Ever since the first time I opened my eyes

[awfulsentimetal]

Characters: The Spine and YOU
Setting: Room 03-20, elevator, and the floor three library.
Format: Prose, brackets, whichever!
Summary: The Spine arrives in the Tower and is displeased.
Warnings: None

Room 03-20

The letter crumples in The Spine’s hand. What it has to say is as impossible as it is concise. He is quite certain that he would have noticed the world ending; a catastrophe on that scale would force him out of stasis, surely. His external sensors exist for a reason. No, far more likely that this is the work of another ambitious mad scientist stealing a Walter automaton to find out what makes them tick.

…Which, while plausible, doesn’t go very far towards explaining how he had gone into stasis in the Hall of Wires and come back online in this strange room, wearing a white coverall—leotard--not his normal clothes. Factor in the letters and the evidence that there are other occupants of this room and it becomes even less likely. Then there’s the fact that he had been able to move after thirty seconds of paralysis and had not been strapped down as he had initially feared—the facts were beginning to skew in the letter’s favor.

Not thinking about it. It has to be a case of kidnapping (stealing, kidnapping is for people, not robots classified as heavy machinery) because the alternative is... Everything, everyone, being gone. Six, QWERTY, his brothers--

No. Nope. Not thinking about it.

He frowns and sets the letter aside, then picks up the second piece of paper. Well… might as well read all of the provided material. Then see if there’s anything useful in that trunk at the end of the bed, and after that…

…Find the exit.

Elevator

Waiting for the elevator is a tall, thin, silver-faced robot. His clothes are nicely tailored and predominantly black, and there’s a black fedora on his head. He seems rather irritated by the collar around his neck, occasionally tugging at it and venting steam before dropping his hand back to his side.

Floor Three

Floor one ought to be where a building’s exit is located, in a well-ordered world. Evidently this wasn’t one, as The Spine had found himself in a large cafeteria. One perplexed look around and he had turned right back around and found the stairs. Two flights took him into a library. As soon as he found it he decided to stay holed up with the books until he had learned everything he could about this strange place he's found himself held captive in.

If only it were that easy.

The Spine sits with books piled around him, long legs folded. None of them are useful. Not a single one. He's on the verge of giving up entirely, face resting in his hands in a very human expression of defeated exhaustion.

Comments

Elevator

[sunflowerfairy]

Yotsuba wanted to play with Juralumin, her teddy bear, in the meadow floor, so she had taken him out of her trunk and run up to the elevator with him. Tied around her was her rock sling sash, and she looked pretty happy..but when she saw who was waiting for the elevator, she looked surprised..but still happy. Oh, Rabbit was going to be so happy!

"Spine! It's great that you're here! Rabbit was looking for you!"

[awfulsentimetal]

The Spine paused mid-tug, expression blank as his head clicked around. There was no one there--oh. Down. There was a child with a teddy bear and the greenest hair he'd seen in a long time looking up at him.

His audio receptors must have been on the fritz. He could have sworn she'd not only known his name, but had mentioned Rabbit as well.

With a pneumatic hiss of pistons and clicking of internal mechanisms, he lowered himself to one knee. As tall as he was, he still wasn't at eye-level, but at least he was no longer towering. Black lips curved in a faint smile. "Hello there, little lady. I'm sorry, but I think I heard you wrong. What was that again?"

[sunflowerfairy]

No, his audio receptors weren't on the fritz. Once again, still smiling, Yotsuba cried out again so that Spine could hear her.

"I said that Rabbit was looking for you! Your his brother, and he misses you a lot! I promised I'd bring you to him if you ever came here!"

[awfulsentimetal]

All right, definitely not on the fritz. That came through loud and clear--particularly loud. The Spine's smile slid into a frown. Rabbit. She had definitely said Rabbit.

He lifted his head and glanced around as if the copper automaton might jump out at him at any second, daring to hope with a guilty twinge. As much as he would prefer not to be on his own, the idea that one of his brothers might be trapped here too, away from home, at the mercy of a kidnapper with a twisted sense of humor (he still couldn't bring himself to believe that the situation outlined in the letter was the truth) sat with him like a film of bad oil in his boiler.

"Did you, now? Then you had better take me to him, miss."

This was a bad idea, he was sure. The girl could be a test, a trap--but he wanted to believe for a little while.

Floor Three

[inspector_link]

The inspector was acclimating better than most new arrivals, or so he liked to think. Possibly because the facility from which he had come immediately prior to waking up in the tower was so much worse (so far). It was odd to hear residents describe monsters and terrible experiments, knowing that he had already faced worse situations than any of them could imagine.

Not that he was content to live out the rest of his days climbing stairs and continuing to let himself be experimented on. He'd heard tale of a rebellion within the tower already, but tracking down information on the group was proving to be difficult. A trip to a populated area might bring him into contact with someone who could help him. At the very least, he might be able to find some suitable reading material to fill the time that wasn't spent cooking or climbing stairs.

He entered the library silently, respectful of the room's intended purpose and those who might be reading within. It was surprisingly empty (Link could foresee himself spending quite a bit of time there if peaceful silence was the norm), but not entirely. As he passed by one of the stacks, a seated figure caught his eye. The dark suit and hat weren't very informative from the back, but the man's posture was one that the inspector knew well.

