With a thousand lies and a good disguise

[midgarhorizon]

Characters: Reno, and any and open!
Setting: Beginning in 1-04 ROOMIES BOTHER HIM, Cafeteria, then the Meadow
Format: Honestly whatever you prefer.
Summary: Reno has been gone six months. The entire Tower has changed. Also, he is wearing the jumpsuit and a bedsheet because SOMEONE TOOK HIS CLOTHES, so characters may not recognize him.
Warnings: Well there might be some cursing... some tearful reunions...




1-04
Coming to consciousness was a sudden affair, sitting up so suddenly it almost cracked his back. No... Not here again, not again...

Not wearing this ridiculous jumpsuit again.

That was when he noticed the orientation of the room and his bed was all wrong... wait, what the hell? This wasn't 2-12. And he was wearing the jumpsuit... muffling a curse, he slammed his fist into the bed, cursing his luck that he'd gotten free of Hell Tower only to get pulled back.

He'd escaped... no horrors, no having to watch the people you care about being tortured... maybe it was selfish, but he didn't think he could take being here again. Especially if... no, they would be here. Had to be here.

Quickly, he jumped off the bed and checked his trunk, only to find it- empty? Empty. Cursing again, he yanked the blanket off his bed and pulled the sheet off to wrap himself in it, leaving an ample hood around his face. The last thing he wanted right now was someone to recognize him and know he was back in the Tower while he was scouting out for clothes.

There was no knowing who else was still in the Tower, after all.
---



Cafeteria

It was a hooded figure dressed in white that snuck out of the elevator, and was it just his imagination or did it take a lot longer than it used to? He would explore later, right now it was probably a good idea to get that damn oatmeal and find some place to hide and think before he faced the Tower again.

Grumbling under his breath, he grabbed a bowl of the stuff and started to head for the staircase again. Then he paused, and went back. Was that beer?

---


Meadow

Still no sign of clothing he could steal, but it seemed to get less important the longer he was here. It wasn't hard trudging up the staircase to the Meadow. He'd done it many times before, and was well versed in avoiding the hazards along the way, even on auto-pilot.

There was this overwhelming, smothering feeling that the Tower had shifted somehow while he was gone. Things looked right, but they didn't feel right, if anything could feel right.

He sat down in the flowers here, holding some wine he had taken from the Cafeteria, wondering when they had started serving alcohol there.

Being in the meadow reminded him... oh, Shiva. Elena... Elena. How long had it been? Weeks? Years? She'd been all alone... Would she even be here?

Somewhere along the way, he had stopped thinking, started forgetting. The wedding; Ruana, and Zo...
Ganondorf's party crashing, the way Elena looked walking along the aisle, Axel, Shion, and Xion.

He needed that drink more than ever.

Comments

Meadow it is then

[savedbyasong]

And here is his clothing. Except it is on Shion for the time being, he's grown a great deal more since Reno last saw him. He's carrying Reno's EMR as well, though it's in his belt, he has a lot of papers in his hands. He likes the meadow it helps him think and he needs to try and put together the data he has learned so far from studying the collar liquid.

He saw the head of red hair in the flowers and double took. Expecting it to be someone else, a look alike.

But there once again. "Reno..." Papers fluttered to the ground.

[midgarhorizon]

So much for keeping quiet for a while. Reno looked up to see who it was, and wasn't at all surprised to see Shion there. He was surprised to see that Shion was wearing his clothes... and EMR... hey!

"Shion, what're ya doing with my clothes!?" No wonder his trunk had been empty.

[attheclocktower]

Xion had been tagging along, the Great Fairy's Sword in one hand, ready to take care of some practicing while Shion did his studying. She hadn't wanted him to be off by himself, especially while he worked. She still was a bodyguard of sorts, after all.

As it turned out though, she was just as distracted as Shion was, settling herself almost immediately into a battle stance, preparing to start a few practice patterns. Until she heard Shion's exclamation, and turned, unbelieving, even as Reno shouted right back.

She stared, the Great Fairy's Sword hanging limply in her hand, threatening to suddenly tumble out of nerveless fingers.

She was older too than Reno had last seen her. Taller, her hair slightly longer. But the biggest difference was in how she carried herself. Less like the shy nervous girl he'd met initially. Now she stood taller, her face much more set with determination. Though now it was blank with shock as she stared at him, struck dumb.

