~1st Solo~

[canthaveme]

Characters: Kurt // open to everyone
Setting: Room 01-14, lower floors
Format: Action
Summary: Kurt has awoken in his room. He is not best pleased.
Warnings: None, at the moment~

[Well, it is. And at the moment, standing and examining the orange collar in great detail is pretty much all that's keeping Kurt from panicking.

The world's been destroyed? That's impossible. It's the only world there is, so if it's destroyed, then where is Kurt now? Some sort of afterlife, reserved for cynical atheistic teenage boys?]

At least I'll have something in common with the people here. [Kurt mumbles, giving up on trying to figure out the orange (ug) collar's purpose. After a moment of rummaging through his trunk, he finds his knee-length leopard print cardigan, which is at least somewhat better than the skintight white jumpsuit. He wraps it tightly around himself, hesitating at the door for a moment before poking his head out and looking up and down the hall.]

...hello? Anyone there?

Comments

[canthaveme]

...have you met them? Are you sure they aren't extremely talented actors?

[Kurt nods slightly, mumbling the name under his breath, getting used to it.] Me too...but this place doesn't seem too terrible. There's a...floor. And a very nice ceiling too, I noticed. And nothing is trying to dissect us.

...right?

[vermicompost]

I haven't met them, but I've seen them on the network. The computers. We don't know much about them, but I doubt they're actors. They control this place.

[He frowns, not knowing how much to reveal all at once. It can be overwhelming. He'd like to soften the blow as much as possible.

He hesitates when Kurt mentions being dissected. It's a telling pause.]

There are some good things here, but it's a very dangerous place. They experiment on us.

[canthaveme]

[That's not a good pause. That's a BAD pause. Kurt is going to turn very pale, but, after a moment of swallowing and twisting his fingers together, he manages a high, squeaky laugh.]

Well. At least I'll never be bored?

[vermicompost]

[Kariya hates it when younger people are brought here. It seems so unfair. He himself is only 26, although he looks older due to his condition. But teenagers and children especially shouldn't be here. He tries to seem as calm and friendly as possible as he speaks to Kurt, wanting to put him at ease as much as possible.]

There's that. [He gives a sad half-smile in response to the laugh.]

It doesn't always happen. Sometimes they leave us alone. But there are floors that are never safe, and at night, there are dangerous creatures that come out. You should stay in the dorms at night.

If you have any questions, you can ask me. I've been here a few months now. I'd be glad to help you.

[canthaveme]

[He falters a little, a concerned look on his face, but he forces it away and smiles.] I'm lucky I met you then, aren't I?

[vermicompost]

You'll find there are a lot of people willing to help here. This kind of situation brings people together. Although... they aren't all helpful.

[He's met his share of characters, and those more on the dangerous side.

But Kariya is glad to have the chance to help. Too often in the Tower, he's the one being helped.]

I can show you around. The dormitories are usually safe. And there's the cafeteria, the lounges and the libraries. They're fine during the day.

[canthaveme]

I'd be flattered. Ah, if you'll excuse me just one teensy moment --

[Kurt has to scurry and pull on his knee-high boots, which mercifully came along in the trunk. No sense in exploring if he can't look ~fashionable.] Lead on.

[vermicompost]

All right.

[Kariya waits patiently as Kurt puts his boots on. If he were more fashion conscious, he might feel rather shabby beside Kurt, dressed in his tattered hooded sweatshirt, plain black pants, and sneakers. But he doesn't seem to mind.

He leads on, but his pace is slowed by his pronounced limp, his left side impaired, so he isn't the fastest of guides as he heads toward the elevator.

We'll start at the cafeteria. It's the first floor. You might already have heard this, but you have to eat the oatmeal there before you can eat anything else.

[canthaveme]

[Kurt doesn't mind; he prefers strolling to anything else. The mention of oatmeal gets a scrunched nose.] I have to?

[vermicompost]

You should. Eating anything else will make you sick if you don't eat it first. We don't know why.

[The elevator isn't far, fortunately.]

The food varies otherwise. This month, everything is very... pink.

