unchanging, the earth will always keep on spinning

[notsogrimreaper]

Characters: Some death kid (Ryoji), a swishy-haired jerk (Sephiroth), and you!
Setting: Dorm 4-16, and Floor 14 to start, but the rest can happen anywhere else. Sephiroth will be training in the gymnasium as well, should anyone want lone encounters with him.
Format: Prose to start, but I'll match.
Summary: Ryoji has just woken up in his new dorm room, and is going about a 'normal' day in the Tower, though he does feel a little strange...
Warnings: Someone is messing with Ryoji slightly, so expect threadjacking that results in bizarre mood swings and paranoia. Ryoji's opinions of various CR may be slightly messed with. Other than that he should be fine this time around.


Dorm 4-16

Even though Ryoji had gotten that letter, it was still a bit of a shock to wake up in a new room. As soon as he was able to move, he sat up as quickly as possible and checked the trunk. Everything there was still the same. Nothing was damaged. It seemed so strange, to be magically transported a few rooms down in the middle of the night, but he supposes stranger things have happened.

He's a little embarrassed that his love-sick request actually got fulfilled, but he has to admit it isn't too bad. He's managed to at least partly forgive himself for brutally murdering Diarmuid, enough to be able to look him in the eyes and smile honestly again, and though he didn't know Lancer very well, he seemed nice enough. Strange, though. Diarmuid hadn't mentioned who his other roommate was...

He'll stay in the room for a while, just to get his thoughts in order, and maybe see if anyone shows up, but after a while, he's ready to go about his regular business. As he leaves his doorway, he pushes a bit of an uncomfortable feeling to the side. He felt strange, but he was certain he wasn't sick. It was simply an interesting start to the day that made him feel like this, nothing more.

Floor 14

A few hours later, Ryoji has already forgotten about that nagging paranoia, and is enjoying an animated film with some cartoon animals. He hasn't seen this one before, and is clearly invested in the story. His eyes light up as one of the characters bounces onscreen, and he's laughing at all the right times.

If anyone decides to enter the floor, he'll be a little too absorbed in the movie to notice them, but he still wouldn't mind a distraction.

Any other public area in the tower

Unfortunately, some of those distractions ended up going a tad awry, and now Ryoji's starting to suspect that he should have trusted his instinct this morning. He can be found on any other floor, but whether he's reading in the library or getting rid of some of the monsters on infested floors, he's keeping his distance unless spoken to. Then he'll shove his worries down and try to hold a regular conversation. He just hopes he's just having a bad day. His friends are still trustworthy, aren't they? He's just reading into things too much. Maybe he didn't completely get over how he acted during that experiment.

Comments

[frilliance]

[Miles Edgeworth had just come back from having a shower. He noticed the name on the door and thought that perhaps the new arrivals had started coming. Oh, well. Poor guy, having to come to an awful place like this.

When Edgeworth opens the door and he sees who his new 'room mate' is, however, he immediately freezes in sheer horror.

That boy, the one who attacked him, what was he doing here?! Granted, this was during the experiments - the boy no longer has a scythe on his head and his collar is no longer that strange pink colour, so there was a good chance he was one of the victims. Still....

Oh, and Edgeworth has his arm in a sling, thanks to you stabbing him, Ryoji. HAVE FUN TALKING TO YOUR FORMER VICTIM TURNED ROOMIE. IT'LL BE A BLAST!]

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji was still sitting cross-legged on his bed, lost in thought, when he heard the door open. Oh, one of his roommates! Maybe the one he doesn't know? He turns his head, already offering a bright smile.]

Oh, hi! Guess I'm your new-

[As soon as he registers exactly who is standing in the doorway, his smile abruptly fades, and if Edgeworth looks scared, then Ryoji looks utterly terrified. He sits up straighter, eyes wide, and it's a few moments before he speaks again.]

I-I... your arm... I am so, so sorry...

[He wasn't over that whole event, was he? After weeks of being told that all the pain he caused was truly caused by Jason, Ryoji's now ready to blame himself again. He stares at Edgeworth's injured arm, shame and guilt silencing any claims at innocence he may have made.]

