Ad Visitatores

[animusmods]

Characters: anyone participating in the event
Setting: floor 56 and eventually other areas of the Tower
Format: either
Summary: Welcome to the Tower.
Warnings: horror/creepiness/potential danger/generally unfortunate things all possible
Notes: PLEASE GO HERE TO MAKE NEW POSTS.

A few minutes before anything happens, Ruana's voice rings out over the Tower's intercom--it manages to be louder than anything the residents happen to be doing. "Hey, everyone, there's something exciting going on at floor fifty-six! Go make sure they don't get themselves killed!"


You arrive, stepping or tumbling, in a surgical suite. It looks abandoned, with dust collecting on the table and floors. The lights flicker, and for a moment blood dripping off the table, puddling on the floor--but no, the lights are back, and surely that was your imagination. It's quiet, eerily so, but nothing hinders you, and you're free to spread out and explore. There are multiple rooms here, like in any hospital, and it's all a bit confusing. Occasionally the lights flicker, and it's a bit frightening as Things appear that shouldn't exist. Shadowy creatures stitched together and reaching for you, doctors brandishing phantom surgical tools, blood splattering the walls or floor or ceiling, how did it get there--but none are real, and all of them vanish when the lights return. Eventually you find the staircase, spiraling up and down into darkness. Approach it, though, and the thing glitters with a barrier that will push back any attempts at climbing the thing.

A girl, a teenager dressed in red and black, appears. And she does simply appear, inserting herself into the space, nearly pushing it aside to make room in it for where she is now. Her face beams with unconcealed excitement, and her words tumble out on top of themselves. "You can't go there! Yet, I mean. You'd all die!"

The girl steps onto the staircase, passing through the barrier as if it weren't there, and sits on the steps to address everyone. "Hi! I'm Ruana. You didn't show up the normal way, so the Tower can't support you yet. We got this one floor ready when I saw you were coming but, well, the Tower's kind've big, so getting all of them set up is taking a little longer than I thought." She smiles, sheepishly apologetic in a carefree sort of way. "I've got everyone coming here to visit you--or at least they know they can visit you--and I'll have someone bring food up for you. It'll be oatmeal, and oatmeal is super boring, but you have to eat it, okay? Then you can have whatever you want! The cafeteria's down on the first floor if you get hungry. We should have everything ready in a few hours. I've gotta go help with that, so you guys wait here.

"Don't worry, the monsters can't get to this floor as long as that barrier is up."

And then she's gone, blinking out of existence. The barrier will remain for three hours.

Comments

[booyaka_boom]

"Oh... Oh dear... I've not come across anyone that young in Hinoto-Ri. This is a horrible place for kids! Who looks after them?"

Selphie sat up as straight as possible on her beanbag, staring at Suzaku, waiting for information - she feels like she really has to do something about this.

[swordofzero]

"Friends, their roommates, themselves. The older ones look after the younger ones. Everyone sort of looks after each other and everything falls to pieces whenever one of the administrators decides to play a game or conduct an experiment." It was interesting that there were no children on Hinoto-Ri. Suzaku was quiet as he thought about that.

[booyaka_boom]

"Oh... Oh, dear. That doesn't sound good at all." Selphie frowned at the idea, crossing her arms over her stomach, suddenly feeling a chill moving down her back.

[swordofzero]

"It's not." He was silent for a moment, fastening the bandage around her first foot, and moving on to the second.

[booyaka_boom]

"Well... if there isn't a way... then I'm really sorry. It'd be nice if you, and all the kids, and everyone, could come back to Hinoto-Ri. I have my own apartment and everything. I mean, it's small, but I'd be able to adopt you! And a couple of cute kids too!"

Selphie smiled, doing her best to make chatty conversation, to distract from how horrible the situation really was.

[swordofzero]

Suzaku blinked at her, it had been a long time since he had talked to someone who had realistic hope of leaving here, it was a little strange. "I think I'm a little old to be adopted."

[booyaka_boom]

Selphie giggled at that, leaning forward to look at him more closely, giving him a curious smile, "Don't worry, I know!"

[swordofzero]

Suzaku blinked and gave her a curious look in return.

[booyaka_boom]

To which Selphie just giggled, sitting back into her bean bag. "You don't have much fun round here, do you?"

[swordofzero]

"No. There isn't really much fun to be had." Though some people managed it regardless.

[booyaka_boom]

Selphie looked at Suzaku for a long time, wondering what he must feel like being stuck in this place. "I'm sorry."

[swordofzero]

"Don't be. It's not your fault." He was just adjusting to talking to someone who... wasn't a prisoner.

[booyaka_boom]

"I know..." Selphie wrinkled her nose for a moment while she thought things through, "But, if I get the chance to get you out of here, I promise I will." And really, she meant it.

[swordofzero]

"I know." And he believed her. At least believed that she was being serious, if she could manage it she would.

[booyaka_boom]

"Good! I'm glad we've got that settled!" Selphie smiled at him and, now that her feet were completely bandaged, she stood up on her feet. It was slow, and quite painful, but she does finally get there. Selphie wobbled slightly, and one or two wounds oozed a little more blood, but she smiled, considering this a victory.

[swordofzero]

Suzaku stepped back to give her room to get on her feet. "How does that feel?"

[booyaka_boom]

Selphie bit her lip, refusing to admit that actually it was painful. Still, it was better than wearing those bloody boots, "Better. Thank you so much."

[swordofzero]

"There are people who can heal here, if we find someone who can I will ask if they can help you further." He expected that it would still hurt, but at least they wouldn't get infected.

"Are you hungry?"

[booyaka_boom]

"I can heal..." Selphie muttered the words quietly, almost like she was ashamed. Truth was, she had been far too exhausted to try using her magic.

So to his question, she just nodded, keeping her gaze lowered.

[swordofzero]

It was understandable, Suzaku knew nothing about healing or magic but had gathered it could be tiring. "We're near an elevator, which will get us to the cafeteria. Can you walk?"

[booyaka_boom]

"Hmm..." Selphie began to hobble her way towards the door, wincing slightly, "I think so."

[swordofzero]

Suzaku followed her to the door and nodded, "Let me know if you need to rest."

[booyaka_boom]

Selphie gritted her teeth as she hobbled along, nodding her head slightly, "Mmhmm..."

[swordofzero]

He looked at her in concern but led her to the elevator. "It takes a while so you can sit down."

[booyaka_boom]

Selphie didn't want to sit down. She was sure she could handle this, though her pace became much slower. She looked down at her feet, and back up to Suzaku, "You know what? If I'm slowing you down or getting in your way or whatever, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."