towerofanimus | With a thousand lies and a good disguise

Entry tags:

With a thousand lies and a good disguise

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.

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Ganta turns his head to completely look at the redhead, the faint smile grew just a bit. This strange made a valid point, suddenly reminding the Deadman of someone from back at the prison. In spite of the slight sadness at that memory, he shakes it off and his voice is just a bit more cheerful.

"Yeah. Otherwise, we'd be giving in to this place... giving it exactly what it wants," he pauses a moment to look down, "Focusing on the people we care about is really all we have, so we might as well do it with everything in us!"

Suddenly a smile breaks across his lips and he looks up a moment. Yeah... that's right. It isn't only about surviving in this place. It's about hanging on to yourself. Remembering who you are. He has to laugh a bit at this realization.

All that uplifting, and then Reno opened his mouth again. "And then they disappear, leavin' ya alone."

Seriously, could he have thought of anything more depressing than that? But it was what he was dealing with. Something he... never quite knew how to deal with. Not when the turks had lost Veld, certainly not when Zirconaide happened and they were down to three. He always trudged on then, but dammit, not anymore.

This brings a frown to his face, before he appears to realize something. Scratching the side of his face with a single finger, he stares up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, but we still have to remain strong, I think. How would they feel if they saw us giving up in their absence? Heh... I know my friends would probably yell at me, right now, if they'd seen me... when I first arrived."

His voice had softened at the last part. A momentary look of sadness flashes across his face, "Everyone's lost people they care about. I think the important thing is to keep their memory strong and move forward."

Really, Ganta's words don't have as much conviction as he had hoped.

"Giving up what?" The question he posed wasn't just an idle one. It'd been one he thought a lot about before and after he had gone home, but never one he had found the answer for. "We can't suicide. What we can do? Not much. So what exactly are we givin' up?"

"Ourselves," Ganta said this as though it were quite obvious what he had been talking about.

His expression was rather soft, the hint of his wavering conviction remaining there. He would fight to hold on to that last bit of who is was, though; even if there was doubt lurking in the back of his mind.

"I know it's hard to even think about doing, but... if we don't hold on to who we are, then that's it. The Tower wins."

The tone was neutral, and it would be hard to tell what Reno was thinking without seeing his expression, but he tilted his head. "And what'd ya do if we weren't who we thought?" Because there was always that very real, very scary possibility.

Ganta's expression wavered, before finally falling somewhere between confused and worried. He sat down a couple of feet away from Reno, leaning back on his hands. He stared up, his eyes narrowing slightly. Glancing at Reno, he has a firm expression on his face.

"I know who I am," his tone is matching is face, for the first time since they started talking.

"They're... not going to win, because I refuse to let them. I'm going to get me and Shino out of here... and we're going to return home, together."

His last two sentences were spoken mostly to himself, with him looking down at the ground.

"Yeah? I just came back from my home." Reno leaned forward on his bent knees, letting the fabric pool on the ground.

The thought seemed to depress him, and he fell into silence, looking at the grass and flowers that made up the meadow. That feeling of being... lost, not sure what to do, it wasn't something he was used to at all.

Ganta gives a startled expression to Reno. Really? That's a joke, right?

"S-seriously...?"

The black-haired teen's brow furrows as he seems to realize just how serious the redhead had sounded. His eyes shift to the ground as he asks the burning question.

"How often does that... happen to people? The coming and going?"

It wasn't a joke; if it was, it was a joke on him. On the universe. On everything he thought was real and existed.

"Yeah, way too often. You wake up one day with your best friend in the next room over, then the next day, he's gone." That had pretty much happened with Rude... and Rod. Elena. Tseng... Rufus. Even Hojo, not that he wanted Hojo anywhere near in a place like this.

The Deadman's face tenses, as does his entire body. If this guy is telling the truth, which... he genuinely seems to be doing, then this place is even worse than he had realized. Ganta breath hitches at this realization.

"The next day...," he repeats that part of the man's sentence.

He has to get his mind off of this, "B-by the way, my name's Ganta."

No, that didn't work. He has tears coming to his eyes. The very thought of Shiro suddenly just vanishing... is too much. The fourteen-year-old angrily wipes at his eyes. Damn it, this isn't the time for tears! Ganta looks away from Reno, a sniff managing to escape as he continues wiping at his eyes.

Aww, shit. That made, what, three times today he made a kid cry? He issued a rough, exasperated sigh.

"Hey, kid, you're gonna get nowhere like that. Get pissed off, yell a bit. Scream at the administrators. It's all right. Just don't cry. You get to be too easy a target for monsters when ya mope."

"Sorry, I'm fine! I'm fine," he furiously wipes at his eyes, forcing himself to just... be okay.

Shaking his head, he gives a firm expression to the stranger, "I know, I didn't mean to... cry," suddenly a faintly bitter laugh escapes his throat, "Sometimes, I wonder if that's all I'm good for, after all."

