A k i t o [明人相馬] S o h m a (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
akito_sohma) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
towerofanimus2013-03-09 02:00 am
akito_sohma) wrote in towerofanimus2013-03-09 02:00 am
Entry tags:
[Open]
Characters: Akito & you.
Setting: The First Floor (Room 1-17) & The Third Floor.
Format: Any - will be starting with prose.
Summary: Care to help a girl settle in?
Warnings: Her temper. She has one, though it's better than it was in the past.
She refused to believe that Earth had been destroyed. That was just ridiculous. Who could possibly buy such utter drivel? Yet it didn't really matter for her. Either way, she was stuck in this tower.
At first, she kept to her room, using her communicator to keep an eye on the network. But then she decided to be brave. She couldn't stay in her room forever. That wouldn't do her any good. Besides, there might be something useful in the other rooms.
Thus, after a quick change of clothes, she left her room and closed the door behind her. To an outsider, she still resembled a he - except that her hair was longer than it had been in the past and she wasn't doing anything to hide her chest (not that her breasts were easy to spot under her black shirt). Masquerading as a boy for so many years couldn't be shaken off in a few months time, it seemed. Therefore your character would be forgiven if they made a mistake.
------
After some exploring, Akito found herself on the third floor, examining the books. Each one reminded her of a certain writer, of course, and she scowled. So much for distracting herself.
He was probably somewhere, amused at her plight. She couldn't imagine Shigure worrying about anyone - not even her. It just wasn't in his nature.
Closing her eyes, she recalled her last moment with him. No. Even if the Earth was destroyed, Shigure wasn't -
Was he?
Her fingers tightened around the book in her hand until her knuckles were white.
"Dammit." she squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to cry.
Setting: The First Floor (Room 1-17) & The Third Floor.
Format: Any - will be starting with prose.
Summary: Care to help a girl settle in?
Warnings: Her temper. She has one, though it's better than it was in the past.
She refused to believe that Earth had been destroyed. That was just ridiculous. Who could possibly buy such utter drivel? Yet it didn't really matter for her. Either way, she was stuck in this tower.
At first, she kept to her room, using her communicator to keep an eye on the network. But then she decided to be brave. She couldn't stay in her room forever. That wouldn't do her any good. Besides, there might be something useful in the other rooms.
Thus, after a quick change of clothes, she left her room and closed the door behind her. To an outsider, she still resembled a he - except that her hair was longer than it had been in the past and she wasn't doing anything to hide her chest (not that her breasts were easy to spot under her black shirt). Masquerading as a boy for so many years couldn't be shaken off in a few months time, it seemed. Therefore your character would be forgiven if they made a mistake.
------
After some exploring, Akito found herself on the third floor, examining the books. Each one reminded her of a certain writer, of course, and she scowled. So much for distracting herself.
He was probably somewhere, amused at her plight. She couldn't imagine Shigure worrying about anyone - not even her. It just wasn't in his nature.
Closing her eyes, she recalled her last moment with him. No. Even if the Earth was destroyed, Shigure wasn't -
Was he?
Her fingers tightened around the book in her hand until her knuckles were white.
"Dammit." she squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to cry.
Third Floor
However, when she saw someone who looked a little distraught down one isle, she couldn't help but walk up to them, concerned.
"Pardon me, but are you alright?"
Re: Third Floor
"I'm fine."
Obviously.
"Are you the librarian?" she shifted so Tohko could see her clearly, "I haven't been here before."
Third Floor
"You don't look that well..and yes, I am one of the librarians here. And, by that comment, I'm guessing you're new here, right?"
no subject
no subject
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Akito. And if you're not feeling well, I could help you out..and I could tell you about this place. That way, you'll know what you're up against."
no subject
"Go ahead." she inhaled deeply, trying to steady her racing heart, "Perhaps we should take a seat first?"
no subject
"Well..you might want to take a seat. I'm fine talking about this while standing."
no subject
"I'm ready." she whispered, opening her eyes again, "I know next to nothing about this...tower except that it has a lot of floors."
no subject
"That it does, and most of the ones higher up are dangerous. Monsters even roam around them at night, so if you can't fight, you should either learn how or stay in your dorm room. However, I would recommend that you learn how to fight at some point in time."
Tohko then started her usual infodump about the Tower..and it didn't sound good.
"This is the Tower of Animus. Four people now run it-Riki, a secretive man who builds the Tower and is in charge of the records, Zo, a small child who can bring souls here, Jason, a sadistic medical doctor who sometimes experiments on the residents. He, I believe, helps transfer your soul when you die. Finally, there’s Ruana, a woman who has been here for thousands of years and doesn’t quite human empathy or emotions, and hates it when people go against her. She may seem sweet, but she is capable of removing free will and cannibalizing her own Administrators.