[savedbyasong]

"I'm sorry!" Shion squeaked, sounding all at once the frightened boy Reno had befriended a year and a half ago.

He looked at Xion, to check she was seeing this too, that this wasn't a hallucination. "You can have them back."

Meadow

[sunflowerfairy]

Yotsuba sometimes came into the meadow to play around or read or make flower crowns. She wasn't quite sure what, exactly, she would do here today, but she was sure that it would be fun! Of course, when she saw a person covered in a blanket, she grew curious and wandered over to investigate.

"Hello! Who are you?! Are you a good person?!"

[midgarhorizon]

What? Reno blinked, taken by surprise at that really frank and outright question and more than a little surprised that she'd gotten so close without him noticing. He must be getting soft.

Quick, need a name. ... Dammit, his mind went immediately blank, so he mumbled the first thing that came to mind, trying to disguise his voice deeper. "Roen."

Thinking on the second question for a heartbeat, he frowned, then replied in a firmer voice, still disguised. "No." Blunt, and to the point.

[sunflowerfairy]

The question was so that she could avoid any bad people that were in the Tower, since her Daddy had told her to be careful and avoid them-a lesson that was only further hammered into her when she was burned and murdered. Reno really didn't have to worry about disguising his voice-Yotsuba hadn't met him before, but the girl looked pretty shocked and wary when he said that he was a bad person and took a step back, a hand going into the pouch on her sash. In there was her sling and some ammo for it.

"..How come? What did you do?"

[midgarhorizon]

Holding back a snort, he almost smiled. "You think a bad guy is gonna tell ya what he did?" Reno was just being more honest about it than most would. A bad guy would say they were good either way. It all went back into that who-is-telling-the-truth? riddle.

"Besides, what the hell kinda question is that? If you ask someone if they're a good person, a bad one would just lie."

cafeteria;

[integrous]

[ When Reno turns around to walk back in the cafeteria, he happens to bump right into a girl who's walking there-- she only barely manages to balance herself so she won't fall over with her own tray of food, but she still frowns at him. ]

Hey! Watch where you're going!

[midgarhorizon]

[The bedsheet-robed figure gave her a long, level stare, before speaking in a carefully neutral tone.]

Why don't you? I don't got eyes in the back of my head.

[integrous]

W.. well, it's since I was walking here first, of course! [ It's not an entirely definite answer though, since she blushes a little as she says it out of embarassment - it's probably the first thing that came to mind. ]

I usually don't see you around here, either way..!

[midgarhorizon]

Yeah?

[Yep, that right there was one of his moods seeing how far he could disconcert someone. He just looks at her through the hood of his bedsheet.]

What does that got to do with it?

Meadow

[desireforchange]

Another redhead could be seen walking along the grassy area, looking fairly confused. When he noticed the other person, he paused. That person looked pretty much like how Luke felt. The light of the sacred flame slowly made his way over, sporting a very hesitant demeanor as he did. His expression seemed to beg for this stranger to hold answers. To what, though? What could he possibly hope to gain from a complete stranger... that seemed just a distraught as him?

"Are you new here?"

It sounded like the question could have easily been followed by an "as well". His voice seemed to match his face quite nicely, it holding a weakness that Luke did not recognize. He was not really this weak, so why could he not manage to shake this feeling?

sorry for this he knew the other luke

[midgarhorizon]

This one he recognized. Luke, wasn't it? It'd been a long time since he had seen him around, even before he got sent on his "trip." He had no idea that this Luke was a different one, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.

"No." The tone was disguised again, and Reno briefly wondered if Luke would see through it anyway. "Wouldn't matter if I was, anyway, Luke."

ah ha ha it's perfectly fine!

[desireforchange]

The red head frowned just slightly at the tone, a strange feeling creeping into his spine. Why did he get the feeling that this guy didn't like him? The question was immediately answered, though, as soon as his name was spoken. His frown fell into a look of mere confusion, and he was tilting his head and giving a weak smile.

"Sorry, but... how do you know my name?"

[midgarhorizon]

It wasn't that Reno disliked Luke, actually he thought the guy wasn't that bad, but he was trying to keep a low profile from people he'd known before. The last thing he wanted right now was Ganondorf to find out he was back in the Tower.

"...eh. Just got here?" That would explain a bit.

