03 - Dusk, Night, and Dawn

[ajealouswind]

Characters: Kain Highwind and OPEN
Setting: Infirmary, Library, and Dorms
Format: Prose to start, will follow whichever you prefer.
Summary: A brooding dragoon can only brood for so long, even if he has to be dragged away from it. Kain has apologies to deliver, and has built up the will to do so. Hopefully.
Warnings: None yet

Infirmary - Orange Collar Checkup
Kain had been having some exceptionally good bleak thoughts, up on that floor with the mountains and the snow and the wind, when suddenly he found himself being assaulted by units. Oh, yes, of course, he had fought back. But he had only gotten one good jump attack in before one unit somehow knocked him clear out cold. How, exactly, he wasn't sure. But he was awake now, in an uncomfortable chair, dazed and irritated. To add insult to injury, they had not only snapped his latest spear in half, they had left the pieces next to him, propped against his seat.

Had he really been doing this for so long? Had he truly lost such track of time? Well, now he knew what they did when you didn't show up for an appointment. But never the less, though they could take him from his mountain, they couldn't take away his right to brood. And brood he did, helm in his lap, scowl on his face, eager to simply be done with this.

---

Library - At A Terminal
At least there was one benefit to that forcible check-up. It had gotten him down to the lower levels of the tower without much danger. Which meant that he could have a proper breakfast, and spend a little more time familiarizing himself with the terminals. It was important, after all. He had been learning quite a bit. He had even figured out that if you held down that one big key, you could type with capital letters. Fantastic, that.

He had also been learning that he wasn't the only one to be feeling such guilt. Oh, he knew that he had not been the only one altered in his way. They had collaborated, or at least intended to. But their grief, their self-loathing, their desperate need to apologize to those they cared about... so many of them had poured that out on the network, and left a record of it for all to see. For him to see. It was an ocean of sorrow, and he was but a drop in it.

So he ate pancakes and drank tea, and re-read old messages, and checked for new ones. Betrayers, all of us. If we share the guilt, is it lessened?

---

Dorms, Room 03-01 - Late Night (Locked to Cecil Harvey)
He had spent one final day in silence and avoidance... but enough was enough. What use was penance if it did not fix anything? He was still broken, he still felt broken, profoundly so... but he should not wound others because of it.

He should not hurt Cecil any more than he already has.

And so he comes to the door of her door room, knocks once, and attempts to call her name. It doesn't come. His throat constricts, his mouth is dry. I should leave. What if she isn't in? Then I tried. I'll leave. A few more seconds, and I'll leave.

Comments

Library

[tohko_amano]

Tohko, as usual, was keeping up with her library duties and dodging her retrieval unit whenever she could so that she could at least get a little privacy and munch on short stories in secret. However, when she saw a man sitting at the terminal, eating and drinking, she sighed and walked up to him. There might not have been any strict rules in the library, but that didn't mean that Tohko wasn't going to try and enforce some small rules..or, at least, warn people.

"Excuse me..but you should be careful when you bring food into the library, especially near the terminals. It would be terrible if one of the books got ruined or if one of the computers broke down due to your tea spilling."

Library

[ajealouswind]

Kain looked up from his reading, both surprised and mildly irritated. He hadn't been expecting a lecture. He hadn't expected anyone to approach, frankly.

"I have been careful, and I intend to continue to take care." He set his mug of tea down with slightly over-demonstrated care, to be sure that she understood this. What made her feel that she had the responsibility to...

...now wait.

"Might I ask your name?"

Library

[tohko_amano]

Sadly, Tohko lost the fact that he did set down his teacup with too much care, and she sighed at that first sentence.

"I don't doubt that, but sometimes it's best to just not bring food in here to make sure nothing happens. And I'm Tohko Amano, the book girl. Who are you?"

Library

[ajealouswind]

Librarians were all the same, no matter the world, weren't they? Don't run, don't talk, don't touch that, don't get crumbs in the book binding... it was moments like this that reminded him why he preferred the wilds and the skies. He was about to retort with something very annoyed, but then he caught her name. His attitude changed immediately to one of surprised relief.

