springserpent: (pic#5676084)
springserpent ([personal profile] springserpent) wrote in [community profile] towerofanimus2013-04-22 09:01 am

[006] Ladies Night

Characters: Mihli Aliapoh, Amelia, Naoto Shirogane and YOU for prompt one. It's a mingle thread, so party hard. Two is a closed scenario. Sorry fellas.
Setting: A severely depressed and existentially challenged Mihli Aliapoh gets paid a visit from some rather unlikely friends as she attempts to get absolutely hammered on floor 88 -- feel free to come drink! Some unspecified amount of time later, she runs into a stubborn, adorable girl with pigtails in the cathedral.
Format: Aaaaction~!
Summary: Wow, being brainwashed and skinned alive sure has a way of dampening a girl's spirits! Obviously it's time to get smashed and console each other. Who brought the peanuts?
Warnings: Language, angst, drunken antics, perhaps some graphic descriptions later, who knows.


[Good ole' whiskey. Or at least that's what she thought it was. It's not often that Mihli drinks, in fact, she can count on hand the number of times she's done it, and usually it'd been only to make a point; Maybe to demoralize some hot-shot merc, or to prove that she can hold her liquor better than some of her fellow soldiers despite her less-than-mountainous stature. Hell, there was this one time where she and General Zazarg sang and drank until the walls came dow--

....

Ok, rewind. Now that she's thinking more clearly about it, the reason the walls came down was because they were attacked, and maybe she can't exactly count the times she's drank on one hand. But maybe, just maybe two is sitting a little closer to the mark! The fact of the matter is, she swears this isn't a habit - it's a social hobby despite her amazing capacity for the stuff and near invulnerability in regards to actually getting drunk, but damn if it doesn't feel great to cut loose with an entire bottle right now.

She's rather fortunate to have even found any spirits around this dusty (smoky..?) old place - most of the bottles behind the counter were either too suspicious or most obviously NOT alcohol in the first place (here's lookin' at you, tomato juice.) so finding not just one, but three separate bottles of the stuff is a little more than just lucky. Which is exactly why she's taken to indulging herself on an entire bottle, leaning heavily over the counter, but still very much in control of her own thoughts - if a bit tipsy.]





[How cliche that she'd find herself on this floor above any other? But it'll do, especially now that she's tired as hell. Ever since being returned, Mihli made it her mission to keep away from any and everyone in this godforsaken place, spending most of her time sleeping on the forest floor, and even the maze when that'd become a chore, but never even close to the dorms. Being in proximity with other people didn't feel right after what'd been done, but more than that? She just couldn't deal with the fact that she was wrong. Plain and simple.

Arturia told her so. To steel herself and prepare for anything that the Administrators could've thrown at her, but maybe she'd grown so accustomed to the way things had been back home, or the fact that she had others to depend on. Wasn't as bad as being alone, but here the hope she'd grown to rely on was nowhere in sight, nor the people she was supposed to protect.

"Vana'diel's dead already, right?" There was no evidence to the contrary, and people who've been here for far longer have already accepted the fact that everything they knew and loved is gone. In a blink of an eye - no, even worse - in her SLEEP she'd lost everything. Every friend, every enemy, every man, woman and child she could've ever met, gone in an instance. So why the hell was she the one spared? It's infuriating, but more than that, after being toyed with so effortlessly and forced to kill and maim innocent people AGAIN, she feels dirty, used. They cut open her mind, revealed everything she was and anything she could've ever been and warped it.

But that's not even the kicker. The best thing is the fact that to this day she still has no absolute proof that her memories are even real. How else could they have mutilated her body, then returned it to its former state? She's read the Network - who hasn't? We aren't real. These bodies are fake. So how long has it been since she's actually been in this Tower? When do the true memories end, and when do the fabrications begin? Was she merely asleep? Crowded in some basement with the others until it was her time to dance on strings? It's ... tiring, to say the least, and attempting to decipher anything else in this mess is useless in and of itself when all she can do at this point is wait for the next nightmare to begin.]
tohko_amano: (Admiration)

[personal profile] tohko_amano 2013-04-22 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[While Tohko had made up with the majority of her friends, there was still one person she was looking for and worried about. Mihli hadn't responded to her mail, and she hadn't been able to find the catgirl earlier, but that didn't mean that Tohko was going to give up so quickly. She went through every floor systematically, searching everywhere.

However, it was when Tohko decided to enter the cathedral that she finally spotted her old friend sitting in a pew, looking lost in thought. While her friend probably wasn't doing well, Tohko couldn't help but smile. Finally! Here was her friend! Running to her, she called out, not really caring that this was supposed to be a quiet place.]

Mihli! Here you are! Finally..where have you been?! I've been looking all over for you..are you alright? I was worried!
Edited 2013-04-22 18:33 (UTC)
detecting: (Are you quite certain?)

guuuuurl let's do this

[personal profile] detecting 2013-04-22 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[It had been an interesting week to say the least.

Normally she stayed away from the 88th floor. She wasn't a fan of the smoke nor was she much of a drinker. Today she decided to change that. She had more than enough of a good reason to do so. After all, being brutally torn to pieces does things to you.

When she saw Mihli sitting at the counter she hesitated for the briefest of moments. Peering over her shoulder, she manages to catch a glimpse of one of the retrieval units that's been following her around. For the time being she pushes it out of her mind and steels herself, going to sit down next to Mihli.

What happened wasn't her fault. It wasn't her fault, it was Jason's and that's all there was to it.
]

Hello again.
gradosfinest: (o.o...)

So a general, a detective and a knight walk into a bar...

[personal profile] gradosfinest 2013-04-22 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[When she'd first gotten here she honestly didn't think this place was that bad. Even when she found out there were monsters. The mist soured her opinion on the tower considerably though, and then there was the incident with the insane weather...