Link stopped by the end of the stack, looking the man over for a few moments before finally speaking.

"... Are you alright?"

[awfulsentimetal]

The sight of steam curling up from under the brim of his hat and the too precise way he straightened his back may have been a hint that he wasn't quite human even before The Spine turned. The library lights glinted off of a sharp metal cheekbone and glowing photo-receptors focused on the stranger.

That was a very good question, wasn't it.

"Yes." Not a lie, technically; physically he was fine. Omission didn't sit quite right with the honest 'bot, but neither did revealing too much to a stranger. The collar around the man's neck was given a quick look-over. Another captive, then? "Just havin' a bit of difficulty finding information about this... tower."

[inspector_link]

Not quite human? Yes, that much was very apparent very quickly, and Link didn't bother to hide the surprise that filtered into his expression. The inspector's experience with robots was... spotty at best. Working with a man like Komui for so long had made him rather wary of them in general. Granted, this robot seemed rather low-key in comparison to the creations Link was used to. And that he (it?) had been sitting alone for so long without causing a ruckus was a very good sign.

"From what I've been told, all information related to the tower itself has been removed from the libraries."

Questioning those who had responded to his network post had proved to be very informative

[awfulsentimetal]

"Has it? Well that's just... wonderful." The Spine was taking that nugget of information with a grain of salt; he would do a more thorough check on his own, later. Perhaps after accessing one of the computer terminals he'd passed by during his explorations.

Unaware of Link's distrust of robots, he tipped his hat and extended a hand politely. He might be wary of strangers in this place, but that was no excuse for poor manners, was it? "My name is The Spine. I'd be obliged if you could answer some questions for me, Mister...?"

floor 3

[blackwitch]

[ Wherever there's something that looks like defeat or exhaustion, Evatrice has to be there to rub it in. So she manages to spot him as he's sitting there in the library, and despite his weird appearance - really, she's used to worse - she just walks on right over, a near-innocent smile on her face as she leans over. ]

Is something wrong?

[awfulsentimetal]

[Any human would've jumped at the sound of an unexpected voice. The Spine simply tilts his head back, segmented neck bending easily, and looks at her. The smile is taken at face value, and he returns it with a faint half-smile of his own.]

Just looking for information and not finding anythin' useful. Thanks for askin', Miss...?

[blackwitch]

.. Beatrice. [ Well, by starting like this she might actually at least get someone to call her by that name for once, some people just downright refuse.. ]

I'm the Golden Witch, the Endless Witch..! So make sure to remember my name, okay?

[awfulsentimetal]

I most assuredly will.

[Said with a smile, as he sees no reason to be particularly bothered by her proclamation just yet. She's a witch? And he's a human.]

Just what is a witch doin' in a place like this, Miss Beatrice?

Floor three! And now you've got AEH stuck in my head again.

[perceivesjustice]

Apollo's been doing his own share of research in the library. So far, he's come up with jack squat about the tower. His frustration has slowly turned into resignation, and when he finds a figure in a position very similar to his own - frustrated and surrounded by books - he can't help but approach.

...Except, well, that there's a robot. Still, he won't be deterred! At least it's not a monster.

"I know this library hasn't been much help, but... you know, I bet there will be another way to get more information." He tries for a reassuring smile. "So... don't give up!"

/cackles into the sunset

[awfulsentimetal]

It definitely isn't a monster. Monsters generally don't blink and look up with confusion written across their metal faces. Generally. Unless they're really clever.

"I... won't?"

The Spine hadn't expected to be approached, let alone by someone offering kind advice. He noticed the collar around the young--admittedly, to him all humans were young, technically--man's neck. "You're trapped here too?" he asked, tapping his own orange one.

[perceivesjustice]

"Good!" Apollo leans against a nearby table and assessing the stacks of books lying around the robot's personal space. It looks very similar to the stack he'd immersed himself in only a short while ago, and he nods to himself in silent approval.

"Yeah, there are a lot of us here," Apollo replies. "I went the same route that you did - research first, hoping to get my wits about me. But the most useful resources around here, I've found, are the people." He chuckles sheepishly. "Not that I'll be any help, since I'm new too. Sorry."

[awfulsentimetal]

The Spine gets to his feet, which is a bit like watching a scissor lift unfold--that is to say, he's considerably taller than he might have looked sitting cross-legged on the floor. Not that he's actively trying to loom. It just sort of... happens.

"Nothin' to apologize for." A lot of us. There hadn't been many people in the cafeteria when he had briefly poked his head in. Off hours, he decides. Either that, or this man is lying, although he can't think of a reason why he would. Simplest answer is usually the right one: he's telling the truth. The Spine offers a hand. "I appreciate the help just the same. I'm called The Spine. What's your name, stranger?"

Elevator!

[idol_support]

Rise had approached from behind the Spine, so all she really saw when she first decided to make her approach was that sharp suit and the really kinda cool hat. Then she gets closer and realises that he’s...a robot? She blinks a little at that, but she’s seen way weirder stuff here in the Tower, so she doesn’t dwell on it. Besides, the way he’s tugging at his collar is more important at the moment; they can make introductions or explanations or whatever in a second.