"Finally, I find you! Although far too late for it to truly matter." He had almost mustered a smile, but it evaporated. "Mihli Aliapoh had been looking for you, before.... the latest mess. I offered to help with her search."

He inclines his posture in a shadow of a bow. "I am Kain Highwind, a dragoon of the Kingdom of Baron. And I'm relieved to see that you're well."

Library

[tohko_amano]

Even if she wasn't a librarian, Tohko would have still acted like this. After all, she was a book girl, and even though she did rip pages to eat them, she didn't like them getting harmed for not reason. At that though, Tohko smiled and nodded at Kain.

"I know..Mihli was really worried about me when I vanished. It's nice to meet you, Kain. Thank you for helping out Mihli..and I'm sorry for making the both of you worry. However, it's great that I bumped into you! Mihli wanted to meet with you again, since your universes were similar."

3-01

[proteusmoon]

Cecil hadn't been making her nightly rounds of the Tower since Jason's experiment began, not even when it was over. In fact, she was spending a lot of time inside her room or on the third floor of the dormitory, partially because she couldn't help feeling less social, but also in hopes of Kain stopping by. When Diarmuid had delivered word to her that the dragoon understood he was forgiven, yet could not forgive himself, she'd been crushed. That was not to say though that she hadn't known it was going to be this way; she'd known this was going to happen the moment he'd attacked her during the experiment.

When there was a knock at her door, the paladin was not asleep, in spite of the time. The sound startled her and she was up off her bed immediately, moving to answer the door without a second thought. Like she had when Lancer had visited, she didn't do so unarmed, grabbing the Mythgraven Blade from the side of her bed.

[ajealouswind]

She would find Kain standing there, looking tired and worn. He had washed, shaven, cleaned his clothes as best he could, but he still looked like a man that had been repeatedly throwing himself at the tower and its hazards. There was dried blood on his tunic here and there. He had let some of his hair fall forward to cover a mostly-healed gash on his forehead. Cecil would worry, would possibly even fuss, but he didn't want to give her excessive reason to do so.

"I... I am sorry to have been away this long."

His eyes flicked to the sword in her hand. That was reasonable. More than reasonable. She ought to be remain armed around him. He was a hazard. He, on the other hand, was completely unarmed, having yet to craft himself a replacement spear.

[proteusmoon]

The sword, of course, is only precautionary and once she sees Kain at the door, looking tired but otherwise fine, she lets it clatter to the floor and with a soft cry, she moves immediately to put her arms around his neck, hugging him against her. Fearing Kain is the last thing on her mind and she presses her face into his shoulder while she bites the inside of her cheek in an attempt to keep herself from actually crying. He's been through enough; he doesn't need the guilt of her tears on top of it all.

"Please, don't do this again," she begs him softly, her voice choked with emotion despite her effort expended on making it clear and steady. "Please."

[ajealouswind]

An embrace was not entirely outside the realm of expectation, here. But such an embrace... he had been ready for a hand clasped on his upper arm, a firm grip on his shoulder, nothing quite so... emotional. Distraught. A formless sound of dismay and surprise leaves him. With nothing to say for the instant, his arms close around Cecil.

It is a relief, and it is astonishingly pleasant, and the slightest twinge anxiety-inducing for how pleasant it is. His grip loosens subtly.

"I will not." Hadn't he been a fool? If others hadn't made it plain enough, this certainly did. He spoke softly, firmly, he too fighting to keep his voice even. "I promise you, I will not."

[rememberscarlet]

Well... as Librarian, Jellal probably shouldn't approve of people eating in the library, but Kain looks responsible enough at least. Anyways, on he goes with his day job. Which happens to include offering his help to anyone in possible need within this floor.

"Sir? Do you require assistance?"

[ajealouswind]

Totally responsible, oh yes. He even looks as though he had gone to the trouble of wiping up a bit of spilled syrup, and his just-emptied plate is set well aside from the keyboard.

"..hm?" He blinks up at Jellal with surprise. Had he looked like he needed assistance? He was about to declare that he did not, but....

"How much do you know about using these devices? I have a few questions."

[rememberscarlet]

He hadn't, but it's Jellal's job to ask anyways. As for that request, well...

"...I suppose, I'm reasonably adapt. What do you want to know?"

