towerofanimus | one flask

Entry tags:

one flask

Characters: Ennis and open.
Setting: Room 03-05, Floor Ninety-Five, Floor Thirty-Eight, Floor Nineteen, Floor Nine, Floor Five, Floor One (Cafeteria)
Format: Starting in action, but I'll match.
Summary: Ennis explores the tower.
Warnings: None.

Room 03-05 Celty Sturluson, Homura Akemi, Hakuno Kishinami & anyone sticking their head in random dorm rooms.
[Your world has been destroyed. I saved you. Let's--

Ennis stops. She rereads the first two sentences. Stops again. Rereads them once more. The loop continues quietly, but no matter how many times she takes them in, the words don't stick. Her mind is unable to process those words. She understands every single one of them, but the implication is too ludicrous. Her mind can't handle it. She holds the paper in her hands for several more seconds before her thoughts finally break free, beginning to move forward once more.

Perhaps it would have been better if they hadn't.

The first one she thinks are Isaac and Miria. Her two friends. The people she had found that she cared for so strongly that she was even able to overcome her fear of death. Gone. Their bright smiles and warm words, wiped away in an instant. Rather than herself, she would have liked to have seen the eccentric couple saved.

Her hands shake lightly. Her chest feels as though it's caved in on itself. Her body is shutting down. This is surely what death feels like.

Her Master as well. The man that is the closest thing she has to family. She was willing to let him die in order to see many more people she cared for live and yet, she can't quite sort out her feelings for his death. Does she wish to mourn? Should she? The names of people who were still alive flick by too fast for her to consider that. Firo, whom she had thought would perhaps be able to pass her dying message onto Isaac and Miria.

Her thought returns to the couple. The paper tears a little as she digs her finger into it. She's only aware of the fact that she's crying because of the water stains that her tears leave on the paper.

Let's all be happy here.]

Floor Ninety-Five
[Ennis has never seen a ball pit before and so the sight of a floor covered in balls merely serves to leave her puzzled. She stares at it curiously, trying to decipher the meaning behind the balls tumbling down like waterfalls, nets stuffed to burst countless multicolored balls and trampolines scattered about. No matter how much she thinks on it, she simply can't find any rhyme or reason for these things to be placed in such a haphazardous manner.

Decor, perhaps? The sight of the balls piled up is quite pretty. Fun looking, even. The countless bright, fun-looking colors are mesmerizing. Ennis finds herself crouching down at the edge of the staircase, cautiously brushing a few of the balls off to one side.]

Floor Thirty-Eight
[It's difficult to say how long Ennis has been walking for. This tower seems to stretch onto forever; however, it is not unexpected. The elevator noted it to stand at a hundred floors, with stops being far and few between. Even so, she does not regret the decision to walk down. She's learned a great deal about this place in the process and been kept from focusing on one thing for too long.

Now, however, she chooses to take a seat on one of the large, plush chairs in the room, the exhaustion of walking for so long finally beginning to settle into her. She settles into it, makes herself comfortable. Her hands rest on her lap as she looks around the floor, large and empty. She can imagine it being filled with people. Outside is the sky, the clouds almost close enough to touch--although on a previous floor she found herself, impossibly, able to touch the clouds.

She's finding, more and more, that she's uncertain of what to do. Unease and indecision weigh heavily on her chest. Master Silzard is not here. He was destroyed, while she has lived on. It seems that she's finally obtained the freedom that she so longed for, the time to waste and the ability to be without a definitive purpose, and yet...now that she has it she's unsure of what to do with it.

Freedoms an unexpectedly responsibility, strange and confusing and completely unfit for an individual who was created for the singular purpose of serving. Her life feels strangely empty, anxiety bubbling up in her chest. What does she do...? Every day of her life she wished to be able to ask those words without knowing the answer, but now that she's finally gained that right, she finds herself wishing to lose it. She doesn't want to give it up, but she doesn't want to continue harboring this empty feeling.]

Floor Nineteen
[It's a relief to come across a library. If her Master has imparted in her one thing, aside from how frightful death is, it is the importance of knowledge. With knowledge, one can overcome any hardship. With this in mind, she runs her hand across books, pulls out any that seem as though they might be helpful, skimming them before placing them back on the shelf.

Finally, she comes across the history section. She pulls out a book, only for it to crumble to dust the moment she moves it.]

Ah...

[She feels a mixture of guilt and unease at the realization that she has just effectively destroyed a piece of the owner's property and her hand stops short of reaching for another one. What if it also falls apart? These books appear to be quite fragile.]

