[OPEN] Well, look what the cat dragged in.

[canofworms]

Characters: Kariya Matou [AU4] & ALL THE PEOPLE
Setting: Dorms, Various Floors, Choose Your Own Adventure
Format: Any!
Summary: +1 flailing bug magus. Does it count if 'he' is already here?
Warnings: Fate/BUGS


This man, wherever you meet him, may look just the littlest bit familiar. Maybe it's in the hair, or the slightly gloomy look on his face, or even the rumpled turtleneck he's wearing.

Not many will recognize him as the Matou he is, though, unless he has his insect familiars out. His hair and eye (the working one) are a deep purple, and the prana rolling off him in warning waves is no longer a hallmark of the clan.

Now who could this be?



[Dormitory Floor: Room 1-16]

[Hey, folks, you may or may not have an extra body in here. Don't worry, it's wiggling and quite lively.

Click.

If not for the minor commotion of him going through his trunk, you probably wouldn't notice he's here; his clothes and hair are dark enough that he gets lost in the shadows quite easily. The slant of his shoulders is wary. There's a metallic glint in his hands.

Nothing to see here: just a magus loading a handgun.

(Unless that's a nice bulky camera in his hands, but in that case he's just taking a picture of the wall. So productive!)]



[F1: Cafeteria]

[New arrivals season! There are like a million of them here making faces at their oatmeal. You could probably fill an album with the variety. Maybe decorate each floor of the Tower with a different expression of disgust.

This guy would make a pretty boring picture, though, since he's sitting there with absolutely no trace of feeling on his face as he mechanically brings the spoon to his mouth. In fact, his eyes are closed.

Is he sleep-eating or just trying to find a safe space away from the mush??]



[F20: Outside]

[It's fairly chilly out here, but the thin shadow of a man standing about halfway up the ramp, carelessly at the very edge, doesn't seem to notice. He's strangely silhouetted, staring expressionlessly over the edge.

If you come in close enough, you'll realize that those strange irregularities and bumps in his figure are actually countless large, skeletal, demon-eyed insects perched on his shoulders and arms, crawling clumsily in their attempt to keep their foothold in the wind.

Every now and then, he'll raise a hand, and one or two of them will obediently go walking off into the air. They go plummeting downwards until not a trace is left, and leave him looking a little more frustrated each time.

In the meantime, that shadow in the fog behind him may or may not be something sneaking up on him. Or your eyes are just playing tricks on you.]



[F??: Choose Your Own Adventure]

[Any floor, any time, any bug flavor!

There's a rather surly-looking guy pacing up and down the place, muttering angrily to himself and occasionally raising a hand to swat at the two Blade Wing Worms buzzing along behind him whenever they hover in too close.

It's a little hard to tell whether the familiars are actually worried about their master or just trying to get close enough to chomp on his hair.]

If you're not going to make yourselves useful, go chew on each other or something. I don't care.

Comments

[canofworms]

[After a moment, he digs in his spoon again and raises it. The oatmeal drips off a little and he puts it down in a hurry.]

In for a penny, in for a pound. I'd already be poisoned, anyway.

[He lets go of the spoon to lean his head on his hand. Help him put off the oatmeal ordeal a little while, won't you?]

The cafeteria is a reassuring touch, though.

[mask_of_suffering]

It's not as nice as the cafeteria at school, but it's nice to have a place to eat where it's safe and quiet.

[canofworms]

Ha, I haven't been to school in a while. It's nostalgic.

[In fact, he should probably be grateful that the cafeteria tables actually fit all ages. He's pretty sure he'd have trouble with the tables at his elementary school.

The nostalgia itself is disturbing on some level -- the reminder of more innocent times orchestrated by whatever this tower is. Whatever has taken him from his War.]

[mask_of_suffering]

I've only been here a month, but I'm really starting to miss going to school everyday and seeing all of my friends.

[canofworms]

It's bad enough to make you miss school, huh?

[He smiles, not remotely serious about it, though the idea of daily life in this place and daily life at home is a strange comparison to make. He doesn't want to stay long enough for this to become normal, as strangely pleasant as it is so far.

Speaking of normality, though.]

Ah, sorry, I didn't get your name. I'm Kariya.

[mask_of_suffering]

I can't go back home, so there is no way for me to go to school.


But, um, my name is Madoka. It's good to meet you, Kariya-san.

