| 001 | Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places.

[primordial]

Characters: Sam Erstwhile and YOU
Setting: Room 2-18 and floors 1, 5, 10 and 13
Format: I'm doing action, but I'll follow whatever you have!
Summary: Sam Erstwhile discovers he's found himself right back in the place he hates so much.
Warnings: Sam is kind of not exactly human, so there will be slight mentions of a different diet and being able to breath in water and stuff, but other than that, nothing much! Also lots of text, I apologize in advance.

ROOM 2-18

[He was glad, so glad to return here, to Hinoto-Ri. Yes, it wasn't his home world, but "home" was something that Sam hadn't known for a very long time.]

[He opens his eyes wearyingly, blinking up at the dark ceiling. After a trip like that, he'd need to head down to the river and spend some time there, just sitting at the bottom and letting the water flow around him. It was the best way to get the memories of that place out of his mind for good, to erase the helpless feeling of not knowing what would come next.]

[But...wait, that's odd. There's something heavy on his neck. He glances down, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, and-]

[Is that a...collar?]

[He sits up straight in his bed with a sharp gasp- no. No, this...he had seen this thing among the residents of Animus, what in the world was it doing on him? Sam growls slightly, wrapping his hands around it to tug it off, as if it'll break off easily, but it doesn't budge.]

No no no no no. NO!

[And now he notices that this room is not the one he went to sleep in last night, and he gets to his feet, breath shallow with true, honest fear. This can't be happening. He was brought back home, there is no way that after all that work, he's been brought back without even a second thought.]

[Out of the fire into the frying pan and then back into the fire.]

[Completely ignoring the note beside him, Sam lets out an shriek of indignation and annoyance, pounding the nearby wall with his fists. This is unfair. This is nothing but a travesty, that he's now one of those residents who were involved in such a dangerous and horrible place for good. Really, what is his luck?]


FLOOR 1

[After that unsightly freakout, Sam's calmed down some, finding himself in the cafeteria. Yeah, yeah, he knows about the oatmeal rule, but that doesn't mean he's still willing to eat it. He frowns at his bowl, lifting the spoon full of the stuff before dropping it back in. And then doing it again. And again. And again.]

Ugh. Who even invented this stuff, it's nasty...

[There's also the point where he won't eat anything that people eat because they're highly distasteful to him, but he honestly never liked oatmeal, even before his...well, "incident" back home.]


FLOOR 5

[Time for a bit of exploring. He makes his way to this floor, avoiding the gazes of the people there as he wanders over to the outer ring. What are these things? Viewfinders of some sort? After glancing around, Sam decides to whet his curiosity and peers in the one in front of him.]

[Ah, that's...his world.]

[It really is destroyed, by the looks of it.]

[But there are no tears coming from this young man. No suffering, no sadness, just...emptiness. He doesn't care. In fact, it almost feels good, knowing that the person he wanted to kill has probably been destroyed  along with anything else.]

[The only thing he cared about was long dead before he came here. Why should he feel anything for the rest of the world?]

[So, he stands there, silent, a solemn expression on his face as he continues to stare at that vision of ruin (it's like staring at a car accident, he thinks), totally unaware of anything around him anymore.]


FLOOR 10

[Now, this is a floor he can appreciate.]

[Not for the beauty or anything. No, this is his new cafeteria now. Catching all this fish should be a piece of cake.]

[But also, he's phenomenally glad to see there's no glass, which means he can spend time inside the water as much as he wants. It's a calming place, water. He smiles slightly as he walks around, brushing over the water with his fingers, before he randomly up and decides to try something out.

[People passing by might wonder why in the world he's got his entire head sticking in the water. He doesn't seem to be even struggling for air- he just behaves as if he's sticking his head out a window instead of in a substance that might prevent him from breathing any time soon.]

[At least he looks comfortable?]


FLOOR 14

[Sam Erstwhile is not religious. if you asked him if there was a god, he would probably shrug and shake his head. He doesn't know, nor does he care. If there is, there is, if there's not one, there's not one.]

[So, finding himself in this cathedral is quite the interesting experience. He can clearly hear the mumbled voices in front, though there's no one there, and he seats himself in the back, narrowing his eyes as he tries to parse what's even being said.]

I wonder if those are ghosts talking...?

[It must be really sad, to be stuck for life giving masses almost no one will listen to.]

