the war is over and we are beginning;

[egotrigger]

Characters: Allelujah Haptism and open!
Setting: A few of the new floors.
Format: Either.
Summary: Allelujah feels the need to explore some of these new floors. Feels ensue.
Warnings: Possible violence, especially on floor 56. Gundam 00 spoilers. Massive feels?


[Floor 100]

[He'd started from the top - it'd helped that he'd been in his room before deciding on this. The first floor he encounters seems suspicious, so he steps off the staircase cautiously.]

[The scene changes, and he's standing on one of the catwalks, near Kyrios. The sight of his Gundam so close makes his heart hurt, and he reaches out to touch the metal.]

[His hand passes right through it, and he closes his eyes for a moment. A hologram, or something like it. Of course. He opens his eyes again, and it's still there, just as if it's waiting for him to climb in and go off on another mission, hopefully to help those who need it, and protect the weak.]

[Even if he's not sure that it'll be intact once he gets back.]

[… Still, he stands there for a few long minutes, just taking in the sight of the Gundam, before he moves on.]



[Floor 81]

[Even if these aren't his stars, it doesn't matter to Allelujah. He's just glad that he can finally, finally see stars again. He stands in one of the bulges for a while, just looking up at the sky.]

[Maybe if he watches the stars for a bit, he can come up with names for some of the constellations. Even if Hallelujah thinks that's stupid.]



[Floor 73]

[He's glad he decided to change into his flight suit before he headed out, because he can feel the chill on his face. Maybe he should have brought his helmet, too - but it's too late for that.]

[He'd never really had much time to play in the snow - he always had to keep moving when he was young. But he has time now. Really, they all have too much time here.]

[Maybe that's why he starts packing together some snowballs and seeing what parts of the castle he can hit.]



[Floor 56]

[The fear when he steps onto this level is intense. After hiding in the shadows for a few long moments, he can't hear anyone, so he sneaks along the corridors, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be around.]

[Something catches his eye, and he turns, firing a blast from his pistol at it - but nothing's there. He tightens his grip on his weapon and keeps moving.]

[Eventually, he comes to the surgical suite. Allelujah shakes for a moment, and Hallelujah roars with anger in his head. He holsters his gun and flexes his gloved hands, before starting to flip every table that isn't bolted down, destroy everything that looks like it might be used to hold a specimen, and dent every surface that looks like it might ever have someone lie on it for surgery.]

[It takes a while for his anger and adrenaline to burn out. He can tell that Hallelujah was fueling a lot of it - letting down the barriers between their minds to share his anger.]

[He pants, and then collapses to his knees, before sitting on the floor and pulling his legs into his chest, trying desperately not to cry.]

Comments

Floor 81

[lightofhumanity]

Good evening, Allelujah.

[chaos had managed to wander up to this floor. While the stars were nice to look at, he wasn't just going to watch them without first saying hello to an old friend.]

The stars are nice, aren't they?

[egotrigger]

[Allelujah turned at the sound of chaos' voice. He smiled slightly at chaos, and nodded.]

They are. I know most people here didn't, but... I grew up in space. I didn't get to see it all the time, but it's still home to me. It's good to see the stars again.

[lightofhumanity]

[chaos nodded back and smiled.]

It is nice to see the stars. I lived in space for a good portion of my life, so I have fond memories of them.

[Even before living in space, he liked them. But that was something he wasn't going to bring up just now.]

[egotrigger]

Ah, really? I don't suppose you lived in Quanqui, did you?

[Probably not, but it doesn't hurt to ask.]

[lightofhumanity]

Really..I am sorry to say that I have not heard of Quanqui though. Was that the planet you grew up on?

[egotrigger]

Ah... it wasn't a planet. It was a colony at a Lagrange Point L4. It still is, I guess... though part of it's been heavily damaged. Given what went on there, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire place is shut down soon.

[lightofhumanity]

[In his head, chaos sighed.]

I see..I am sorry to hear that. If you do not mind, may I ask what did go on there?

[egotrigger]

[It was worth a try.]