[ajealouswind]

"Is it possible to send a message to a single person? Most messages simply be directed at everyone. Announcements. Can a message be directed at just one person? Or a few?"

library

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer stands behind the man with the pancakes.]

...So, you've been here for some time. Getting done anytime soon?

[ajealouswind]

[Kain jolts subtly in his seat, suddenly aware of the Lancer behind him. He pulls a face, picks up his mug of tea, brings it to his lips... and oh, wait, it had grown cold, hadn't it? He had been here a while.

Still.]

I was not aware that there was a time limit for using these.

[puppy_lancer]

...Of course there isn't. But someone else might wanna check out the network too.

[He leans over and looks at the computer over Kain's shoulder.]

Scroll up, will ya?

[ajealouswind]

[Looking even more irritated than before, he sets down his cold mug of tea.]

Do you want this terminal, then?

[...gah, what? He's looking over his shoulder?! Kain jolts again, immediately awkwardly uncomfortable with the whole thing. He had the screen open to one of the tearful apologies that had been recently posted. Now he was awkwardly trying to remember how to close something in a hurry.]

No! It's... none of your business!

Library

[springserpent]

[See that pancake there, Kain? That one. Right there? Someone just reached over you, into your plate and took one. Plain as day.]

That is a very sneaky icon

[ajealouswind]

[Oh yes, he sees. He sees that he is about to be one pancake short. That will not do, and so he jabs his fork into it to attempt to thwart the snatching!

...it is pretty heavily soaked in syrup, though, and likely tears the whole sticky, fluffy mess in half.]

You can go get your own in the...

[And then his irritation is gone when he turns and sees who made the attempt.]

Mihli!

Didn't realize it was her? XD

[springserpent]

[Snatching regrettably thwarted. Darn. All that assassin training can't even guarantee her one pilfered pancake? She'll have to brush up on her skills undoubtedly.]

What? Never seen a cat beforrre?

[She's giving you a pouty look, Kain, but she genuinely seems to be in better spirits all things considered.]

[ajealouswind]

[Kain laughs, and then seems surprised that he laughed. But it doesn't change things, and doesn't end the smile on his face.]

I didn't know cats liked pancakes.

[Then with a bit less levity,] How have you been?

Infirmary

[chevalier_mal_fet]

[Lancelot wears a Violet Collar, clearly visible against his black dress shirt and tie. But he has come to the infirmary not to be poked and prodded, but to fetch some few medical supplies of which his Master has need. Upon his arrival (for he travels most swiftly through the Tower as a Black Mist, and this is meant to be a swift errand) he notes the presence of another.

Finding that the Workers appear to be occupied for the moment, Lancelot resigns himself to wait.
The knight collapsed in one of the uncomfortable chairs lining the hallway outside he door has evidently only just awoken. He looks quite cross, this young man with the broken spear laid out beside him and the unusual helm sat on his lap.
Lancelot makes the Knight a courteous nod of his head, but cannot resist dispensing advice.]

It is better not to resist Them in this-- only discomfort and humiliation can come from it. Better by far to have it done swiftly, even though it does rankle.

Infirmary

[ajealouswind]

[When called to, Kain lifts his head and turns it in the direction of the voice. Not recognizing the speaker, his expression remains guarded and weary.]

I had no idea this is what they wanted me for until I awoke in this seat. The last time they did that, the results were far less benign. I'd not have that done swiftly, and not without a fight.

Re: Infirmary

[chevalier_mal_fet]

All the more regrettable then, that your weapon has suffered so without cause.
The Collar Checks are a regular and relatively harmless indignity.

[Lancelot looks on the younger man with mild interest.]
I take it you have-- come up against those who Rule in this Place, and suffered for it. I fear I do not know your face or name-- my own is Sir Lancelot.

Infirmary

[ajealouswind]

I'm getting used to it. I've broken three, thus far. I need to find a proper craftsman or blacksmith and have a proper weapon made...

[He nudges the broken spear with his foot, letting out an irritated huff.]

You guess correctly, Sir Lancelot. I am Kain Highwind. [No elaboration on his title and his origin, as usual. Perhaps the pride had been temporarily beaten out of him.]