[All the candy hearts and chocolates and heart-shaped everything. Kariya's not particularly fond of these reminders of romantic love, but that's neither here nor there. He gestures to the elevator as the door opens.]

It only goes to a few floors throughout the tower. The others we have to take the stairs to.

[canthaveme]

[Kurt makes a face, folding his hands to resist the urge to offer to help Kariya.] Pink isn't so bad. I can definitely cope with pink. [Then, after a pause --] Is the oatmeal pink too?

[That gets a soft sigh as Kurt steps onto the elevator.] At the very least I'll get some excellent leg muscles from climbing stairs...how many floors are there here?

[vermicompost]

They've put candy hearts in everything. [Kariya relates this fact with little enthusiasm. It just makes him sad.] But no, I don't think the oatmeal's pink. [He reconsiders.] But I can't be entirely sure.

There must be around a hundred now, plus the dormitory floors. I haven't been to all of them. [He shuffles his way into the elevator.]

The elevator takes a while. We're at the top, and the cafeteria is at the bottom.

[canthaveme]

Oh. [Kurt's shoulders droop a little. He'd managed to forget about Valentine's Day.]

Well...if we can go to the bottom, why can't we get out?

[vermicompost]

[Kariya glances at him, detecting a potential fellow-sufferer where matters of love are concerned. He gives him a sympathetic look.] I know.

[His expression soon shifts into one that's more grave.] It's the bottom floor, but there's no door to the outside there. There's nothing. We're sealed in here. Even if there are some floors that seem open to the air, there's no way out.

[canthaveme]

[Kurt shrugs a little, forcing a smile.] I didn't think they'd celebrate that holiday here.

Hm. I'm assuming people have tried?

[vermicompost]

They like holidays here. [Kariya says this glumly, remembering the horrors of Halloween.] I wish they didn't.

[He presses the button for the first floor, and the elevator doors close.]

People here have tried many things, but no one's had any success. And some of those people are very powerful.

[canthaveme]

Generally so do I, but...not this year. [Kurt shrugs, feigning like it doesn't matter much.]

Powerful like...politicians?

[vermicompost]

I never really celebrated them. [His family wasn't one for holidays. He used to want to celebrate them, though, when he was younger. Maybe a part of him still did. But not this holiday. He gives Kurt another brief sympathetic look as the elevator descends.] We should be able to ignore it for the most part. [Hopefully there won't be a repeat of Halloween.]

No, powerful as in... magic. Or advanced weapons. Any kind of power you can think of, someone here probably has it.

[canthaveme]

I used to coordinate my outfits and everything. [Heavy, heavy sigh.]

...you're joking. [A pause.] You aren't joking?

[vermicompost]

Did something happen? [Kariya asks the question gently, not wanting to pry.]

[He shakes his head.] No, I'm not joking. People come here from many different universes, with different abilities.

You and I probably aren't from the same universe, even though there may be similarities between our worlds.

[canthaveme]

[Kurt shrugs, uncomfortably, crossing his arms.] I broke up with my boyfriend. It seems...trivial now.

...huh. H-How about that. [Cue him turning quite pale.]

[vermicompost]

I'm sorry. [He sounds genuinely sympathetic.] I don't think things like that are trivial. Even here.

[Also, Kariya is a big (mostly secret) romantic.]

It's hard to to get used to. People often aren't what they seem here. But like I said, many of them are kind. The powerful ones, too. Just– be careful.

[canthaveme]

If those letters are correct, I would't see him again anyways. [It's said off-hand, but Kurt is suddenly very interested in studying the buttons on the elevator and not making eye contact.]

Mmm, I'll be careful. [A pause, then he smiles brightly at Kariya.] Lucky I met you first, hm?

argh, sorry, I thought I'd replied to this

[vermicompost]

[Something in Kariya's voice firms.] Don't believe those letters. They're not true. Our worlds can't be destroyed. There's no proof of it, and I won't believe it. The people we care about are still safe.

[He's emphatic and intense on this point, but he manages a smile at Kurt's next words.] Oh, I don't know, not particularly, though I'll do whatever I can for you. There are a lot of people here who'd be willing to help you.