Floor Nine
[This floor is unexpectedly small. Too small to even stand properly. Even so, Ennis allows herself to trudge on, leaning forward more and more until she finds herself forcing herself forward on her belly. The unsettling sights of shapes and movements flickering, accompanied by the sounds of giggling are enough to cause her to consider moving back. And she might have upon finding that the occasional childish giggling offers no response to her attempts at addressing the person (creature?) were she not pressed to the floor with no way to move but forward.

Instead, she reaches the pointed edge at the end (?) of the floor, only to be swiftly dragged back a good one-hundred yards where the staircase is by something that her eyes can't see. Suitably shaking and fearing for her life, she crawls back onto the staircase, glancing out into the seemingly empty floor, hand over her swiftly beating heart as she tries to catch her breath.]

Floor Five
[Initially reaching this floor comes as a relief to Ennis. The drones are a welcome respite from the relative emptiness of the tower, broken only by the occasional sight of a creature that can only be described as a "monster," but the sense of relief only lasts for a moment. Speaking to the drones, who offer clipped sentences and only able to offer mechanical responses, is like looking into a mirror. It reminds her of her own self before she acquired the 'knowledge' of morality and ability to express emotion. It brings up a complicated feeling that she has no name for, but causes her to avert her eyes before politely excusing herself.

The viewing stations are of considerable more interest. She peers into one, unsure of what to expect, eyes widening as she finds her world revealed to her--or what might have once been her world. There's no signs of life anywhere. The once-bustling city of New York is a ghost town. The streets are devoid of humans walking or begging, cars driving, there's not even a single animal scurrying or bird flying by. Even the plants themselves have been reduced to nothing.

Ennis tears herself away, her mouth dropped, eyes wide from the shock and horror of seeing what she already understood to be true. Her curled fingers have been raised to hover about her heart, beating a mile a minute.

How...how could this be possible...?]

Floor One (Cafeteria)
[Eventually, Ennis made her way down to the cafeteria. She lacks the 'knowledge' to understand the reason for oatmeal being required as the first meal, but even if she had an inclination to question it, her thoughts are too far off for any serious consideration.

So, rather than question it or complain, she accepts the order quietly. She's sitting at a table right now, her posture rigid and table manners perfect as she consumes her first meal, occasionally glancing around the large room. It doesn't taste like anything in particular.]

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Playful, aren't they?

[Chloe is sitting there on the steps just above where Ennis comes to a rest, crawling back to the steps desperately. She was watching the whole scene as the girl was dragged back by unseen hands, and now she's giggling, cleaning her fingernails with a knife.

Sorry, Ennis, not all of the residents here are entirely sane even on good days.]

Are you new here... or just the sort who likes to tempt fate?

[Ennis's eyes widen at the sight of another person and for a single moment, the question puzzles her. The moment passes, however, and both the panic and confusion are wiped off her face. Her body straightens, her posture perfect, arms falling to her sides, remaining stock-still as she studies the girl in front of her with a neutral expression. It takes several seconds for her to speak, however, as she lacks the 'knowledge' of how to adequately respond in this situation.

Eventually, she settles on simple honesty.]

This place is new to me.

[Oh, now this was an interesting one. A moment ago, crawling frantically and frightened, and then just staring at her coolly and quietly. The reactions were strange, curious. A mental defense?

Who knew. She just watched her, chin on a hand and an amused smirk on her lips.]

I see. You should be careful about your explorations. Some of these floors do worse than drag you back.

[A survival tactic, one that she's carefully nutured over the years. She remains perfectly still, looking more like a doll than a human being, only moving in order to nod in acknowledgement of Chloe's words.]

Thank you for the warning.

[She considers leaving it at that for a moment, but ultimately decides it best to try and find out more about her surroundings. Her Master had always emphasized the importance of 'knowledge.']

What other dangers are present?

Myriad.

[She chuckled and shook her head, leaning back on the steps. The girl seemed utterly unconcerned about the room from where they were. The stairs were, after all, safe for them for the moment.]

Monsters wander many halls. Some are easy enough to kill, even for the untrained, and some would give even the slayers of supposed gods pause. Some will alter your mind and drive you mad, others simply rip you to pieces... and though you die, the local rulers like to recreate the body they house your spirit in and give it a new life once again.

...so that they can torture, play with and kill you again.

Pretend you're in a doll house, and the children like to rip the heads off the dolls. That is the tower. [She looked towards the room and smirked.] As for the floors, each are dangerous in their own way, but beware of the ones that look calmest and quietest. They are the most dangerous.

...and then there are your fellow guests.

