towerofanimus | unchanging, the earth will always keep on spinning

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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?"

Ryoji's come to the same conclusion after talking with some people, but it's still uncomfortable to speak to people that were involved in the incident.

He chuckles while he rubs the top of Highwind's head, though his smile becomes a little sad.

"Same as you, I guess. I'm really sorry about what happened... I didn't hurt you?"

You hurt a lot of people.

You're so good at it.

Highwind nudges closer, nuzzling back against Ryoji's hand - he seems to be sensing that the other is sad.

Riku is certainly seeing it and just shakes his head.

"No. And even if you had... it wasn't your fault. You weren't in control of your actions."

And Riku certainly knows how that feels.

Ryoji keeps absent-mindedly scratching at the Dream Eater's head, but as gently as possible, worry creasing his forehead.

"I... seem to lose control a lot here."

It's a familiar sensation, of course, but not one that he's at all accepting of.

Oh, he shouldn't worry too much. Highwind isn't fragile. 83

Riku can't help but frown lightly at that statement though.

"Like... outside of administrator experiments as well?"

"Well, not yet. It happened once before in my world, and... I just have certain powers that are hard to keep in check."

He's just relieved that outside of experiments, nothing's been enough of a threat for him to become the Nyx Avatar again.

[Certain power, eh?

He already knows that you aren't entirely human Ryoji and he's already let you know he's interested. Of course he could perhaps try to force his willpower deeper into Ryoji's subconscious and discover all about it that way. But it would be much more fun to have the guy demonstrate it on his own.

Especially since it's apparently important for such power to be kept in check. This is nonsense. The only way that Ryoji would learn how to control any such power would be to use it more.]

You need to learn how to control this power. How are you to do that if you continue to lock it away and pretend it doesn't exist.

Riku nods slightly, grimacing in sympathy.

"...I guess, I may know a thing or two about that."

Losing control, constantly focusing on keeping an eye on it... bar interference by the administrators (or a Keyblade Wielder with ill intent) it's not a problem anymore, but Riku remembers the months he's spent constantly wound up tightly, no allowing himself to relax too much, because he couldn't take the risk, couldn't risk giving him an opening.

That's all in the past now though, with Ansem sealed and Riku himself archiving mastery over his darkness and himself and if he ever ends up facing off with the Heartless again, he'll hold the advantage from the start.

"Are you managing?"

Ryoji can't help but be a little curious. Riku knows something about losing control? He doesn't want to pry, though, so he does his best to keep quiet. It's not like he'd want to say much about his own troubles either. At least, not what he really feels about them.

He smiles reassuringly, trying to dispel any suspicion.

"Yeah, I am. I haven't had trouble with it for a while now. Aside from when the administrators get involved."

Yes, he may have been there and done that. Riku isn't really about to go in greater detail or pry into Ryoji's troubles. If the other needs help, he'll hopefully reach out for it... or it will become obvious anyways, which really doesn't seem to be the case right now at least.

"That's good to hear."

At this point, Ryoji would rather avoid going into detail. He's caused more than enough trouble while he was here, and people who saw it could discover a great deal about his true nature, whether he'd want them to know or not.

Still, Riku might be trustworthy enough to tell... someday, anyways. For now, he just nods and changes the subject.

"So what are you doing here?"

The jail floor seems a little too depressing for his tastes, at least.

Someday sounds good.

As for what he is doing here... well, have a shrug.

"I got assigned as jail guard a while ago."

It's not really a hard job... not unless he ends up with a very bad night shift anyways. That's why he's got Highwind with him, his batpet is always good for entertainment. ...And in a fight too, of course.

“Ah… do we even put people in these jail cells?”

It seems like there are a few criminals here, but it’s unlikely that they could be kept in such a place, especially with monsters roaming around at night. Still, Ryoji is sure that Riku can handle himself, and something about the pet suggests Highwind isn’t a weakling either.

Riku shrugs.

"Sometimes people get trapped inside per accident, but nobody has ever been officially imprisoned there."

...Apart of Xion that one time Vanitas had used that floor to capture her, but that doesn't count.

"That's good then. That could be a lot more dangerous, if you had to guard prisoners as well."

Ryoji doesn't really want to think about who would get locked in here for wrongdoing.

"Nah... probably just a lot less boring. Powers are disabled inside the cells and they can only be opened from the outside."

So yeah... if they did have prisoners, he would have someone other than Highwind and the occasional passer-by to talk to. ...And/or could worry about whoever might come to break them out.

"Oh, I see. That's good. A lot safer than it could be. Still, at least you have Highwind to keep you company."

And who could be bored with this little guy? Ryoji smiles at the Dream Eater and scratches his belly, chuckling. He can't help his soft spot for cute things.

Highwind grins and makes a noise that might be akin to a snicker when Ryoji pets him; his owner just roles his eyes at the display, but if his smirk is any indication, he doesn't really mean it.

"Him and whatever company he drags in when he considers me too reclusive."

As he's done before, as he'll probably do again. Riku has learned to live with it.

unchanging, the earth will always keep on spinning

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