His brow furrows angrily, "Everyone had faith in me, yet I couldn't even stop them from..."

He stops, realizing he's said way too much. He tenses a bit, then looks to the side, "By the way, what's your name?"

Glancing over at the boy, Reno suffered a moment of indecision. The kid looked like he could use a friend, but that didn't necessarily mean Reno had to be it. The place was a shit hole, with megalomaniac terrors running it, and more than likely the cause of all the destruction. But...

"Roen." He decided to keep his mouth shut after that, since saying anything more would probably just depress the kid. There was nothing positive he could say, because really, this was the worst place ever. What was with all the kids crying, anyway? His count was up to... three? Four? It was getting to be a long day...

Ganta pauses a moment, mulling over the conversation for a moment. Gray eyes rest on the redhead, as he silently scratches the back of his head. He feels really bad about crying, because he has a feeling that he just made Roen feel bad.

"Nice to meet you, Roen," his voice finally breaks into the silence, "By the way, um... If you find a girl with white hair and red eyes that goes by Shiro, mind telling her that Ganta is looking for her? She should be able to find me, no problem, if you do that."

He shifts a bit, a soft smile appearing on his lips at that fact. Shiro used to annoy him so badly with that, but... what he wouldn't give for her to pop up, like that, right now. He then whispers with a frown, "You tell me you're a Deadman, then go and disappear on me..."

Reno didn't feel bad, not really. It wasn't his fault; it was the hell tower they'd gotten dumped in, and he didn't think sugar coating it was going to make it burn any less. It was just, why was everyone crying today?

He'd been about to answer in the positive when he overheard the strange comment at the end, and froze for a second. "Deadman?"

Ganta has a slight guilty conscience thing going on, so he currently assumes he's constantly doing something to make people feel bad. He blinks at the question, as though he had not realized he was saying that out loud.

"Uh... Well. Deadmen are what people who have a unique ability are called, where I'm from," he scratches the side of his face, a moment, "People like me."

He waits to see if this Roen guy wants to hear more, before he continues.

Edited 2013-09-09 10:30 (UTC)

"Huh..." It wasn't any more strange than other stories he had heard in this place, but he didn't need to know every detail.

"Bet they're around here somewhere, if you've seen them. This place only has so many floors, y'know." Let him think of that what he will. Reno had been in the Tower long enough to see multiple additions to the floors. There was still no where else to go other than what They decided to put in the place.

Edited 2013-09-16 02:12 (UTC)

Ganta nods, before scratching the side of his head, "Right."

After a couple of seconds, he frowns a bit and speaks in a bitter tone, "People randomly vanish from here, though... right? She could be gone."

He's heard about it from a couple of people, including this guy here. To have people coming and going, like that. It's a scary thought. If she is gone, he doesn't know what he'll do--she's his only friend, after all. He mutters the next part.

"In this whole shitty place, she's the only friend I have. If she's gone, I don't know what the hell to do... Heh."

I don't know what to do.

The voice echoed in his head for a moment, though on the outside he seemed to be thinking.

"...We all go through that, kid. You stay any time here, you'll find someone you can trust that won't vanish as easily."

Despite all odds, and all his beliefs to the contrary, he had to admit it was true. He had found some people he trusted, and even others who might be worthy of it. It had been so... difficult? He almost wanted to say torturous, but... Yeah. It'd been difficult letting them know who exactly he was, past and all.

It seemed like the guy was trying, but Ganta still couldn't even pretend to be fine. Shifting in his stance, he put a hand to the back of his head.

"I know... I know I'm not the only one. I know everyone here's lost at least someone," he paused and looked at the ground, "I wish I could believe you were right about the second part--I really do. It'd be nice to at least have that hope."

Dropping his hand he furrowed his brow, "Sorry, forget I said anything. That sounded pathetic."

"Nah," it was a chipper negation, already sounding upbeat to try and get the kid's spirits up again. "It doesn't. You just got to keep trying."

There were a lot of people still in the Tower. A lot of people had left. Some seemed as immoveable as the Tower itself, and Reno had seen a lot in his time there, but only real experience would help the kid out, he figured.

The hood tilted, Reno's eyes catching light as he looked Ganta over. The kid was strong, he decided, he'd make it. "Yeah, I can see it. You'll figure this place out and start mentorin' the new kids. Tell 'em all about it. You make yourself essential around, understand?"

He looks... surprised. For a moment, he just stares at the older man. Expression softening a bit, he actually smiles and looks down. Make himself essential, huh? After a couple of seconds, he nods, "...Right."

Sure the words were from a stranger, but they reminded him of a certain someone back home. It was a welcome nostalgic feeling.

Senji would have kicked his ass for acting how he'd acted, though...

Forcing a firm expression, he nods and looks back to the covered man, "Thank you."

Mentoring, though, is not something he's so sure about. Maybe he could learn, though.

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With a thousand lies and a good disguise

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