[She takes in the information neutrally, at least on a surface level. Her eyes follow Chloe's as she looks back to the room she had entered from, although her head quickly snaps back to the girl in front of her. She briefly considers the various threats that the tower provided. Being a homunculus who was created through an immortal's will, she is no stranger to the idea of the deceased coming back to life or even the idea of people being seen as tools. It's not a pleasant reality, but it's one she's been left with no choice but to accept.]

The Tower's residents present even more of a threat than the monsters created that have inhabited tower.

[She's almost certain that's what this woman is implying.]

Edited 2013-05-31 03:49 (UTC)

Some are incredibly powerful. Some have their own motives. Sometimes our minds are warped, and even a trusted friend may turn to barbarism. Sometimes they just snap...

And sometimes, we're just insane to begin with. You can never be entirely certain.

[She giggled and shrugged, not sounding upset. At this point, her eyes were on the homunculus, gauging, curious, and a shade too intense.]

[In the center of the large mess hall sits on pre-occupied lad, shoveling bowls of the oatmeal into his mouth as if he were digging for riches under the soggy gruel. There are towers of bowls stacked on top of one another, stationed around the young food-conoseur as if he were building a castle wall of dishes. His eating habits could be more refined, but he doesn't seem to mind causing a mess or two upon the table or floor.]

[For her own part, Ennis's eating habits are refined. The way she takes in one spoonful after another is almost mechanical. Her thoughts are far away enough that she doesn't initially notice her present company. Eventually, however, she becomes dimly aware of the boy sitting in the center of the mess hall.

There are quite a few bowls stacked up, more than she's ever seen one person caring for at one time. Even a kitchen should be kept under better control. She watches carefully over her shoulder, spoon still lightly gripped by her hand, confusion coloring her features. She's too entranced by the sight to even recognize her own rudeness and look away.]

[The young pirate felt the eyes upon him, lifting his head from the bowl to turn his view over his shoulder. Looking behind him, he spotted the young looking stranger, wiping his mouth on his sleeve as he grinned in her direction.]

"The food here ain't too bad, yeah? Sure feeds a hungry stomach after a good gold hunt!"

[She doesn't respond immediately, seeming a bit uncertain of how to respond to such casual conversation. It's not that she has no desire to do so, but rather that she lacks any sort of real experience in interacting with others. After a moment, however, she nods.]

Yes.

[She cocks her head to one side, curiosity getting the best of her.]

You were hunting for gold?

Yeah! I'm a pirate, after all! Couldn't you tell?

[Setting his tenth bowl down, Luffy wipes his mouth and continues the conversation.]

Maybe if I can ever get out of here, I'll at least be able to take some with me to pay back my Navigator the money I owe 'er. I'm Luffy, by the way. Monkey D. Luffy.

[Oddly enough, the hand he extends to Ennis is clean and free of food.]

[Ennis finds herself staring at his hand for a few short seconds, caught off guard by Luffy's friendly demeanor. It's as though she's never encountered the gesture before--or perhaps, has simply never been deemed worthy of it. Even so, her momentary puzzlement quickly melts away, a soft smile replacing it. She takes his hand and gives it a quick shake.]

I'm Ennis. It's a pleasure to meet you.

[Before she might of given off the appearance of an confident and measured person, but to look at her now, she might seem a little shy. It's not often that she's been able to interact with another person so casually.]

I'm afraid I've never met a pirate before.

Edited 2013-05-31 04:14 (UTC)

"Afraid"? Nah! No reason to be afraid! Now you can say you've met one, especially since I plan on being the BEST one there is!

[Luffy's shake is firm, but quick. Placing a hand on a nearby loaf of bread, he helped himself to a hearty bite before continuing.]

Where ya' from, Ennis? You ever been out to sea before?

Good job.

[Richtofen stands at the other end of the bookshelf, some large, dusty tome tucked under his arm. He gives the unfamiliar woman a once-over, one eyebrow cocked, looking as if he's making all sorts of assumptions about her character already.]

Pull some more out, ja? I have always wanted a giant pile of dust to sit in while I'm reading.

[He's acting very snooty, a sharp contrast to his disheveled appearance. Between the bags under his eyes, the vague stains on his wrinkled Wehrmacht uniform, and the way the strap holding a gun to his back is sliding down his shoulder like he's forgotten it's there, he seems in no position to be judging anybody.]

[Her fingers curl as they rise to her chest as she turns to look at the man, a brief uncertainly passing over her before her hand drops and all the emotion is wiped from her face. She studies him carefully, without withering under his gaze.]