“Oh! Um, I’d be careful about that if I were you!” The former idol smiles slightly as she steps up beside him, tapping the collar around her own neck with a (somehow still nicely-manicured) finger. “They’re kinda annoying, buuut you really don’t wanna try to take the collars off.”

Not that she’d ever seen anyone actually manage it, but still. Even if she didn’t know the specifics, they were obviously pretty important, what with the twice-a-month collar checkups.

[awfulsentimetal]

The Spine turns when he hears footsteps approaching, photo-receptors opened a little too wide. From the room he had arrived in he had surmised that there were others here, but as of yet hadn't met a soul. The appearance of this stranger sets off a warning bell or three. His mouth opens as he readies a rapid succession of questions and one or two accusations--and closes again as he notices the collar around her neck.

"You... aren't involved in my theft, are you?" he says slowly. He lowers his hands to his sides. Tugging at the device around his neck--wedged between two of the jutting "vertebrae" along his spine--is doing nothing, anyway. "...What happens if the collar is removed?"

[idol_support]

Rise has to resist the urge to take a step away from him for just a second--not that she can blame him for being upset, because getting torn away from everything you know without warning and ending up in some unknown, hostile place surrounded by strangers really is pretty upsetting. Instead, she shakes her head adamantly at his first question. “No way! Even if I had that kind of power, I wouldn’t use it to bring anyone to a place like this!”

She has to pause a moment before answering his second question, because...well, she’s seen a fair amount of things discussed on the network, but she still doesn’t know 100% for sure what does happen if someone gets their collar off. All she knows is that messing with the collars can produce some really bad, and probably deadly, results...which describes a fair amount of things here in the Tower, actually.

“...Well...I think it’s kinda complicated, but from what I’ve seen, it’s really not good. But enough about that!” The Tower isn’t a nice place, but that doesn’t mean she can’t face it with a smile anyway, and do her best to help newcomers land on their feet. “I’m Rise! Rise Kujikawa! I haven’t seen you around before, so you’re probably new, huh? In that case, I’ll do my best to answer your questions, and show you around a little too if you want.”

Elevator

[spaghettiinmysoul]

Rabbit had bouts of depression now, since trying to fully accept that the world really had ended. So that was it? There was no more after that? What of his brothers? What of the Walters? What of anything? The singing helped, if only for a little while, but he had soon returned to his depressed state, going to wander the halls again for a little longer to try and ease his depression.

And then... he saw something. He froze dead for a moment, reaching up to whack his head once to get the flickering eye to return back to normal. It... couldn't be. He was... but they said...

And soon, Spine might find himself blindsided by all six plus feet of copper automaton, spouting what would almost sound like gibberish as he just wrapped his arms around the taller, silver bot and let loose with everything he'd been holding inside since the month started. How sprang to mind, but he could ask that later.

noooo not that icon again whyyyyy sob

[awfulsentimetal]

Something heavy slammed into his side with a clang of metal that was muffled by fabric. The Spine swayed and steadied with a surprised burst of steam, arms thrown wide and stiff. Was he under attack? No, no, that voice was familiar, as familiar as the arms around him--but that was impossible.

"R--" His voice glitched and faded in a hiss of static. With great care not to squeeze too tightly, he returned the hug. "Rabbit? You're... actually here."

How was definitely at the forefront of a rather long list of questions, but for the moment he was content to listen to him babble, even if he was only catching about one word in five. It meant Rabbit was alive, the letter had been a lie (he assumed), and he wasn't alone.

SUFFER

[spaghettiinmysoul]

It had been a long month and a few weeks. Too long. Too long to think he'd never see any of his brothers again. Never see anyone he knew again. He was just tall enough to bury his face in the nape of The Spine's neck, which was exactly what he did, oil inevitably staining nice clothes. Sorry Spine, he couldn't really hold that back at all.

A few words managed to get out in that mess he called a greeting. "Missed you-" "Gone forever-" "Alone" "Destroyed". Things like that. It would be a moment before he'd finally get himself back under control, still holding on to him as if he might just up and vanish if he dared let him go for even a second.

"...... Y-y-y-yeah..... Yeah S-s-sssssssspine... I'm here." He leaned back, wiping oil from his face quickly.

"B-b-been here f-fer a few w-w-weeks. A m-month, ma-maybe."

Floor 3

[withak]

"What are you looking for?"

Katsuya himself had come to read anything to spark some idea of what to do, or to take his mind off of how useless he had been, but helping others find something to read might be at least somewhat useful.

[awfulsentimetal]

The Spine lifted his head and lifted his eyebrows. Being approached out of the blue wasn't exactly new to him, but in this place... He was wary. "Information. So far I know more about architecture than I'm ever gonna put to use." A faint twitch of black lips as he got to his feet with a series of unnaturally stiff movements. It was a weak joke. "Can I help you?"

[withak]

"I was looking to help you, actually." Katsuya shook his head. "After being here ten months, I know more about the tower than the library will ever tell you, I think."