towerofanimus | Aftermath [Open to all]

Entry tags:

Aftermath [Open to all]

Characters: Naoya Toudou and you (all of you)!
Setting: Various Floors, the Dorms
Format: Starting with prose, but I'll match you
Summary: Naoya has his own ideas about the tower, makes plans, goes patrolling, is a typical protagonist.
Warnings: PROTAG.

Dorms & Note

There was a single piece of paper taped over the lowest level, just before you entered the tower levels:

If you want to join patrolling, please leave me a message in room 01-08. If you need weapon practice, I can aid you there as well. -Naoya Toudou

If you went to talk to him in his dorm, you'd notice that the room was cramped; for some reason there were five of them along with a large arcade machine in the back. Usually, he'd be playing if he wasn't sleeping and happend to be in his room.

Night Patrol (any Floor)

Despite the events that had happened the last week and the talks with Jin, Naoya was still dutifully doing what he could to aid the others. The year he had passed in the tower had strengthened him in ways he hadn't truly realized until the month hit him; and he realized how much lighter his sword had become over time.

When the night creatures bumped, Naoya simply bumped back as best as he could. Rather he have to deal with his own death by the tower hand's, than someone else's if he could help it. Jin had been right in that respect. Once you accepted that death wasn't completely permanent, it did open up a lot more possibilities; both trivial and allowing for plans that could be considered borderline insanity.

But he was who he was. He'd continue to have hope, no matter what the tower tried to throw at him. Even a year later, he was still a wall. And with both a long katana in one hand and a submachine gun slung over his other shoulder, he looked ready for war.

Floor 29: Maze (Closed to Chidori)

Even Naoya could appriciate a little piece and quiet. The twisting hedge maze meant that most people favored the meadow rather than here, and after fighting the Night Queen, Naoya was rather patient enough to know when to enter here (early morning) and how to get out.

For now, he was content sleeping outside of the maze, in the large garden.

Floor 77: Sauna

While he had enjoyed being here before, Naoya had noticed the increased watchful eyes of the worker units. Well, he had his own thoughts about that, and wasn't going to share them here, that was for sure.

At least the sauna still made a good place to relax, despite the increased "security". If you saw him, he was in the mixed sauna, busy counting up to a hundred...and when that was over, he'd simply do it again.

Floor 73: Snow Castle | OPEN TO ALL

It was cold. That was alright. He had a persona that could help him with that, along with his outfit. The Snow/Night Queen had turned his entire school into a walking glacier before, this was just a little harsher.

Once he got closer to the building, Naoya began to explore the castle in earnest, least he find a clue of its origin, or at least interesting places that could aid him out later...

Floor 19 & 3 - Libraries | OPEN TO ALL

While already have a few books about 3D programming (once again), one could find Naoya looking over the books in deep thought.

A detail he should have noticed that before, and he mentally kicked himself that he had not. In many ways, this was making him even more suspicious...

Floor 14 - Media Room | OPEN TO ALL

There really was no way to remove the nerd from him.

Come inside, and you would easily find one(1) Naoya Toudou busy playing a fighting or an action game of some kind. Modernity had no more secrets from him, now he was used to all the newer games that were after his time, and would gleefully play a racing game whenever he could.

OOC
You are free to bump into Naoya in other levels if you'd like, I am open to anything!

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After a while, the tower had become too crowded for the relative quiet of the meadow to also guarantee a measure of solitude- so Chidori too had taken to the maze now and then when she wanted someplace quiet and relatively relaxing to sit. It's the first time she's run into anyone else here, and while she'd been supposed to meet Naoya soon, it was an opportunity now for them to talk without any interruption.

How to wake him though...?

Before that though, she considered where they were and what had been going on recently- and she came to a decision. Moving closer, she settled down next to him, knees close to his shoulder, and reached down to touch her fingers to his arm. She closed her eyes, concentrating, and with a deep breath blocked them both from notice. That done, she leaned forward some, her shadow crossing Naoya's sleeping face as she shook his shoulder lightly.

"...Naoya?"

There were other ways to wake him, of course- but this seemed the most sensible.

For all the dangerous of the tower, sometimes Naoya managed to slip into a full sleep, dreaming of the days with his friends and the scenarios his mind would come up with. Then the realization that he was still in the tower would wash him over as he awoke. Disappointed, yes, seeing Chidori's face when waking up wasn't a bad thing at all either, he had to admit...

When he looked up, he gave her a smile.

"That was careless of me, I felt into a deep sleep, lost in my dreams. I'm lucky it was you and not someone who would have killed me for the day."

Yeap. For the day. He was basically at that stage in the tower, now.

The smile was unexpected, but not unwelcome, and she found herself smiling a little in return, fingers lingering on his shoulder where she'd shaken him awake.

"Perhaps next time I'll singe you a little then, so I don't disappoint in regards to the ambiance of the tower."

