Episode 1: It's not always sunny after a storm

[tsunderebunny]

Characters: Barnaby and YOU!
Setting: Room 2-04, Dormitories, Library, Cafeteria, and Anywhere Else.
Format: Action. I can switch off on demand.
Summary: One retired hero arrives in the Tower and refuses to believe the news.
Warnings: Potential for irritability, deadpan snarking, and a few hints of depression.

Room 2-04:

[The seemingly innocent letter was promptly folded up and tossed away the moment Barnaby finished reading it. First he found himself in clothes that he never would dream of wearing, along with a collar that only compounded his embarrassment-- what kind of person did everyone think he was? Then, to add to the strangeness of the morning, the note dared to tell him that everything he knew had been laid waste.

He ran a hand through his hair, tossing his curls from his face.]

Don't tell me that people honestly believe all of this?

Everywhere Else:

[Barnaby set off on his own in search of something that made sense in this Tower, taking in every new piece of information with a dose of skepticism. Although the battle on top of the Justice Tower had been a bitter victory and Sternbild had finally awoken from its bizarre dream, he wasn't certain about how much in his mind could be trusted.

Not even his senses were infalliable. It was a painful lesson to learn.

That was why he wandered the halls with the attention of a detective, taking note of anything and everything that struck his interest. He would eventually end up in the Cafeteria when he got hungry, studying the menu with bemused interest as he took a short break. Later on he could be found in a quiet corner of the library, taking advantage of the comforting quiet to make sense of everything that had happened to him in recent days-- along with the strange situation he suddenly found himself in.]

Comments

2-04

[alephbet]

It's hard to believe, isn't it. I still have hope.

[Aleph had just returned to his dorm room.]

I'm sorry to have to welcome you to the tower. My name's Aleph and I'll be one of your roommates.

2-04

[tsunderebunny]

[A nod, although he couldn't tell if this was still a dream or not. The pointed presence of the collar suggested that it wasn't, but he still couldn't be sure.]

Barnaby Brooks Jr., Mister Aleph. Should I say that it's a pleasure to meet you?

[alephbet]

Just Aleph is fine. I don't think I get to be Mister until I'm twenty.

[He looks twenty.]

But, Mr. Brooks, I'm afraid this isn't a pleasant kind of place.

[tsunderebunny]

Anyone can be 'Miss' or 'Mister', but we can go with Aleph if you treat me the same.

[Said the man that regarded everyone in somewhat formal terms. He didn't stand and offer a hand just yet, but he wasn't unfriendly either.]

It's good to meet you then. What else can you tell me about this place. The letter wasn't very informative.

[mysterical]

[Tear was on autopilot as she took in the tower herself, walking up and down the stairs as she attempted to discover which of the floors were safe enough to travel on. Sure, V/V had promised to show her around, but she hadn't seen the angel since that talk in the cafeteria the day before.

And Tear had a hard time sitting still when there was something that needed to be done. Except, she wasn't on some intelligence gathering mission for Grand Maestro Mohs or her father or trying to save the world. No, she was trying to figure out just where she could go.

Unfortunately, she wasn't paying attention as she went between the floors and promptly walked into another person.]

Oomph! I'm sorry. Please forgive me!

[tsunderebunny]

[The both of them were lost in their own thoughts when he collided with the young woman. Reflexively, he reached up and held her shoulders to steady her.]

Don't apologize. [He said it immediately, and sincerely.] It was an accident.

[mysterical]

[When the man's hands landed on her shoulders to stabilize her, she looked up, getting a good look at the blond. Youngish, relatively handsome (she supposed), tall, serious face.]

I should have been paying attention. It was careless of me not to do so. This isn't a place where running around in a daze is smart, from what I've gathered.

Floor 2

[emilia_galmar]

[Emilia' trots out of room 2-03 as he walks by, nearly bumping into him. It's enough of a startle that she nearly whacks him with her frilly umbrella before she realises he's not attacking]

Oh! Excuse me, sir.

[She quickly lowers the umbrella, looking a bit embarrassed by her reaction]

Floor 2

[tsunderebunny]

[Girl.

Girl with umbrella.

He held his hands up in a display of his complete innocence, just incase she made another attempt. Accident or not... why umbrellas?]

It's alright. These halls are full of strange things.

Re: Floor 2

[emilia_galmar]

I'm sure I haven't even begun to see what oddities are around here.

[She notices the attention the umbrella is getting. She looks slightly sheepish]

I wasn't left with the most useful of possessions in my trunk.

cafeteria

[hobologic]

[Carrying his bowl of oatmeal, Phoenix pauses as he catches sight of the other man studying the menu and gives him a smile.]