[frilliance]

[At first, Edgeworth just stands there, contemplating whether or not he should leave his room right now.

Edgeworth knows about the experiments. He had seen various people apologising over the network for what they had done that week and Ryoji's attempt on his life happening at the same time was too much of a coincidence. That, and the frightened look on the boy's face....

That said, Edgeworth still could not help but feel very nervous about this whole scenario. He would have died that day had Riku and Link not intervened and now he is not sure when or even if he would be able to use his arm again. It looked like Ryoji was sorry for what he had done, but...

For the moment, the prosecutor stays where he is. He needs to find know the truth about the whole incident. Trying to look calm and composed, his eyes look straight into Ryoji's as he speaks. If Ryoji tries to attack him again, he at least would be able to run out and try and get help from someone in the other rooms.]

Is there any reason why you are in my room?

dorm floor WHOOPS

[fionnuisce]

[Was he slightly disappointed about not getting the room transfer? Of course. Though Riki had been oddly cordial about it, so that wasn't so bad.]

[But did he expect to run into this person on his way towards Diarmuid's room? Hell no, and the surprise was evident on Waver's face.]

You're-...

OH HI this won't be awkward at all.

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji wasn't expecting to see this man again either, and from the startled look he gives Waver, it seems like he'd rather bolt back into the room and pretend none of this was happening.

...Still, this was one of Diarmuid's friends, a close one, if he remembered correctly, and he couldn't just avoid him forever, so he tries to calm himself and at least stay put.]

I...

[Unfortunately, he can't seem to speak. How could he even begin addressing that issue?]

naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

[fionnuisce]

[Well then. Waver cleared his throat and adjusted the sunglasses on his head, working out just how to approach this. It was practically a given that this kid hadn't quite been responsible for his actions, and besides. No harm, no foul, as they said. He was very much alive and not really any worse for the experience, so there wasn't much point in holding a grudge.]

[Sighing, he took on a more casual demeanor and held out his hand.]

Waver Velvet. I bet your name's Ryoji, isn't it?

Room 4-16

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid hadn't slept in his room that night. If asked by the right person, he would probably eventually admit to having fallen asleep on floor 100 for a short time while sorting through his thoughts. Usually, he does that kind of thinking in his room, but since having died there at Mami's hand, he hasn't been able to think as clearly there. Since floor 100 has always shown him his beloved home, it doesn't take long for him to make that floor his new thinking spot.

Now he is stopping by his room to check on a few things before setting off to make his usual morning patrol of the tower. His plans are derailed, though, when he sees who is sitting on what had been the empty bed in his room.]

Ryoji? They...they actually granted your request?

[He's not sure how to feel besides shocked...and perhaps a little sad since if Ryoji is here, that means Waver's request would have been denied. Still maybe it is for the best. That way his master's room can still serve as a place for him to go when he doesn't feel comfortable staying in his own room.

And it also means that he can keep a closer eye on Ryoji to make sure that Sephiroth doesn't do anything to him.]

[notsogrimreaper]

[Upon hearing Diarmuid's voice, Ryoji tilts his head to smile at him. He's a little quiet and subdued, but he's still happy to talk to Diarmuid, and secretly a little pleased to have more company.

He doesn't exactly know what to make of Diarmuid's reaction, though, so his smile fades slightly. Maybe he thinks he doesn't want this now that the love curse has worn off? Or maybe he'd done something else to upset Diarmuid. He dearly hopes it isn't the latter.]

They did, actually... I'm pretty surprised, but it's not that bad. I mean... you're okay with it, right?

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid smiles and crosses the room to sit next to Ryoji on the bed. After a moment, he drops his arm around Ryoji's shoulders.]

Of course I am okay with it! I would rather have someone I care about here than some stranger. Honestly, I just didn't think they would actually do something like this and not without trying to twist the request in some way.

[He pauses, a look of worry entering his eyes.]

Are you okay with this still? I know you put the request in while you were under my curse's spell...

Library

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko was cleaning up, sorting books, and going about her library duties when she saw Ryoji reading a book near one of the shelves. While there were still a few more books to put away, she never minded taking a break to talk with a friend, so she walked toward him, smiling.]

