oo3 | Back to the street where we began

[carabina]

Characters: Mami Tomoe and open, with a closed prompt for oathshackledbird
Setting: Floor fourteenth and Floor one-hundred (March 14th). Cafeteria (March 15th, closed to Lancer).
Format: Action to start, but I'll match!
Summary: In which Mami plays video games, visits the floor that someone was talking about on the network and has tea with Diarmuid.
Warnings: None right now! Might need to update.

Floor 14th
[ The media floor never caught Mami's interest. Mainly because she was never really the type to sit down and play a video game. However, Mami found herself with a controller in her hands, turning the console on. Hey, might as well give it a go right?

And thus begins her journey through... Whatever plot this game had.

The young girl can be found mashing the buttons with a concentrated look on her face. Clearly video games are not something she is good at, because she's losing. But she seems to be having some fun! ]

Floor 100th
[ A few hours after her adventures in gaming, Mami decides to travel up to that one floor she's heard mention on the network. People see different things on this floor apparently. Curiosity got the best of her. What was on this floor that was worth mentioning?

Once she stepped on the floor, Mami found herself in her apartment. What it looked like before the accident. She knew it had to be before it, because her father's papers were on the table and her mother's jacket was hanging up.

There was life in here. Life that she had long forgotten. ]

I thought... Maybe I was finally over this.

[ She was silent as she stood there. There were no tears, just silent staring. ]

Cafeteria (CLOSED)
Well... It's not much but it's something.

[ The tea was done brewing. She had also made chocolate and vanilla cake to go along with it. It wasn't like a tea party she would have at home, which was kind of disappointing. Truth be told, it was weird talking to Lancer again. She didn't want to dwell on the past events, but she couldn't get that event and what happened between them out of her head. She needed to put the past behind her now. Dwelling on it would only make things worse for them.

With a head shake, she cuts the cakes. As she goes to pour the tea, she lifts her head to see him approaching. Mami puts a smile on her face and waves her hand. ]

Lancer-san, over here!

Comments

floor 14

[looselips]

[Shinji, on the other hand, spends a lot of time on this floor, so when he sees someone unfamiliar playing a game, of course he has to check out her skills and size up the competition.]

Wow, you really suck at this.

[You know what was missing in Mami's video gaming experience? Being talked down to by an eight-year-old.]

[carabina]

[ Fortunately (or unfortunately), Mami is a pretty patient person so his comment is pretty much shrugged off by her. ]

Practice makes perfect. I never really played video games that much back in my home world.

[looselips]

[Well, obviously that only makes him try to insult her harder.]

Yeah, keep it up. You might even manage to get up to mediocre by the time you're old enough to drink.

[carabina]

I'm not sure if I'll spend that much time playing video games. That seems kind of pointless.

Floor 14

[rewindingly]

[ It's nice to see Mami having fun. So nice that Homura lingers at the staircase, pausing her usual pointless patrol to watch Mami's struggles. Compared to all of the strain and heartache Homura has been witnessing as of late, this is quite nice.

But she doesn't actually approach. Watch, yes. Step off of the staircase, that too. But she keeps her distance, not wanting to somehow spoil Mami's fun by trying to be acknowledged. Homura does smile a rare smile, decide Mami is in no danger, and retreat back to the stairs. ]

[carabina]

You know, this is a two-player game.

[ Yeah, she sees you Homura. She pauses the game for a minute and turns towards the retreating girl with a soft smile on her face. ]

If you want, you could join me. Or we could simply chat. [ It was an invitation, only if she wanted to though. They were never really close, but with this second chance at life she was going to be a bit more friendly to the transfer student. ]

[rewindingly]

[ Homura is honestly startled. And here she thought that she was the master of stealth... That if stealth had a middle name is would Homura... How shameful.

More shameful still that she feels a spark of excitement in her chest when Mami invites her over. Worse yet that her legs move on their own, betraying the will of the contained soul that remote controls them (really!). ]

I have not played the games here before. [ It feels strange. Admitting Mami as her sempai again... it's been so long since Mami was her admirable sempai in anything. ]

Cafeteria (CLOSED)

[oathshackledbird]

Hello Mami!

[Diarmuid smiles and waves at her when she calls to him, though when he sees all the stuff she has set out, he pauses feeling sad that he really has nothing to contribute to the party.

His hand tightens around the ornate box he's carrying. Well, not completely nothing. He does have the tea that Lambdadelta gave him. Hopefully, it's a kind Mami will like.]

Thank you so much for going to all this trouble. I really wish I could have helped more, though, I did bring this.

[He holds out the box.]

The note Lambdadelta sent with it said it was a variety of Irish Breakfast tea. She included some Irish cream liqueur with it which I'm sure will add a nice kick to the tea if you wish to try. Despite its origins, it's not something I'm familiar with, though it does smell good.

[carabina]

I'm glad you could make it. And it's fine! To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything else but more tea is great too! We could probably make more cakes as well, since we have two teas.

[ Mami just wanted to bake again, really. It's been so long since she's done it. She was afraid her skills woukd get rusty but luckily the cakes look fine.

She pours the tea that she already made, the one Diarmuid had sent to her as an apology, in two cups. She had found some sugar thankfully and served the tea with that and milk. ] To add to your tea.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid nods as he takes the tea from her, then sits down at the table.]