Hi there. So, how about this oatmeal, huh? Looks pretty bad. Hope there's something better on there.

[He holds up the bowl, but his smile soon fades into a more neutral expression.

They don't know each other, but Phoenix can't help but be concerned about the other people here.]

You holding up okay?

cafeteria

[tsunderebunny]

Alright enough.

[He smiled for a moment in wry amusement over the absurdity of everything.]

Everything's hard to believe, but there's been stranger things out there. [The menu among them. He shifted it to show the man, using it as an excuse to keep ignoring that oatmeal for the time being.] I hate to say it, but the lavender meatballs sound better than the oatmeal [which he was still ignoring.]

Are you managing alright?

[hobologic]

Good.

There's a lot stranger than oatmeal, that's true.

Lavender meatballs? That's a new one on me. [He glances at the menu.] ...flowery. Not the kind of food I'd have expected here. It seems more like a bread and water establishment. Or gruel.

[He looks back to the oatmeal.]

I guess there's some gruel.

Could be better, but then, I could be worse. Arguably.

Library

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko, for once, was not here because of her library duties, but because she was looking for something delicious to read and eat. Not that it stopped her retrieval unit of a stalker from following her. However, Tohko didn't pay much mind to him, but when she saw a man in the corner of the library, she couldn't help but talk to him.]

Pardon me, but do you need help finding anything?

Library

[tsunderebunny]

Hm?

[His search for a book was merely something to do with his hands as he lets his thoughts wander and piece his world together. So much had happened in such a short period of time, and he didn't know what he wanted in his life anymore. Though he was irritated by the fact that the note he received from Saito the night before-- the passcode that was the key to shutting down the H-01 units and the final gift he recieved from his parents-- he still had the equation imprinted in his mind.

He didn't know the answer.

The last he knew, it was Christmas time. But, in this Tower, he had a feeling that he had missed it. He only just turned 25 a few months ago, but he didn't know how to calculate anything at the moment.

His mind whirled with questions and confusion.

What was his life?

Instead of divulging these thoughts, he calmly faced the young woman.]

...Do you know where a copy of The Princess Bride is?

[It was a cover. Though, perhaps something silly might be helpful for the moment.]

Library

[tohko_amano]

[Sadly, Tohko was ignorant to this man's thoughts, his confusion, and everything else that had happened to him. However, she took his cover very seriously and smiled at the question.]

Of course! I've seen that here a few times! If you want, I would be more than happy to get a copy for you.

[As she spoke, her stalker came around the corner and watched the two carefully.]

[blackwitch]

[ As Barnaby is walking through the hallways like that, looking around, he might suddenly find a young girl appearing in front of him out of nowhere - literally out of nowhere, although some golden butterflies seem to accompany her sudden appearance - with hands held behind her back. ]

Looking for something?

[tsunderebunny]

[He stopped and couldn't help but stare, completely confused by the sudden appearance in a cloud of golden butterflies.

This was unreal.]

The exit.

[It was the truth.]

[blackwitch]

Kyahaha.. really?

[ Her tone indicates that she's laughing at him.. and, well, she is, although it can be misinterpreted as just some teenage girl having some private fun. ]

You think you can find it? But nobody here has found it before, you know!

Room 2-04

[undroppedeaves]

[Sam had just come back into the room to see a new person there. People arriving again, and people disappearing, this place got stranger by the day.] I wish I didn't, but I can't see any other explanation.

[Hope you don't mind hobbits Barnaby.]

Room 2-04

[tsunderebunny]

[A hobbit was far better than an small squadron of androids whose only directive was to mercilessly gun down both yourself and your friends. :|

Barnaby regarded the rather short man impassively. This was far from a threat to him.]

What evidence is there? The claim makes no sense.

[undroppedeaves]

Well people have seen their dead worlds, and we are in a place where we cannot die. It is definitely not natural whatever is going on.

[So in other words he doesn't know.] I hope it is not true though.

Cafeteria because Luna is a derp who forgot to tag this

[screamsalot]

[The flower-themed food was all right at first - anything was a welcome change from those nutrition bars - but after nearly two weeks of that, it's starting to wear on Garry.]

Ugh, first those horrid nutrition bars, now flowers in everything. Can't they give us something normal for once?

LUNA~~~~~~~

[tsunderebunny]

[Barnaby glanced up from the description of zucchini pancakes on the menu and over at the stranger standing nearby.]

Nutrition bars.

[He was more curious than he wanted to let on.]

\o/

[screamsalot]

Nutrition bars. That was all we had to eat for the entire month.

[Frankly, he almost would have preferred cardboard.]