... Ah. A facility was recently destroyed there. An organization leaked information on the nature of the facility - it was full of children who were being experimented on in an attempt to make super soldiers. It was a public relations disaster for the government.

[lightofhumanity]

[Well, that sounded similar to what Jr. and Gaignun had faced.]

I see..I am sorry to hear that you were part of that facility.

Floor 56

[doctor_dismemberment]

Well.

[The voice comes from near the staircase, and Richtofen steps out, his boots tapping against the tile audibly as he makes his way across the floor. He steps around overturned tables and surveys the damage with pursed lips, his arms crossed over his chest.

He follows the path of destruction and finally spots the other man, affixing him with a gaze one might see on a disappointed father.]

That was unnecessary, don't you think?

[It's only the second time he's been in this lovely new hospital ward, and already, someone's attempted to destroy it. Richtofen's beginning to wonder if everyone in this stupid Tower has deep-seated issues with laboratories and hospitals.]

[egotrigger]

Not really.

[Allelujah shoves his emotions aside, and stands, brushing himself off at the sound of someone's voice.]

They reminded me of somewhere. I think the tower usually gets fixed pretty quickly, anyway.

[It made him feel a little bit better, though.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

It's a good thing it does, too, or else I might be very mad right now!

[That smile on his face looks really forced, though. He casts a wary glance at the other man.]

I'm sorry. I did not mean to interrupt your traumatic flashback.

[Richtofen's very being just oozes with tact.]

[egotrigger]

... I'm sure.

[There's something about this man that reminds him of the scientists in the facility. There's a look to him, one without a shred of empathy for another human being.]

[It makes him nervous... and a bit scared.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

I didn't! [Richtofen puts on a smile so fake that he might as well be wearing a literal mask.] Would you like to talk to Dr. Richtofen about it, child? I do not only do physical work, you know.

[Yeah, Richtofen, just walk up to a total stranger and offer him psychiatric help. You know. Like a normal person would.]

[egotrigger]

[Hallelujah growls in the back of his head, itching to tear the man apart. Allelujah can't really blame him, though he holds him back... for now, at least.]

Not really. I've had enough of doctors.

[The last one he'd seen was one of Celestial Being's doctors, who had cleared him for active duty... though he'd barely scraped by the psychological examination.]

[... To be fair he has a suspicion many of Celestial Being's members barely scraped by that one.]

[doctor_dismemberment]

Aw. [Richtofen pouts, looking around at the destruction all over the hospital.] What is the matter? Did your check-up go badly?

[egotrigger]

Not as smoothly as you might expect, no.

Floor 81

[knightime]

[Dave has been sitting and staring out on this floor for a little while. With Jade gone and not really having anything that's familiar to her, this floor was a godsend. It was kind of comforting to be surrounded with what was probably a makeshift version of actual space, but damn if he wasn't going to let himself pretend a bit.

He wrapped himself up in his cape and he's just staring at all the stars. Nothing he recognizes from Earth, but he wasn't very good with astrology in the first place.]

You don't recognize these either, right?

[egotrigger]

[Oh hey roomie. Allelujah turned and shook his head.]

No. Which is... disturbing... considering I grew up in space.

[No stars he recognized, no sense of where he was. No idea which hemisphere he was on. It... bothered him more than he could say, really.]

[knightime]

I don't either, but that's not saying much.

[He keeps his stare at the stars.] I don't think anyone will recognize these. Wouldn't want to make others feel left out having recognizable stars.

[egotrigger]

Probably not. We can always hope, though.

[knightime]

You can always pretend. Well, I can easily pretend but that's mostly because I'm not very good at this astrology shit.

I guess you kind of have a better knowledge of yours.

[egotrigger]

Astronomy. Not astrology.

[He has heard way too many people mix the two up. Sure, they use the same signs for some of them, but astrology is not a science.]

[knightime]

I just proved myself right then. I know diddlysquat. [He glances back up at the stars.] I don't know much about either.

[egotrigger]

Astrology isn't science. It's superstitious guesswork. I don't have a problem if people follow it or like it, but the people who mistake it for science...

[Not his favorite people.]