There used to be a fifth Administrator named Dax. He was the most humane of the bunch and did his best to protect us from Jason and the monsters here. He even managed to sneak people down to the Administrative levels in order to let them know more about this place. However, when he tried to go against Ruana..she killed and ate him, possibly absorbing his powers in the process. He was a good man.
Death isn’t permanent here. If you die, you’ll just wake up in your bed the next day. However, don’t throw your life away for foolish reasons. For one thing, you’ll probably get punished if you die too many times, and for the other…your body is made up of recycled parts. Only your soul was pulled to this universe. Your body, and the ones you’ll have afterward, are not your original body. That’s why you have the collar. It helps make sure your soul safely stays in your body.
I’m sorry to say that your universe is destroyed. You may see people you know here, but they won’t be from your own universe or point in time. I don’t know exactly how our universes were destroyed, but I do know that it was caused by Ruana watching our universes, for some reason.
If you haven’t been to the cafeteria yet, make sure that you eat the oatmeal when you do. If you don’t, you’ll throw up anything else you try to eat until you finish it. However, you can eat anything you want afterwards, and you can add things to the oatmeal to improve the taste."
no subject
However, after Tohko's explanation, being alone wasn't her biggest problem. Her lips twisted bitterly and she began to wonder if this was her punishment for years of torment and torture. Perhaps god was angry. His spirit had left her body, but that didn't mean he ceased to exist...
Did it?
Rubbing her forehead in aggravation, Akito groaned.
"I have never heard of Riki, Zo, Jason, Ruana, Dax or anyone else." which made everything all the more suspicious, "...I was sick..." she glowered and snapped, "How was I supposed to know anything but the oatmeal would make me sick?! Why don't they make that known?!" her eyes darkened and, absent-mindedly, she touched her collar, "I wish they had picked a better color."
Though, all things considered, wearing an orange collar wasn't a big deal. Except that she felt like an animal.
"My body was destroyed..." she murmured, "Part of me died alongside everyone else?"
That idea was both comforting and nauseating.
"Why didn't I stay with them? Why did they bring me here?" her voice broke on that last word and her eyes stung.
no subject
"Miss, please calm down. No one else had until they came to the Tower. However, I can assure you that they exist. And I know that knowledge about the information isn't written anywhere. I'm sorry about that, but we do try to tell people about it before they eat it. I'm sorry that you had to find out that way.
..And the color of the liquid they use probably represents the sort of soul you have and keeps it in place. You're orange and I'm yellow..but I agree with you. I would have preferred a violet color."
Tohko then sighed.
"..Your body isn't destroyed. Your soul is connected to it, so it doesn't die, but neither does it live. And..they brought you here to 'save you'..but the rescue base could use some work."
no subject
She couldn't imagine that they did. If the Earth was destroyed, if her family was killed, if all of her hopes and dreams had died...
What was the point of her doing anything? She might as well rip off this ugly collar and -
"The color of the liquid?" that part had caught her attention, "How does orange represent my soul?"
Shouldn't her color be something darker? There had been a time when she had thought her whole world was black. But perhaps that wasn't fitting anymore. Her world had lightened considerably - even if it had gotten more complex.
no subject
"There are a few theories running around, but the best one, in my opinion, seems to be that the more likely it is that your soul will reject its new vessel, the stronger-and darker-the liquid they use to keep it in place."
no subject
It wouldn't be long before she found the thing unbearable.
no subject
"I'm sure. I've met a boy named John who even has video footage of it, if you want to see it. And someone probably has. I don't know what the effects were, and I wouldn't know who either. I wouldn't suggest ripping it out though. It's impossible to do so anyway."
no subject
Such strict terms.
"I suppose speaking to those who control the tower is useless."
So she was truly stuck. There wasn't even a Shigure or Tohru to comfort her or wile away the long hours. Perfect.
"Do you keep an eye on the network?" she pointed out one of the terminals. It wouldn't hurt to have another set of eyes.
no subject
..But there was a Tohko here and other residents. She would slowly adapt.
At the question, Tohko smiled a little and nodded.
"I do. I'm a librarian, so I have some time to look at it. Besides, there's some useful information on it. Why do you ask?"
no subject
no subject
At the names, Tohko nodded, wondering about how they would taste, but she didn't eat the paper.
"Sure! I'll drag them over to you if I see them. However..they won't be the family and friends that you know. Remember that. They'll be different."
no subject
As far as she understood it, there would be differences for her and for them.
"I would still like to see them." she added in an undertone. The curse was broken, but Akito still felt responsible for them.
no subject
At that, Tohko nodded. It Akito had been more accepting of headpats, she would be getting one right about now.
"Don't worry! I'll still drag them to you. I'm just giving you a warning so that you can prepare yourself."
no subject
"I don't mind if they're different as long as they're them." Akito pulled a feather out of her pocket, "I can't remember a day when I didn't see one of them."
At least.
no subject
"..They probably will be in appearance, but their memories might be different. However..I'm sorry to hear that you've been separated from them now. Was that feather a gift from one of them now?"
no subject
"It's a reminder of...my past." Akito wasn't prepared to go into specifics, "I kept a bird caged for a long time. I've promised myself that I will never do that again."