[...]

[Eh, whatever, they're probably happy doing it, why should he care?]

Comments

[primordial]

"You-you really will?"

He looks up at that, eyes widening and something softer and happier coming into his expression.

"You'll do that for me?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded earnestly and brought his fist to his heart, "I swear, that I will help you, and help you find good things!"

[primordial]

Oh, Romeo, Dear, sweet, Romeo. So helpful, it's almost admirable.

Good.

"Wow, I mean...I've never had anyone want to do that for me before..." A small smile. "T-thank you."

[myblueskies]

"It's okay sir! When only bad things happen you got to have friends to help you!" And it didn't seem like this man had many friends, so Romeo was happy to help out.

[primordial]

He gazes off, bashful expression coming to his face, as if he can't face Romeo after such kind words.

"Oh, wow, um...I don't think anybody's called me their friend before."

Like ten different people back in Hinoto-Ri didn't say similar things to him when he was back there, really. No, act like you have the least amount of friends as possible. That way people will feel more sorry for you.

[myblueskies]

Romeo smiled at him sadly, "Well I'll be your friend, and I'll introduce you to my friends so then you will have more! And the more friends you got the easier it is to keep your spirits up!"

[primordial]

"You really would?"

He looks so incredibly touched by that, and he's silent for a moment before he realizes something, gaze whipping back to Romeo.

"Oh! Oh, I don't think I ever asked your name. I-I'm sorry."

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded with a smile, which brightened a moment later. "I'm Romeo sir! What's yours?"

[primordial]

"Romeo, huh?"

He again attempts to smile, nodding at the boy with a little shrug.

"I'm Sam. It's...nice to meet you. Romeo."

[myblueskies]

"It's nice to meet you too Sam!"

[primordial]

"How long have you been here, Romeo?"

[myblueskies]

"Nearly two years I think... when it's summer it will be two years." Romeo told him with another reassuring smile.

[primordial]

"Two years!?"

He almost jumps at that revelation, eyes widening as he stares at the boy in shock.

"Oh my god...how did you deal with it? I would go mad in a place like this..."

[myblueskies]

"I just do sir. You gotta take each day as it comes, and keep your spirits up. Some days aren't bad really and others are really bad but you just look after your friends." He nodded sagely.

[primordial]

"Ugh, two years..."

He almost seems to behave like he didn't hear what Romeo had said, only shaking his head as his gaze moves towards the table in front of him.

"I can't imagine the things you must have seen."

[myblueskies]

Romeo shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it. It didn't help in keeping his spirits up and that was really important. It wouldn't help Sam either, just make him more scared.

"Don't worry sir, I'll look after you."

[primordial]

"You're too kind, Romeo."

Too kind for his own good, honestly. Which is just what Sam needed, really. He gives the boy a timid attempt at a smile.

"So...any places you recommend I visit in this place?"

[myblueskies]

"The library has lots and lots of books! The forest is nice, the one on the island not the one near the bottom of the tower that one's bad and the aquarium has lots of really cool fish, but don't stick your hand in! The beach is really nice as well!" He was smiling now, glad that Sam was smiling.

[primordial]

Oh, so many interesting places. And they don't sound too dangerous at all.

"Oh, I haven't been to an aquarium in ages, really...but why shouldn't I stick my hand in? Are there sharks??"

[myblueskies]

"And other creatures with sharp teeth!" Romeo told him, "You got to be careful of the monsters on all the floors, but they mostly only come out when it gets dark!"

[primordial]

"M-m-monsters???"

Ugh, there would be monsters everywhere he went, huh? He resists the urge to groan at that. Typical. of course this place would have monsters.

"I see...I'll try to keep them out of my way, then."

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded, "There's lots, but not lots in the daytime and they don't go in the bedrooms so as long as you stay in bed at night it's okay!"

[primordial]

"Oh, okay! Huh. I mean, that's odd, though...why not go into the bedrooms?"

He frowns. "If I were a monster...what would keep me from going there and just killing everyone? What's stopping them?"

[myblueskies]

"I don't know, it's probably magic." Romeo shrugged, "But I don't know why because the bad people usually like it when we get hurt."

[primordial]

"Yeah, how odd..."

Maybe a fact worth investigating.

"What do the monsters look like? What are they?"