran was two flickers away from ungluing himself from this chair...

[spiritsup.livejournal.com]

The new floors scared Romeo, this one had seemed safe at first and yet the longer he had been here the more he was sure that he could hear things. The lights kept changing and he kept hearing people whispering.

He was on his way out, it was too scary to say here when a knocking coming from just behind him made him squeek and run, he saw a figure in front of him and saw it was his roomate. "Mister Romano!" Romeo ran up to him, feeling less afraid now.

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

Jumping himself at the sound of Romeo's voice, Romano realized shortly after that it was the impressionable little tyke from his room. He snorted and gave a little wave, hoping to look cool and calm despite how scared he really was in this room.

"Ciao, Romeo, what are you doing down here? It'll be night soon, you know. You know the tower's not...safe...at night."

[spiritsup.livejournal.com]

Romeo blinked, "I don't think its very safe in the day time either sir." He looked around fearfully in case something was sneaking up on him, this room was really scary. "I was just reading sir, I didn't know this room was so..." He forced a smile as he forced himself to keep his spirits up. "Did I disturb you mister Romano?"

[rompicoglioni.livejournal.com]

Well, he had him there. There really wasn't a time of day that was 'safe' here. "You don't have to keep calling me 'mister' and 'sir', you know." It was a little weird being referred to this way by someone who wasn't an important figure in his part of the country. They've both been here since June, so he figured they were past the sirs by now. "And no, you didn't disturb me or anything. I was just reading, but thinking about heading back upstairs. It's kind of weird on this floor."

[spiritsup.livejournal.com]

"Oh," Romeo nodded, he would do his best to remember (but would probably forget), it was strange though to call adults just by their names. "Yes, this floor is strange. We can walk up together!" Romeo both wanted to protect his roomate and also was a little scared of walking on his own.