Though the fact that he's already becoming accustomed to death in the tower doesn't sit well with her- but she brushes it aside for the moment, fingertips trailing idly over his shoulder.

"You should be more careful though. It wouldn't do to have you die an undignified accidental death."

"I'll make sure to have Succubus equipped," he replied back, then realized she might not completely understand. "She is immune to fire attacks. But you're right! I didn't realize I had been this tired, I think I've been sleeping for a good four hours."

And considering the tower, this was a breath of fresh air. He did feel a lot better! Sitting up so he was no longer lying down, he looked over to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"I thought it might be something like that," she murmured, and shifted to one side a little as he sat up, retracting her hand and settling it in her lap.

"How long has it been since you had a decent rest?"

Because if he was tired enough to be sleeping for hours on end in open and possibly dangerous areas of the tower, he might need to reconsider his sleeping patterns. She starts a little in surprise at his question, and takes a moment to think about it properly before asking.

"I'm... alright, I suppose? This last week has made me start to reconsider a few things, but otherwise..." She shrugs, and honestly, it says a lot about her time in the tower that even a week that makes her reconsider her time here only gets that kind of reaction. "Surviving is, I suppose, the best way to put it. But then, that's always been my life, so nothing new in that regard."

Edited 2013-04-21 07:52 (UTC)

"All too long," he admitted. Not that he would have ever bothered hiding it. He didn't complain about lack of sleep, just trucked on. "But I'm glad you are alright."

Really glad.

"It's made me think as well...especially with what happened." He left that somewhat deliberately in the open, least they were being listened on again. At this point, he was going to take all the precautionary measures possible.

"You should take care not to go so long without," came the quiet admonishment, though it's said lightly- much more of a suggestion than she would give to any of the members of Strega. Her legs drew up, arms curving around them, fingers smoothing her skirt over her knees idly as she considered how to continue.

"Things happen here all the time- after a time you try not to show how much it affects you. Sadly, one does not always succeed..."

But it would probably be best not to dwell on that too much at the moment, all things considered. There would be plenty of time to wonder how much things had gotten under Naoya's skin later.

"What about you? How are you feeling- besides sleepy, that is?"

"I feel much better, thank you." Before speaking again, he looked off in the distance, thinking. The idea in his mind growing, but unsure if this was a good place to share or not.

But how to explain what he wanted to tell her next? It wasn't a question of something getting under his skin, but rather the idea that had been growing him for the past week. Now there were very large dangers in the tower too.

So he decided to try something.

"Can you hear me?" He'd never tried communicating with her this way, but he figured it was worth a try. Naoya himself didn't have this abilities, but maybe her own powers were strong enough to pick this thought up...

...and that could be really useful.

"Good. I'd been worried, honestly..."

Though she wouldn't have said as much to most anyone else- but she had been, strange as the week had been and intense as things had gotten. It was hard not to worry when someone would kill themselves along with you in a moment of clarity.

His voice in her head was a surprise- not because she heard him, but because he'd thought to talk to her like that. Whatever needed saying, he must not want to chance being heard.

"Yes," she ventured slowly, tilting her head to look up at him. "This is unusual... is something the matter?"

"I'll be alright."

He'd have to explain himself better about his action this week, but there were much heavier things on his mind. This could be the start of something...but he would need to be extremely careful.

So a small wave of relief flooded him when she could hear him. This could be an excellent advantage later on...but first he'd need to explain her why he was doing this in the first.

Normally the King never moved in a game of chess, but he was an Emperor, and he'd make his own noise. Especially if his gut feeling was right...as terrible as it could be.

"It's more a question of planning and ideas, actually...you probably know how they used last week's experiment to obtain information...keep speaking out loud as we do this, and I'll explain what I wish to do bit by bit."

"The month is two-thirds over." He said it in a way that didn't sound like he was complaining, just stating facts.

Edited 2013-04-21 09:17 (UTC)

"If you're sure..."

She doesn't trust that fact entirely, but he's a familiar kind of stubborn, and one she knows better than to push too hard against. Instead she nods and tugs at the fabric of her dress again, pursing her lips as she listens to him.

"I see- so you don't want to chance them overhearing anything you might need to say that they could use against you. Is there something specific you had in mind, then?"

A wise enough decision, though it took her a moment to keep the conversation going aloud, giving Naoya a long, careful look.

"I'll be glad when it's over. Real food will be a godsend after this."

He just nods at that, and even manages to smile a little again!

"I do miss having ingredients in the kitchen as well..."

"A plan. Everything based on a theory that's been eating away at me for a while."

Eating away? He mentally kicked himself. The whole speaking aloud and then not was merging a little too much. He had to be careful, least he say something out loud that was meant for their private conversation only.

"...it'll be a welcome chance from this month."

