and I need someone to talk to apart from you

[animusnpcs]

Characters: Zo, open
Setting: floor 001
Format: brackets, party-style
Summary: Zo visits the residential levels of the Tower.
Warnings: none so far

[The elevator dings as its doors slide open--that's not an unusual occurrence, really, for a floor that not only houses one of the elevator stopping points but also the most reliable food sources. What's unusual, though, is the boy who steps out of it.

Zo enters the cafeteria, looking around as if he hasn't seen it in some time, which is true. He's followed by one retrieval unit. While she looks as blank as any retrieval unit, her collar is chipped and she wears glasses. In fact, she might be a bit familiar to some, though she will not respond (but there's something... Unusually alive about her, even so).

Though he's careful not to stray far from his bodyguard, he smiles at the floor in general.]

Um... Hi! Wow, it's been a while since I've been up here!

Comments

[animusnpcs]

I know the name of everybody who I bring here. And someone wanted me to visit, so I did! I don't get to visit much anyway. I was too busy last time.

[faithstaynight]

"Someone"?

[This, of course, causes Ruler to turn her gaze to R-037. She doesn't immediately address her, though. Just in case.]

Who was it that wanted you to come up here?

[animusnpcs]

One of you guys! I'm not gonna say who, though, 'cause maybe they don't want everybody to know.

[faithstaynight]

One of us...

[Well, that's certainly suspicious.]

Well, if you do not wish for me to tell you, that's quite alright. But if I can help in some way, please do not hesitate to ask.

[animusnpcs]

I just wanted to see how everybody was doing. Ruana's game was kind of mean...

[faithstaynight]

[...]

Well that... is certainly one way of putting it. [Even a saint such as herself would have a few questionable words to say about Ruana's latest game, but... no. Not in front of a child like this.]

But we endured. And we will keep enduring, no matter what "games" we are forced into.

[Her voice, which had grown firm as she said that, softens a bit again.] But it is good to know that not even another administrator approves of her actions.

[animusnpcs]

I... Um, Ruana's always been really nice to me, so I don't know why she's being so mean to you. [He sounds like a little sibling unable to explain the behavior of an older one.]

[faithstaynight]

[Normally, Ruler might feel a little bad about talking negatively about someone close to another... but this is a whooole different story.]

You really don't know? Do any of the others have any idea why she treats us the way that she does?

[animusnpcs]

[He thinks for a while, humming.] Ruana is lonely. So maybe it's that?

[faithstaynight]

But just because one is lonely does not mean they can mistreat others the way she has done. Hurting others will not make your own hurt go away. [Gosh, Ruler hopes she's explaining this well enough. She was the youngest of her and her four siblings, so she never had to deal with children this much younger than her...]

[animusnpcs]

I don't think she means to hurt everybody... But I'm not sure.