[.o1o] A Long Day

[lethechained]

Characters: Naminé [OU] and OPEN.
Format: Either.
Summary: Today seems to be a day of discoveries.
Warnings: Memories/consideration of past abuse/kidnapping etc.


[Floor 100]

[It's bittersweet, seeing Destiny Islands 'in person' for the first time. It isn't a memory, this time, but it's not real, either. Standing in what passes for sand on the small island with the bent tree looking out over the water, she cannot help but frown. She'd wanted to see this place for such a long time, but... not like this.]


[Floor 80]

[Blinking in the bright lights, Naminé is at first quite disoriented by this floor. It's very bright and colorful and perhaps in any other place she'd be thrilled by that, except this is the Tower, after all, and thus she is immediately on her guard. But that diminishes slowly over time as she lingers, having a long look around with more than a little interest. It's only her caution that keeps her from straying too close to anyone, including the clowns, but one can't always keep an eye on everyone, now can they?]


[Floor 78]

[The newly opened package hits the ground, the contents bouncing out and landing with a clatter. Naminé looks down at it for only a moment before reflexively stooping to put the tiny bird cage back in its place, her fingers leaving it as quickly as possible and then pushing the package back against the doors of the boxes nearest the floor, a hand moving to press over her mouth. She'd been startled enough to have received a package so suddenly in the first place. She'd just had to open it, hadn't she? Perhaps holding it so delicately, caution still present, had been what made her lose her grip of it in her surprise at the contents. Either way, now she frowns down at it, hesitating as though she's uncertain what to do with this development - because she is.]


[Floor 51]

[There's a blonde young lady leaning over one of the sewing machines, peering at it curiously. She inspects it thoroughly, at first only by sight but slowly moving on to messing with the buttons and, after a while, the pedal - which seems to startle her at first, but she soldiers through it. It's obvious that she hasn't the faintest idea how to use such a thing, but she seems to have taken an interest in it nevertheless.]

Comments

floor 78

[terreifying]

[Rei is currently signing up for a mailbox when she sees the smaller girl dropping her package.]

...Did you break your gift? Do you want me to go get some tape for it?

[lethechained]

[She looks up sharply, hand falling from her mouth, and for a second it looks almost like she doesn't even recognize Rei, but she seems to after a moment and relaxes slightly, though there's still a tension in her.]

No, I-- it's fine.

[Even if she's not sure whether she wants it to be. Late, once she remembers herself,]

But thank you.

[terreifying]

[She frowns a little when she sees how the other girl is acting.]

Are you fine then?

[lethechained]

[She pauses, turning her eyes from the package up to toward Rei, then back again.]

... Yes. I was only startled. They... just sent me something I wasn't expecting. [Something very rude, at least in the context.]

[terreifying]

Oh. Was it something bad then? Why would they be that mean?

[lethechained]

[She falters, then shakes her head slightly.] Only if you know what they mean - or at least, what I think they mean. [She hesitates, then reaches to pull the package into a more easily viewed position. It contained a miniature bird cage, locked tight.] ... They've never needed a reason before. [Or at least no reason that those they caused trouble for knew of.]

[terreifying]

It's...pretty.

[Deceptively so.]

Were you...locked up in one of these cages before?

[lethechained]

[She blinks, her frown growing.]

... Not exactly. But it was something close.

[terreifying]

I see. That's still terrible.

[She looks down at the birdcage.]

You wanna go somewhere else? Somewhere where you won't see that anymore.

[lethechained]

[She hesitates, eyes also on the cage, then... she picks the package up carefully and promptly puts it back in the mailbox from whence it came.]

... That sounds nice.

[terreifying]

[Rei gives her a bright smile.]

Mm, which floor then?

[lethechained]

[Her smile in response is smaller, but present.]

Well-- there are plenty of new ones, but... even if some of them might be nice, I'm not sure I trust them. ... Do you have any suggestions? [Because even if she has some places she prefers to go, they're also full of memories.]

[terreifying]

Hm...

[She closes her eyes and picks a random number.]

Floor 86?

[lethechained]

I... haven't seen that one yet. Have you?

[terreifying]

I took a peek and I thought it looked pretty. It's like a meadow.

[lethechained]

... Mm. I guess... maybe it would be nice to have a look. [It'd certainly be a distraction, at least.]

this will end pretty horribly, won't it?

[terreifying]

[Rei nods and starts dashing toward the stairs.]

Come on!

Quite possibly, yes dgjfdgjkfdgd

[lethechained]

--! [Oh, off already. Naminé only stops to make sure her mailbox is properly closed before hurrying after the other girl.]

[terreifying]

[When Rei gets to the stairs, she starts to hop up them, two or three at a time. After a few hops, she turns and looks to see how well Namine is following.]

[lethechained]

[She's following, but perhaps not as well as might be hoped. She's not one to take more than one stair at a time. Whoops? But she's not wandering off, at least, and she's trying to keep up nevertheless.]

[terreifying]

[Rei stops jumping up the stairs and starts climbing them while walking backwards instead.]

You'll never win the race if you're being this slow.

[lethechained]

[She just looks up at the other girl, eyeing her a moment, then, smiling,]

I didn't know we were racing.

[(She'd still lose anyway.)]

[terreifying]

Wouldn't it be fun to race, though? Makes climbing stairs more fun.

[lethechained]

I... suppose so. But can't that be dangerous, too...?

[terreifying]

I'm good at keeping my...

[Just before she can say "balance", her foot snags on a step and she falls on her bum.]

...Okay, so maybe not so good all the time.