"I think I may have figured out something about the tower. However this information could be dangerous in the wrong hands...or I could be completely wrong. It's worth a try, I think, but it also requires careful planning, coordination...and considering what happened this month, just a select few individuals."

Edited 2013-04-21 10:17 (UTC)

Ken huffs in annoyance at the pack of Neoshadows around him. One leaps at him, but he skewers it mid-air with his spear. He presses his Evoker to his head.

"Dike!"

The armored woman appears, and five of the Neoshadows are surrounded in seals. Three of them disappear, and the rest scatter. He carefully pries the dead(?) monster off of his spear, and kicks it away.

"Well, it does save me a lot of trouble in the kitchen when I'm supposed to be working. Nothing to cook means no one's making any messes..."

"A theory? About the tower or...?"

She wisely doesn't comment on the subjects somewhat intermingling the way they have, and instead shifts a little closer to him, looking up at him, for once grateful that she wasn't the overly-expressive type.

"I just hope they don't make it another month of ice cream or something ridiculous like that."

"I see. You're right of course- planning anything else could be dangerous considering recent events however... I think I can help with that as well. Not so much the selection, I suppose- but with keeping things from those in charge."

He doesn't protest when she gets closer to her and just closes his eyes, smiling.

"I remember that..."

"Not just the tower...

...the administrators as well."

While one couldn't exactly convey his tone by thought, the pause in his thinking meant this was extremely serious. Still, he didn't break from his smile.

"Maybe I should try cooking."...the world was probably not ready for that, to be honest.

"We have this advantage, yes. If they had to use this ruse to get information, it may mean they can't quite read our minds and certain parts of the tower are blind spots. I doubt that either of us are on their lists."

"I want to offering something in exchange, but my skills revolve around weapon usage and video games. You're already quite skilled with your axe."

"I want to assemble a team that they wouldn't question being together, but also that they would mostly ignore with everyone else...along with a one or two noisemakers to distract the attention from us."

Naoya had just been passing nearby when he sees him finishing the creature. He runs down and gives him a small wave, keeping watch around them.

"Good work, Ken."

Chidori's mouth quirks a little in return, shoulders shrugging.

"It was a very difficult month for my white dresses."

"About them? I don't think anyone's really tried to figure them out since the information about Ruana happened..."

"If you really wanted to try, I'd be willing to help you learn- no repayment required."

"Not just this- I can hide people, make them unnoticeable. I used to do it with Strega all the time... and I have been working on doing it long-distance of late."

"Though if you think you have something to teach me about video games that I haven't learned from playing with Jin, you're welcome to try."

...and well. That had sounded considerably less flirtatious when she'd been considering what to say. Oh well.

"We could probably include Jin without them thinking too much about it. He is my brother after all."

Ken looks up and nods, putting his Evoker away.

"I wanted to ask you something..."

Another look, making sure that there wasn't another monster nearby.

"I remember that conversation. What did you want?"

[While recovering from the event and the fact that the Administrators knew about their rebellion plot had been tough, one eventually had to brush off the dust and get back to everything. After all, wallowing in despair wouldn't help anyone, and nor would ignoring library duties.

So, Tohko was back at it, working at organizing the shelves and cleaning up any messes the patrons made. When she saw a boy with black hair looking over the books, she couldn't help but talk to him.]

Good morning! Need help finding anything?

[Naoya was idly looking at all the sections when she saw her and gave her a small polite bow. He'd seen Tohko cleaning when he came in, but had gone his own way.]

I'm just looking, thank you.

[He taps the book he's already holding; its a version of the Snow Queen story.]

Do they employ you to work here, or is this on your own time?

"I should be thankful that my school clothing is grey...even if I had graduated from St. Hermelin High before leaving."

"Exactly. Let me tell you more..."

"...I'd like that."

That had come out way too fast, after all that explanation. He coughed, realizing how it was getting even harder to switch between one and the other. He concentrated again.

"..."

Naoya stop talking about Star Wars when you were conversing with someone else, your nerdism was showing. But Chidori had a good idea, even if it was perhaps not what she had been thinking.

"It has been a while since I've played against him. Perhaps a game against him to prove my worth might be in order."

"..."

[Tohko nodded in return as he spoke and tapped his book.]

Ah, alright then. I'm employed..but I can be found here even after I finish working. The library is one of my favorite spots in the Tower. After all, I am a book girl.

Edited 2013-04-22 00:16 (UTC)

It's best to do what we like here.

[He points to himself.]

Before arriving here, I was studying programming in video games myself. When I'm not patrolling at night, I'm usually in the media room.

[While Tohko didn't know much about video games or technology, that sounded amazing to her.]

That's great! I don't have much skill with programming or video games, so it's good to see someone who does. Hopefully you're able to keep up with your talents here, despite everything.

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Aftermath [Open to all]

Floor 29

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Floor 93

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Third floor

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