Good morning, Ryoji! How are you?

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji is quite easily pulled away from his reading. He found a fantasy story that had at least kept his interest for a while, but right now, he preferred real company, even with that nagging feeling of something being wrong.]

Ah... good morning, Tohko-chan! I'm feeling alright. How are you?

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko wasn't quite sure that she bought that 'alright', but she would go with it for the moment.]

I'm alright..but it's good to hear that you're feeling a bit better since the last time I saw you. I guess going to your floor helped calm you down.

RNG says floor 4, so going with that?

[slightlyoblivious]

[After last month, Yukiko's been picking the lower floors when she wants to relax. The view from the higher lounges hasn't been as appealing as it might have been otherwise - she doesn't really want to think about what happened up there, though she's not really telling anyone that. Right now, she's humming something poppy-sounding to herself and leafing through a terribly generic-looking teenage girls' magazine she ran across in the library when she was looking for light reading.

She waves when she notices him, taking half a second to check her reflection in the glass before getting up from her seat and approaching.]

Oh, hey, Ryoji-kun! How are you?

Aye-aye!

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji's mood had been dampened by his weird encounters and thoughts through the day, but somehow, seeing Yukiko made it all too easy to forget about that and offer a bright smile. He pauses when they've walked close enough to each other, but eventually starts strolling over to the chairs, hoping they can sit down and chat for a while.]

Yukiko-san! I'm doing good. What about you? You sure seem happy. That song you were humming sounded pretty cute...

[slightlyoblivious]

[Yukiko's smile is just as bright - she couldn't deny that she's happy to see him even if she tried. She sits back down, only this time, making sure there's room for two on the couch she was sitting on earlier. There. Wait, no. She smooths down the hem of her skirt, blushing a little. There.]

I am pretty happy today. It's nice to have something of a break, after all the chaos, you know?

[Oops. Busted, and she can't help the giggles.]

Aha, you heard that? I'm not much of a singer at all, really. It's just one they played on the radio a lot at home a little while back that I had stuck in my head.

Gym Floor 39 | Obligatory 'wtf' to go here....

[neverbeamemory]

Even if it is all just a means to an end, Minato shows promise.

If nothing else, offering some basic sword training to Minato had been a welcome distraction. Sephiroth still spends time in the Gym every day anyway and so if the younger man comes to the Gym on any of the days that he can be found there then it creates as good an excuse as any to get in some training.

Besides, training someone takes both body and mind to be occupied. There are no training swords and so if Sephiroth were to lower his guard too much, or conversely if he attacked too eagerly then it could prove fatal (though probably moreso for Minato than himself) - but that edge of reality to the training, Sephiroth knows that this will only exponentially improve the effort his student is forced to put in. Adrenaline must be managed.

It also takes a great deal of patience on his part, something that Sephiroth is getting better at. He must be flawless both inside and out. He must make himself so unaffected by EVERYTHING here that no experiment can ever come close to a mental break again. Also he must not ever lose his cool around Minato, lest his careful facade start to smudge.

Sephiroth wasn't so much waiting for Minato to appear, but stretching out his various stances in preparation for training. Whether or not Minato would appear today makes little difference, Sephiroth's own swordsmanship must be kept well maintained also.

woo

[evokingfool]

Mostly unaware that he's being used, Minato would to come to the gym for training whenever he have time. He would try to come on days he don't have a job shift, but sometimes he might go anyway.

Training with Sephiroth was't, frankly speaking, very easy. Because they're not using training swords, Sephiroth's longer blade has a better reach than his. Which mean it's very easy to receive a fatal wound if he's not careful.

But under Sephiroth's watch and lessons, Minato did notice his swordsmanship was improving. And honestly, he appreciated that the older swordsman spend some time teaching him.

There's only so much he can do with his mostly self-taught skills.

When he entered the gym, Minato was in his usual getup. His SEES armband proudly worn on his arm, his evoker currently in its sheath and his sword being held in his dominant right hand. He glanced around and see Sephiroth stretching, before walking over.