Generally, I don't add a lot of things to what I eat or drink. I guess maybe it's because I originally lived during a time when we didn't have all these things to add to what we consumed. Let me try it first, before I add anything.

[He takes a moment to smell the tea, before finally trying some.]

It is an odd mix. So many things I would never think to have mixed together and then sweet on top. Sweetening things is very popular now, isn't it? At least, these kinds of things?

Floor 14

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko normally didn't wander into the media room much, but..it was getting close to her birthday, so maybe doing something new as a gift for herself would be fitting. So, she wandered in, thinking to maybe improve her own video game skills so that she could beat Waver next time.

However, when she saw Mami having so much fun-even though she was failing-she couldn't help but smile.]

I'm sorry for bothering you..but would you mind if I jumped in?

[carabina]

Hello, Tohko. I don't mind at all!

[ She smiles, setting the game up for two-player mode. ]

To be honest, I don't play video games as much so sadly I'm not very good at this game.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko chucked and scratched her head as she sat down and picked up another controller.]

Oh, that's alright! I've only played them once here with a friend of mine. I'm not really that good yet.

Floor 14; jumpin on the game train

[hero_of_smiles]

[Video games are a marvelous thing. Especially when you need to keep your mind on something else.

Cross had gone to the media room to just do that, when he see's a girl mashing away at buttons.

He takes a few minutes as he watches from afar. Soon drawing closer to the point where he's standing nearby, leaning forwards on a back of a couch nearby.]

I think there might be some hidden treasure behind that door.

[carabina]

Treasure?

[ She moves her character to the door and what do you know? There's hidden treasure there! The key to the locked door to be exact. She smiles, feeling a bit proud of herself. ]

Ah, Thank you! [ Now she can proceed with the game! ]

[hero_of_smiles]

[He lets out a little chuckle.]

No problemo, Miss.

[He leans in further as he watches the screen.]

So, what do you have to do in this level? Find the boss or rescue somebody?

Floor 100

[silentsacrifice]

What do you see?

[Itachi regrets asking the question as soon as the words come out of his mouth.

Normally, he uses the elevator. He knows it's the safest way to travel, and walking downstairs is tedious as well as risky, but it helps to keep him fit. He usually tries to pass by floor 100 as quickly as possible when he decides to take the stairs, but something about the tone of the girl's voice when he walked by today gave him pause.

He asked his question without thinking, and now, he doesn't know why he spoke up at all. He's well aware that asking a complete stranger a question like that is rude and invasive, but he's been walking around in such a daze for the past few weeks that he's hardly spoken to anyone at all. He's never been a social person, but lately, he's found himself missing the idle conversations he used to have with his partner back home.

After a moment's pause, Itachi shakes his head and prepares to start back down the stairs.]

No, I had no right to ask that. Forgive me, I've not been myself recently...

[carabina]

[ The voice startles her.

It's not that she wasn't expecting anyone, but she was so lost in this fantasy world that the tower was giving her. She gives him a soft smile, even with her back turned to him. ]

I see my home. When I wasn't alone.

[ To speak to a total stranger like this... It was a bit odd but she didn't mind. Holding back her feelings was unhealthy, she knew this know, but even she didn't have much to say on the subject. ]

I thought this was a curse, but I'm glad for the reminder sometimes. I fear that one day, I won't remember not being alone.

[ She turns to him. ]

What do you see, if I may ask?

[silentsacrifice]

[Itachi's surprised that she answered. He stops himself before he can place his foot on the next step down, and he listens to what the girl has to say before he moves. He only hesitates for a moment before stepping off onto the floor, and as soon as he does, the view changes. He's silent for a moment, taking in the scenery before he answers.

A trickling bamboo fountain sits in the center of a lush garden. The garden is cast in shadow as the mirage of a sun sets behind the sloping, traditional roofs characteristic of the houses in the Uchiha compound. Just like when he was younger, a high fence stretches on either side of the garden for as far as he can see, proudly displaying the Uchiha crest at regular intervals.]

...I see my home, too.

[He turns to look at the stranger, takes in how she seems to be standing just off of the deck where he and his younger brother used to sit and chat for hours on end.]

Before I had to leave.

[That's almost all he says, but something spurs him to keep talking. Quietly, like an afterthought, he mutters:] Being alone is a terrible feeling, isn't it?

Floor 14

[clumsyjesus]

[Colette stares at the screen, absolutely fascinated.] Oh, wow! That thing looks like so much fun! You look like you're really good at it, too. [No, Colette isn't being sarcastic - she's actually confused an NPC on the screen for Mami's character, lol.]

[carabina]

I have to admit, it is pretty fun. My skills aren't great, but thank you!

[ Hey, a compliment is a compliment. Even if Mami really sucked at this game. She only got two game overs so far! So she's obviously getting better. ]

[clumsyjesus]

Oh, I think you're really good!

Say, how do you play that, if you don't mind me asking?

Floor 100

[heavenscorpse]

[V/V steps onto the floor, and goes to watch out the window of the apartment she'd spent most of her "life" in. There's no life on the streets below, but that's okay - there wasn't all that much at home, so she can pretend it's just a slow day.]

It's nice, isn't it?

[carabina]

It is. It's a peaceful floor. Yet, it's also a bit sad.

[ To have a memory of home. It probably made people a bit homesick of their old life. ]

[heavenscorpse]

I think, it's better to be a little sad than to forget. Do you think so too?