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

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

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.]

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[That was fine. He wasn't willing to talk about his problems just yet. Instead, Barnaby glanced sideways to study the stalker himself. Two could play at that game.]

I'll go with you. [He didn't trust any stalkers.] It'd be good to learn my way around anyway.

[Not that Tohko trusted the stalker either, but it was impossible to get rid of him. After all, if she attacked him, she would probably die. The retrevial units were usually much stronger than normal humans, and she didn't want to die for no reason. However, at that, Tohko smiled and nodded.]

It would be good if you got your bearings around the library! Just follow me..

[As Tohko spoke, she walked in the opposite direction, away from her stalker and around the other end of the corner. However, she did look back to see if the man was following her..and to ask a question.]

Pardon me, but are you new to the Tower?

[He cast one more passing look at the retrieval unit before he was out of sight, filing the information away for further analysis at a later point. There would be much study after he collected the proper materials, but he was too stressed to do much more at that point in time.]

I only just arrived earlier today, if that makes any difference to you.

[Sadly, just because they were walking away from it didn't mean that it wasn't following them, but at that answer, Tohko nodded to herself.]

I don't mind that you've only arrived today, but if you want, I could tell you everything I know about the Tower. That way, you'll be prepared for the future!

[He would just have to keep her from dying then.]

...yes, that might be a good idea.

[Not that it was planning on killing her. Just..stalking her and gathering up information when it could. However, at that, Tohko nodded, took a deep breath, and began her usual infodump.]

Alright then. This is the Tower of Animus. Four people now run it-Riki, a secretive man who builds the Tower and is in charge of the records, Zo, a small child who can bring souls here, Jason, a sadistic medical doctor who sometimes experiments on the residents. He, I believe, helps transfer your soul when you die. Finally, there’s Ruana, a woman who has been here for thousands of years and doesn’t quite understand human empathy or emotions, and hates it when people go against her. She may seem sweet, but she is capable of removing free will and cannibalizing her own Administrators.

There used to be a fifth Administrator named Dax. He was the most humane of the bunch and did his best to protect us from Jason and the monsters here. He even managed to sneak people down to the Administrative levels in order to let them know more about this place. However, when he tried to go against Ruana..she killed and ate him, possibly absorbing his powers in the process. He was a good man.

Death isn’t permanent here. If you die, you’ll just wake up in your bed the next day. However, don’t throw your life away for foolish reasons. For one thing, you’ll probably get punished if you die too many times, and for the other…your body is made up of recycled parts. Only your soul was pulled to this universe. Your body, and the ones you’ll have afterward, are not your original body. That’s why you have the collar. It helps make sure your soul safely stays in your body.

I’m sorry to say that your universe is destroyed. You may see people you know here, but they won’t be from your own universe or point in time. I don’t know exactly how our universes were destroyed, but I do know that it was caused by Ruana watching our universes, for some reason.

If you haven’t been to the cafeteria yet, make sure that you eat the oatmeal when you do. If you don’t, you’ll throw up anything else you try to eat until you finish it. However, you can eat anything you want afterwards, and you can add things to the oatmeal to improve the taste.

Monsters roam the Tower at night, and some of the higher floors have monsters that attack if you get too close. If you can’t fight, then I would suggest learning. There are plenty of people here who would be willing to teach you.

[He followed her patiently, trying to absorb this torrent of information that she piled onto him as well as he could. He quickly realized that it would be more efficient for him to learn through fire, unless he could find a notebook to help him keep everything straight.]

I heard about the latter parts already, and I've taken care of the necessities. [the oatmeal was among them.] That also isn't the first time I've been told to take up a weapon.

[Although he wasn't keen on doing so. Weapons interfered with his usual style.

But the rest of the details chilled his blood in a quiet fury. The only parts of her explanation that he fully absorbed was that he was someone's pawn. Again.]

...do they really expect us to take this kind of treatment?

[Tohko kept on moving around the shelf as she spoke and as the man replied. While it was good that he had heard about some of this before, she sighed at that question.]

It's good that you've heard about some of this before then..but yes, sadly, they expect us to put up with this treatment. Not that many of us really do.

[His gaze quickly darted over her for a second before he focused once more on their path. This girl, though far too talkative, definitely was worth meeting.]

What do you mean?

[..While she was a bit more talkative than most, Tohko wasn't stupid. She wasn't sure if she could fully trust this guy yet, and the drone wasn't standing too far away. Who talked about a rebellion when the enemy could hear you?]

That is exactly what I mean.

[And with that, she would pull a copy of The Princess Bride out of the shelf and hold it out to the man, smiling.]

Here you go! This is a wonderful book, so I hope you enjoy it!

[It was a completely understandable dilemma. He didn't expect to learn everything immediately.

Barnaby offered her a small, tired smile when he accepted the book and idly flipped through the pages.]

I know. It's something familiar, which is good for the moment.

Thank you, Miss. Do you have a name?

Familiar books can help a person in an unfamiliar setting. And you're welcome! I'm always happy to help, especially with books. And I do have a name! I'm Tohko Amano, the book girl. Who are you?

Barnaby Brooks Jr. [and not Bunny. It might be easy for her to remember because his family name was one letter off from being 'books'.]

I thank you for the assistance, Amano-san. You'll probably be seeing a lot more of me.

[He stopped himself, struck by a thought.] Do you happen to know where I can find a pad of paper and a pen?

It's nice to meet you then, Barnaby! And you're welcome! I'm always happy to help, and it's always good to see a fellow book lover in a place like this.

[While his first name sounded a lot like bunny, even Tohko knew that could be a bit insulting, so she kept that comment to herself. However, at the question, she smiled and nodded.]

While I can't give you the whole notebook, I have a few sheets left in my notebook, and there should be some pens on the fifteenth floor. Why do you ask?

[It was more embarrassing than insulting at this point.]

I'll thank you if you can spare a few. I...may be needing them in the future.

[If this was truly a trick of his mind, then he was certain that he couldn't trust himself to keep track of everything with the grace he wanted to maintain.]

Oh, I can! It can be hard to keep track of things sometimes, so they might come in handy, especially if you want to send someone a letter. Hang on!

[And with that, Tohko would run out of the library, her stalker following her as she did so. In a few minutes, she would come back, a few torn-out notebook pages in hand, and the stalker still a few feet behind her. Catching her breath, Tohko held the pages out for Barnaby.]

H..here you are! Sorry about the wait!

[Barnaby nodded and gratefully took the pages. A few would be better than none-- he would procure his own as soon as he could.]

The wait was no problem. Thank you, Amano-san.

Oh, you're welcome! I'm always happy to help..but you know, you don't have to call me 'Amano-san'. Just call me Tohko!

I'll try to remember that in the future, Tohko-san.

[It was a habit that was going to go down hard, unfortunately.

[Tohko knew that it might be tough to get through new naming systems, so she wouldn't mind if it took him a couple of tries to get it right.]

Alright then. I'm glad to hear that. Is there anything else I can help you with?

I think I'll be alright for now. [He tucked the few blank pages into the book for safe keeping, because he didn't know what could happen this place.] Although I'll probably be back here soon enough for another book.

Thank you for all of your help.

Oh, you're welcome. I'm always happy to help..and there's nothing wrong with coming in here for another book! It's always great to see book lovers coming in here, so don't feel shy!

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