Hopefully Ryoji will jump in at some point, cos he needs to see this...

[neverbeamemory]

"Later than usual today."

Even though Sephiroth's back was to Minato, he always extends his senses as far and with as much sensitivity as he can bear when he's in any room alone. You never know who could walk in, whether they could be friend or foe, monster or something else. He stood from his low lunge-like stretch and turned to Minato, offering an acknowledging nod.

As usual, Sephiroth's supervisory red-collared unit lingered near to the stairwell. Casually observing always, not to be ignored but not to be to be allowed to witness any concern towards. He had resolved not to let the watcher get under his skin, or affect his activities around the Tower. Besides, let them think he was training an army. For all they really know, he might well be.

Floor 43

[justabignobody]

Well, if he comes along the jail floor, he'll find Riku sitting on the floor on front of the cells, Highwind curled up in his lap as he lazily scratches the Dream Eater between his ears. He may or may not look just a little bored; day-shifts are just so slow.

...Though with the most recent of events, he supposes that's not a bad thing.

He nods in greeting when he spots Ryoji entering the floor - if he's feeling awkward about the fight in the Cafeteria, he isn't showing it at all.

"Hey."

[notsogrimreaper]

Ryoji is certainly more awkward than Riku is about that whole fiasco, but he still is much better than he was a few weeks before. He's well enough to offer a small smile as he enters the jail floor, sitting down across from him.

"Hey there... And hello to you too!"

Ryoji leans forward, petting the Dream Eater as his grin widens. When he sits back, though, he's ready to be a bit more serious.

"How are you doing?"

[justabignobody]

Well that's good... Riku really has mostly forgotten the incident. Or well, decided that it's really not that relevant at least. What happened is Jason's fault first and foremost.

Highwind squeaks happily upon seeing Ryoji, hopping out of Riku's lap and right in between them, sighing happily when he is petted.

"As well as one can in this place. And you?"

Floor 14

[culbutiri]

Honestly how was she meant to spy on this kid if he moved rooms. Could you even do that?

When she had seen his name wasn't on the door she thought he had disappeared, and there was a grave for him... two graves for him that she had found. Stupid doubles.

However she did spot to Ryoji's on other door labels, and therefore was confused. She had decided just to look the old fashioned way and sure enough here he was.

She flopped down next to him, "Ryoji. I did be thinking you have been disappearing."

She looked at him sadly, the very picture of a worried friend. "Do you be being alright?"

[notsogrimreaper]

Ryoji glances over, attention already away from the television, and offers a bright smile.

"Nesir-chan, hey."

He is a little shocked to hear that she thought he had disappeared... sure, the room movement was a little jarring, but it hadn't even been a day. Was she really that worried about him?

"Ah, really? Sorry about that. I asked to move rooms last month, but I didn't think they'd actually agree do it..."

He tries to look reassuring and ignore that nagging feeling.

"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just been a bit of a strange day. I guess I should have expected that when I woke up in a completely different room."

Library

[notayoungkitten]

There were times when the old woman needed to unwind. To get her mind off of the fact that she, a lifelong soldier, wasn't about to do the amount of fighting that she wanted to. In some ways, she was grateful that there was nothing about her own universe on the shelves. It left her with time to read plenty of novels about cowboys and outlaws that she could never had heard of in strange lands that probably existed somewhere but she would never know them.

She regarded the boy carefully from her seat. "It's been a while, Ryoji," she said, rather coolly, but not hostile.

later than late s-sorry

[notsogrimreaper]

Ryoji almost drops the science fiction novel he picked off of one of the shelves. He hasn't spoken to Oscelot after the whole fiasco with Ganondorf, and he was sure that by now, the rest of the alliance that hadn't confronted Ryoji directly had heard about it. She must know that's why she missed their meeting, but he's still unsure about how to explain what happened, and he definitely doesn't want to get another lecture about it.

He forces a bit of a smile, standing awkwardly. He's not sitting down, not yet. If he can avoid this conversation, then he's going to do so, even if she doesn't seem particularly angry.

"It has. I'm sorry I didn't meet with you back then, but things got a little out of hand."