[canofworms]

Because they say your world is gone?

[He sobers immediately -- that particular farce lost its freshness the moment he read it, and lasted about as long as the integrity of the letter it rode in on. It's somewhere back in his room where no one will find it.

He forces himself to soften his voice a little.]

You shouldn't believe that, Madoka. Not here.

[mask_of_suffering]

I'm trying not to. If my home really was gone then it also means all my friends have died... I don't want that.

[canofworms]

A world isn't destroyed so easily. Especially not if this involves as many worlds as they want us to think.

[Have another smile, carefully reassuring.]

Can you tell me about your world?

[mask_of_suffering]

Sure! Well, I'm from a Japan and I live in city called Mitakihara. It's a pretty normal place except for all the magical girls that protect it.

[canofworms]

[Blink.

In fact, he blinks a couple of times.]

I'm sorry, did you say 'magical girls'?

[He thought they were in a twisted dystopian fantasy, why is the genre being changed on him this is clearly cosmic harassment.]

[mask_of_suffering]

Yes. We form contracts with a creature named Kyubey and,in exchange for agreeing to fight monsters called witches, we get magical powers and to make one wish.

[There was more to it then that, much more in fact. But there wasn't much point in revealing the gritty details to someone who she had just met.]

[canofworms]

[... Yeah, give him a minute. He'll convince his mind to wrap around this eventually.

The more he thinks about it, though, the less he likes it. It may sound like a children's tale, but many things do. And we all know where fairy tales come from.]

So you're a 'magical girl', Madoka?

[mask_of_suffering]

I am, and there are quite a few other magical girls here to.

[canofworms]

... It's an honor? [He ruffles fingers through his hair a little awkwardly. There is a faint energy to the girl he can't put his finger on, something he doesn't think he's encountered before; like much else in this Tower.]

Sorry. I never thought of what I'd say if I met a magical girl. [A little more seriously--] It sounds like a harsh contract, though, even for what you get in return.

[He may be projecting just a little, but he doesn't like the thought of young girls forming that kind of contract. He stopped believing in wishes coming true a long time ago.]

[OOC: Hope it's OK that he can sense a little something. o3o]

[mask_of_suffering]

It's horrible at times. But because I made a contract, I've been able to protect my friends. I think that's made it all worth it.

[She told herself that often, but becoming a witch was beginning to take it's toll on her psyche. She had always put others before herself and this was no exception.]



[OOC: Is fine! Her witch form gives off a strong dark magical energy that's hard to miss.]

[canofworms]

... I understand. You're a good friend, but you shouldn't have to go that far.

[So far as to put aside her young life and face up to monsters -- and he's not sure exactly what these 'witches' are, but if they're anything humanoid at all he doesn't want to think about it.]

It doesn't count here, does it? The contract, that is.

[mask_of_suffering]

My friend Homura said the same thing. I know she has a point, but I just want to be useful to people.

[canofworms]

[His face darkens as soon as she finishes her sentence; the storm gathering there almost obscures the pained expression.]

You... You shouldn't be thinking about being useful to people. That's going too far.

[Of all the things she's told him... He's not liking the emerging picture.]

[mask_of_suffering]

Oh, how come?

[She honestly didn't understand, she had become a magical girl for just that reason. What was wrong with wanting to devote yourself to helping others?]

[canofworms]

You can be helpful to people, but only if you're careful of yourself. Don't make any more reckless contracts, okay?

[Maybe it's a little presumptuous saying this to a girl he barely knows, but with half the Holy Grail War in the tower, there's more than ample opportunity for contracts -- and that's not even counting any other powers that be from worlds he might not know of.]

[mask_of_suffering]

I've heard that a lot from Homura-chan to.

[Madoka giggles.]

And I've promised her I'll take better care of myself.

[canofworms]

Your friend Homura is pretty wise. I'm glad she's taking good care of you, too.

[He finally allows himself to smile a little, wryly.]

So, what do you do here apart from being a magical girl, Madoka?

[mask_of_suffering]

I've been spending a lot of time with my friends from home. They're from a different version of the world then me, but we're still good friends.

[canofworms]

I did hear about that. The different 'versions' -- it's a bit of a headache, but there seem to be good points, too.

[Not that he's encountered those personally so far, and he's not sure he will; it helps just a little to hear about it.]