[woodpeckermaruta]

The fourteen-year-old had somehow managed to find himself getting used to this place. So used to it, in fact, that he is exploring new places. One such place happens to be the meadow. Upon arrival, he had not noticed the redhead. Ganta is too caught up in that Toto guy's words to really care about paying attention to his surroundings.

This does not prevent him from noticing when his gray eyes just so happen to land on the person, however. Blinking out of slight surprise, the Deadman pauses his steps. After a couple of seconds, he has the strong desire to go and check on that person. With that, he changes course and makes his way towards the stranger. He moves with slight caution, however, keeping in mind how dangerous some of the people can be in this place.

"Are you alright?"

He has a feeling that he knows the answer, realizing how dumb it is to even bother asking that question. How could anyone be "alright" in such a twisted place?

[midgarhorizon]

As much as Reno agreed with the sentiment, his palm met face, leaving a red mark on his forehead. His sarcastic side decided to rear its ugly head. "No, I'm hanging upside down on a meathook getting slowly eaten from the inside out by internal parasites."

Just exactly how many more people were living here now, that he kept getting interrupted regularly? The meadow wasn't a good place to go to be alone anymore, that was for sure. He'd find a better place later.

"Yeah, of course I'm fine."

[woodpeckermaruta]

The teenager has to give a weak-hearted smile at this. Yeah, he was right to feel dumb about asking that question. Maybe he should just leave this guy alone, then.

He has to sigh, though, considering he feels slightly compelled to go against his better judgement. Something tells him to stay and possibly help this guy feel better. Maybe Ganta is just lonely. Whatever the case, he is sitting down next to the person and giving him a sideways glance.

"Yeah, me neither."

Dorm halls; post tearful reunion

[sageprincess]

It has been weeks, weeks, since the scientific equipment was secured, yet as she goes over the notes she's collected and copied for Aria, Zelda can only think how they've barely gotten anywhere. Doc has tried to explain (something about unidentified molecular structures and having to go down to the atomic level), but the intricacies of it all are beyond her. All she can wonder is will we have enough time before the power dies...?

These are the thoughts that preoccupy her as she makes her way through the dorm halls, and these are the thoughts that make her very nearly crash into the hooded figure on her march back to the workshop. She darts to the side at the last minute, managing to avoid a head-on collision but still dislodging a sheet or two from the stack of notes she carries.

"Oh! My apologies, I was not looking where I was going," she offers immediately, kneeling to collect the lost papers. The bedsheet hood does a terrible job of hiding one's identity if they are being looked up at, however, and suddenly she's surprised for an entirely different reason. "Reno...?"

[midgarhorizon]

The voice startled him, moreso than the near collision. He knew that voice, and made a double take when she recognized him.

"Zelda?" He knelt down to pick up a loose sheet of paper, balancing on his heels, with his voice low so others who might happen to walk through wouldn't hear. "I didn't think you'd still be here..."

[sageprincess]

Ah, he knows who she is. That's... good, she supposes; it means this is indeed the Reno she knows and not some alternate version that's been plucked from yet another universe.

"Shall I take that positively or negatively?" she asks with a bit of wry amusement, straightening the stack of notes as she does. Really, the fact that she hasn't been sent back to Hyrule if only out of sheer frustration with her rebellious antics boggles her as well, but there's little use in wondering the whys of that particular question. But perhaps there's a bit of trepidation in her voice as well - she still blames herself for a great deal of the problems with Ganondorf, after all.

Cafeteria - and i am the latest ever

[acceptedoblivion]

[You'd think that after a run-in with Light knows how many hooded figures he'd stop even trying to communicate with them. Especially since, you know, he tended to wear one of those coats since his old clothes don't fit. Still, when he spied someone coming back for that foul-smelling stuff, he had to do a doubletake from his own meal.]

You know you have to finish the bowl first. [Right? Or did they miss the memo?]

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno paused in his rush to leave the cafeteria and tilted his head toward the familiar voice. This was... one of the Rikus, wasn't it?

Determining which one was a little more difficult.

What is "Awkward Situation" for 1,000, Alex.]

I'm only taking it for shits and giggles.

[acceptedoblivion]

[Yes, yes it was one of the Rikus. At least this one doesn't really care (as much) as his real counterpart.

But that's just something he'll have to figure out for himself. Not like he'll help explaining right off the bat.]

...Yeah, yeah. [...What's "shits and giggles"?] Sure you are.

[And his hair's really pink and he wields a scythe.]