I'm sorry.

[There's no "I didn't realize," "I didn't mean to," or any other such statements tacked onto her apology. Ennis knows better than that. To to try and excuse herself in such a way would be to admit to her own failure and that sort of incompetence would only be rewarded with death.]

I thought I might be able acquire more knowledge about this place.

Edited 2013-05-25 06:32 (UTC)

[Richtofen chuckles - or, it's meant to be a chuckle, anyway, but it turns out being more of a trilling laugh. Whatever you want to call it, it goes on for a few seconds too long.]

Good luck with that.

[He rolls his shoulders and takes a few steps forward, but he's still careful not to get too close to her. There's a stiffness in his movements, a suspicious air to how he flicks his eyes from her head to her toes and back again.]

You'd do better checking out the computers. I've seen more well-stocked libraries than this one in cities that have been bombed.

[He's smiling a little too much for someone who's talking about a morbid thing like that.]

[Ennis doesn't budge from her current position, although she follows the strange man with her eyes. She watches his every movement carefully, but shows no sign of discomfort even at the mention of discomfort. It's as though dealing with such a shady character were an everyday occurrence for her and in some sense, it is.

Even so, she's not over eager to broach the subject of bombings and mutilation. Instead, she considers his suggestion of computers. She doesn't recall ever hearing that word.]

This section of the library alone seems to have sustained damage.

[She notes this, but quickly moves on, recalling the letter that was left explaining the tower's basic rules and functions.]

By computers, are you referring to the network terminals?

[Richtofen waves his free hand in front of his face and rolls his eyes.]

You say potato, I say Kartoffel. [Despite his dismissive tone and stance, he's still smiling.] Whatever you want to call those thingies, I would trust them more than the books.

[He casts a telling glance at the pile of dust by the woman's feet. As unreliable as the network is for communication and secrecy, it provides a great archive of conversations had in the past. Richtofen shies away from it himself, but he'll readily admit that it has its uses.]

Edited 2013-06-01 03:03 (UTC)

[As usual, Tohko was taking care of her library duties with her retrieval unit of a stalker following her as she did so. However, when Tohko saw one of the history books crumble in a patron's hands, she just sighed. If Tohko ever got her hands on the Administrators, they would have to face a whole lecture on why this was not okay.

And possibly some bodily injury.]

Don't worry. The Administrators restored the missing books awhile ago, but they really did a number on the books. It's not your fault.

[To hear someone absolve her of blame is a relief, if only a slight one, although the girl's words leave her feeling puzzled. She dusts off her hands before allowing them to fall to her sides, not quite willing to risk damaging them further, instead turning her attention to Tohko.]

These books were missing before?

[At that, Tohko nodded, sighing a little.]

They were. The Administrators pulled them from the shelves, since they didn't want anyone to know what was contained in them. They're here now..but we still don't know, due to the state of the books they've left them in.

[Ennis nods once in acknowledgement of Tohko's words. The administrators must be the ones behind this rescue mission. Then, these shelves must have previously been empty.]

They've sustained a lot of damage. Have they made any records available?

They really have been..it's a crime to the books, if you ask me. However, they haven't made any records about the Tower's past public.

[Ennis might be broken out of her thoughts by the sound of the dormitory door opening, a girl stepping into the room a moment later. She pauses on her way to one of the nearby beds when she notices Ennis, a surprised look crossing her face.]

Hey... are you okay?

[It's a stupid question. If the other girl is new here - and she has to be, Hakuno's never seen her in this room before today - then she is very likely not okay. But she has to say something.]

[Her reverie is broken by Hakuno's entrance, her head snapping up. Her eyes flick back to the now-tear stained letter for just a second before she sets it on the next stand next to her, hastily wiping the tears away.]

Y-yes. I'm fine.

[There's a nervous edge to her voice. Her hands rest on her lap, fingers curling, as though she might be berated for her (all things considered, rather minor,) burst of emotion. She opens her mouth again, wanting to question this girl, before closing it as she finds that she's afraid to find out the answer.]

... Not everyone believes that letter, you know. [There's a sympathetic tone in Hakuno's voice as she speaks. After all, she's pretty sure that's how she looked when she first woke up, clutching what she's sure is a copy of the exact same letter Ennis just set down.] The people who brought us here... they're not very nice. They do bad things to us. So some people choose to believe that they're just lying about what they say in their letters.

[She smiles.] I can't tell you what to believe, but... I don't think that option is impossible.

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one flask

Floor 9

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Cafeteria

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Floor 19

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Floor Nineteen

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[room 03-05]

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