And all of that absolutely paled to everything that had just happened. This place really was a hellhole wasn't it, and one of the small things she'd liked about this place was how "At least it wasn't like a war". Except for when it was, apparently. And even if people came back from the dead here, that didn't make killing somebody any easier.

These were the thoughts that joined her on an impromptu patrol through some of the higher floors of the tower, because frankly staring at the wall or gazing out of a window in deep contemplation was starting to drive her crazy. At the very least she hoped she might encounter something or someone that would help to take her mind off of everything that had happened. And wouldn't you know it, she had only planned on glancing into this floor for a brief moment before moving on. Which is when she spotted someone quite familiar sitting at the counter next to someone she didn't recognize.

... well what the hell. Not her usual hangout, but it couldn't hurt to go see if she was alright. And admittedly it wasn't like she was getting much of anything done anyways. So with that she actually sets foot onto the floor, cringing slightly at the smell of smoke before calling out as she approaches the counter, not that her armored boots do anything for her stealth.]


General Mihli...?
detecting: (You don't say.)

[personal profile] detecting 2013-04-23 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
[A small smile pulls at her lips as she shakes her head.]

Not at all. I'm perfectly capable of getting my own.
gradosfinest: (o.o...)

[personal profile] gradosfinest 2013-04-23 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
[At that she shakes her head, although she'd be lying if she said she wasn't considering it for a moment...]

I don't really drink, but I appreciate the offer. Mind if I join you anyways? [Jeez, if Mihli's about to start knocking back drinks then does she even want to know what she went through...?]
detecting: (pic#3910843)

[personal profile] detecting 2013-04-23 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
Not at all. Please, have a seat.

[She laughs a little, pulling at her cap.]

That's rather astute of you. I don't believe we've properly introduced ourselves before. I'm detective Naoto Shirogane.
gradosfinest: (Just kind of mellow!)

[personal profile] gradosfinest 2013-04-23 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
[She can smell the alcohol from here but... what the hell. If she's going to be miserable she might as well not be alone, and the person in the cap seems pretty polite as well. So she manages to crack a smile, helping herself to a seat on one side of Mihli before casually leaning backwards against the counter.

Part of her's just more comfortable keeping the stairs in her field of view right now.]


Thank you. And I guess if we're introducing ourselves, then it's nice to meet you Naoto! I'm Amelia, a knight from the Grado Empire. [And she's going to keep referring to herself that in the present tense because like hell is she going to admit her world's gone.]
tohko_amano: (Famished Spirit)

[personal profile] tohko_amano 2013-04-23 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
[Tohko returned the wave before sitting next to Mihli. She wasn't buying that 'right as rain' comment, not one bit.]

..Mihli..that event was terrible..are you sure you're alright? If you want to talk, I'm here..after all, we were both affected. I understand. And..that still doesn't answer my first question.
Edited 2013-04-23 03:57 (UTC)
tohko_amano: (depressed)

[personal profile] tohko_amano 2013-04-23 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
[..Tohko could tell that, and at Mihli's words, Tohko sighed and, shaking her head, tried to pat Mihli on the head.]

..No one is ever ready for something like this. And it's not fine..it's horrible, no matter how much time passes. Free will is important, but they ignore it and twist you around anyway. In the past, one of my best friends was manipulated by the Administrators like this..and it nearly broke him.

..So, if you want to talk..or need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here.
tohko_amano: (Famished Spirit)

[personal profile] tohko_amano 2013-04-23 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
..They're your memories, Mihli, trust me. I've only known one instance of where the Administrators altered memories..and they added things in. They didn't change the past, and they did it to more than one person. However..even if they were false memories, for right now, they're real to you..and you still feel sad about them. I don't think feeling sad and crying would be a waste..in fact, it would probably make you feel a bit better.

..After all, that's helped me a few times.
tohko_amano: (annoyed)

[personal profile] tohko_amano 2013-04-23 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
I know they toy with us and mutilated us. You forget-they did the same thing to me too. They got into me, and I almost killed a good friend, and I tried to attack other, and I tried to kill a child.

[Tohko sighed, trying not to lose it again..and trying to find the right words.]

They know everyone here..but you're not a doll, even if that's not your original body. I'm certain that my memories are right so far and that everything I hold dear is real because I can remember it, feel it, smell it..I can sense it, and if there have been any changes, they been noticeable over time. They can't get away with alterations forever, so I don't think that they are altering us.
tohko_amano: (warm smile)

[personal profile] tohko_amano 2013-04-23 06:50 am (UTC)(link)
[..Have a warm smile in return, Mihli.]

It's alright. Things like this tend to fog up your head in the worst ways. Don't worry about it. It's alright. We were all hurt, and we all suffered. We..just have to choose how we deal with that and how we'll react.
tohko_amano: (mature)

[personal profile] tohko_amano 2013-04-23 07:09 am (UTC)(link)
Not really..if you look carefully, really hard, you can see that this does effect people. They do move on and try to work on putting it behind them..but it does affect people. But..they do cope, in some ways. They endure.

[Tohko wasn't quite expecting the questions, but they were legitimate ones.]

I deal with everything here by reading and talking with others, trying to help them out, and apologizing. As for my smiling..there are quite a few reasons. But..it's mainly because that's the sort of person I wish to be: a person who can smile beautifully, even if they're in a lot of pain.
tohko_amano: (Lecturing)

[personal profile] tohko_amano 2013-04-23 07:45 am (UTC)(link)
[..While Tohko was happy that Mihli was laughing, she didn't really like the fact that Mihli thought she was being foolish.]

I can smile for myself when I'm smiling for others! By helping other people, I help myself. So, therefore, I'm trying to ease everyone's pain.

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