Not that she had that option while she stayed in the tower.
no subject
"Ah, alright then. It's good that you've learned your lesson then. And hopefully we'll be free birds too someday!"
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"Actually, it's more like five steps forward and one dead body on the ground..but I'm sure, eventually, there won't be any dead bodies."
no subject
Though she came damn close on several occasions.
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"..If you stay in the Tower long enough, you'll start to have an experience with them. In one of their experiments in October, they..altered my personality and my body. I killed four people before I snapped out of it and realized what was going on..and I've seen people around me die. And I've died..about five times now."
no subject
Not.
Akito preferred for her to be honest, however, which was why, instead of being revolted, she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Even without the tower's assistance, her past was checkered. She had mentally and physically abused her family for years, sent more than a few of them to the hospital with serious injuries and...
Royally screwed herself. With every cruel act, she pushed them further and further away. She knew better than to continue down that path. She had learned her lesson.
Even if Shigure or Tohru or any of the others never arrived, Akito knew she couldn't go back to how she was before.
"It wasn't your fault." she whispered, "All you can do is ask for forgiveness."
no subject
Tohko wasn't expecting the hand on her shoulder, but it wasn't unwelcome. If Akito would allow it, she would try to put a hand on her head.
"..It was partially my fault. I wasn't expecting something like that, so I was weak mentally. But..I did ask forgiveness. Near the end of the event, when people were starting to snap out of it, I asked forgiveness, got it from everyone, and forgave someone else. It turned out alright in the end..at least, for me.
That event was particularly horrible though. I don't think you have to worry about something like it popping up again."
no subject
Yet another reason she didn't want her family being here.
"I...was different. I told you some, but..." she grimaced, "I was awful. I hurt so many people and I... There's no way I could apologize for what I did."
Slowly, she opened her eyes and gazed at Tohko solemnly.
"If I became that person again, I don't know how I would handle it." her voice trailed off. Self-hate was something she had yet to overcome, though she had, for a short while, been comfortable and happy and at peace with Shigure.
Apparently that wasn't meant to last.
no subject
At Akito's confession, Tohko just sighed and..smiled warmly.
"Of course there is! Redemption can usually be found, even in the worst of characters! And even if an apology won't be enough, you can do your very best to learn from your mistakes and not hurt anyone anymore.
And if you hurt people because of what the Administrators do to you, then it'll be mostly their fault. All you can do at that point is apologize and try to make up for it. Keep walking. Surrender not to the rain, nor to the wind."
And suddenly, an idea.
"Tell me, have you ever read Run, Melos!?"
no subject
Suppressing a sigh, she nodded and gritted her teeth.
"I don't want to have to apologize. I don't want anyone to see..." that side. It hadn't missed her attention that this could be a new beginning for her.
"I...haven't." though she did consider herself moderately well-read, "What is it about?"
no subject
Akito understood human empathy and emotions very well.
At that, Tohko sighed.
"..I know apologizing can be difficult. But if people do see that side of you, if they do get hurt..then you're going to have to apologize. Otherwise, then'll never think you're guilty. Some may catch on, but that may be very few."
At the question about Run, Melos!, Tohko grinned and started gushing. But her gushing had a point.
"Oh, if you haven't read it, then you really have to! It's quite delicious! It's about a courageous man named Melos who stops in the marketplace in a kingdom to both visit his friend and buy a gift for his sisters wedding. However, upon hearing reports of how cruel the king is in the kingdom, Melos's kind heart burns and he rushes in to kill the king.
Of course, he's captured and sentenced to execution. However, since Melos wants to see his sisters wedding before he dies, he makes a bargain with the king: his friend will take his place, and if Melos doesn't return by that time tomorrow, his friend will die instead of him.
So, Melos runs over a large hill to where his sister lives and is part of the wedding. However, after taking a path in a pond, Melos accidentally falls asleep while his clothes dry, and when he wakes up, he finds that he's a bit late in starting to run back, so he rushes back to the kingdom, so worried about his friend that he doesn't even bother to put on his clothes! He runs through the town buck-naked!
The act not only manages to save his friend, as Melos was in time..but it also redeems the king. After seeing Melos's noble action, the king realizes the error of his ways, as he had been charging the townspeople will high taxes and unfair punishments. He lets both Melos and his friend go and promises to be a better ruler in the future. Which he is."
Tohko then nodded to herself.
"So..be the king."
Corridors
Good morning.
no subject
...good morning. [She swallows roughly and stands up straight, inclining her head respectfully.] You wouldn't happen to know the rooms on this floor, would you?
no subject
[And then Eleanor tilts her head to the side, in an angle that probably doesn't look all that healthy without the helmet.]
Third floor
But on going to make his way back to the stairs, he encountered someone who seemed to be in obvious distress.
"Ah...Are you all right...?"