Another place, another high tech device.

[odetothefallen]

Characters: [OU] Allen Walker, and you.
Setting: Room 1-06, Bathroom/Hallway, Floor 81, Floor 38, and Cafeteria.
Format: Either
Summary: Allen wakes up in the tower and finds himself in a situation he's familiar with.
Warnings: Mentions of violence, and head games.



Room 1-06

'Mana' was the cause of everything.

Allen snaps awake and jerks upright with a low hiss. For a second all he can see is where he'd been, on the wrecked city street with the Earl acting stranger than usual. He can still taste the dust in the air and the blood in his mouth. He gingerly reaches up touches the side of his mouth. The blood is still there, but it's dry. He lets his hand drop and looks around at last, his eyes taking in the plain walls and the strange surroundings.

What had happened between the last thing he'd remembered and now? He starts to move his head and notices something is around his neck. "What. The..." His hands come up and brush over metal. "A collar?" Had the Order come and caught him? Had the Earl? He traces the whole way around the metal collar and doesn't find any seam or lock that he could pick.

He finally notices a letter sitting innocently near by and picks it up. Maybe it has an answer for him.

Bathroom/Hallway

His world destroyed? That didn't seem right. It had to be a joke. Within the confines of the bathroom Allen stares into the mirror and uses it to study the thing around his neck. It's not like any sort of collar he's ever seen before. What is with the fluid streaming through it? He taps it with a finger and goes back to washing his face and cleaning up the blood and dust from his person.

He's not going to touch the showers. It could be some trap to catch him. He pauses at that thought and grips the sink. The cool porcelain feels good under his fingers and he laughs quietly. "Maybe I'm being too paranoid." His reflection doesn't answer.

At least the shadow that used to lurk just beyond it is gone. That's better than nothing.

Floor 81

He's seen some really strange sights as he's made his way down the stairs. It's all been so familiar that he can't shake the feeling that Nea might have called the Ark to save them. The idea makes him a little sick. If that's the reality then...he needs to get away from Johnny and Kanda now. Not later. With the cuffs missing he can run to the farthest corners of the world and elude them.

He halts in the middle of walking and stares at nothing. Does he really want to run from them? They said they were trying to help (Kanda did in his own way). As much as he doesn't like to admit it, it's been nice having people around. Allen shakes his head and steps onto the new floor, surprised that he's in something that looks normal.

He perks up at the sight of windows. They look dangerous but he can just use Crowned clown if something happens. ...if it will obey him. He strides to get a good look at just where he is.

Floor 38

Another floor that seems normal. After the last one, Allen's wary. Only the Ark is capable of moving people to impossible places. The tower seems similar and he doesn't like the idea of it one bit. He hasn't seen hide or hair of Timcampy and that bothers him just as much as the rest of the situation. Whatever had taken him. It had singled him out.

This floor is made of glass, and like last time he saw something with a view, he peers about. The uneasy feeling that's been persisting and nagging at him the more he descends, eases just a little bit. Being below the clouds is closer to the ground. He doesn't have a fear of heights but the last view had been alarming. Even the tower the Order had called home didn't reach that high.

Anyone who ventures onto this floor will find him staring down at the floor with a frown on his face.

Cafeteria

Until he knows what's in the food, Allen is going to refuse to eat. He sits at a table by himself with some water and drinks it slowly. He's seen some people as he passes through down the stairs and some really...strange sights. He'd had to go find some spot and dry heave after the flesh and organs floor he'd seen on his way down. All of it just couldn't be done by normal means. Only someone or something that can move through time and space. Allen keeps watching anyone who passes by and sips his water.

Staring is rude but he's a bit too tired and off his usual mood to care. Every now and then he tugs at the collar and tries to yank it off. he'll growl every time he's met with failure. Why do high tech inventions keep being used on him?!

Comments

Cafeteria

[floreatnoctem]

Are you new?

[Chidori's sudden presence might be surprising, especially as she tends to cloak herself when she's working- but this is another new face, and therefore she feels inclined to see if something is the matter. The redhead tilts her head slightly, blinks once slowly, and then adds-]

Have you tried to eat yet?

[odetothefallen]

[Allen almost leaps out of his chair in surprise. Where had she come from?? He hadn't even sensed her presence until she was upon him.

He turns a sheepish little smile on her and sips his water again.] I haven't eaten anything. Why?

[floreatnoctem]

Apologies.

[She's not actually sorry for surprising him, but she does have some semblance of manners.]

Well, if you plan to try, I really would advise the oatmeal first. Otherwise, how sick you'll get isn't even a bit funny.

[odetothefallen]

[Allen sets his cup down. People getting sick unless they eat oatmeal? Is the rest poisoned? His smile is replaced with a frown.] Why is it like that? Is the rest poisoned?

Floor 38

[lotuslover]

Kanda isn't in a very good mood at this point. He's had far too many run ins with people and some not the most pleasant. He's been trying to find a floor that might be emptier, if not completely empty.

He looks into this floor- "Allen?"

[odetothefallen]

He has no idea how to feel right now. Allen looks up from the floor and turns towards the direction Kanda's voice had come from. "Kanda. Do you have any idea where we are?" It's not home.

The unsettling message bothers him. His grey eyes narrow when he spots the collar around his comrade's neck. The fluid's color is just a shade of purple different from his. Is it because Kanda's of their weapon types? Or something else?

He starts walking towards him while tugging at his collar. There's no give to it at all. It's as if they intended it to be worn for the rest of their lives. Not a happy thought. "How long have you been here?"

[lotuslover]

"How should I know?" He would have thought maybe it's because of the Arc, but he wasn't even around Allen before he ended up here. "Not very long. Maybe some hours at most. I was talking to General Tiedoll whe-" That's right.

He's momentarily forgotten about what just happened. The pain he felt that was just like when he was trying to resonate with the Innocence. Agreeing to being a General. Timcanpy not regenerating.

"Where's Timcanpy? Is he with you?" It's a dumb question in all honesty, but he has to make sure.

[Floor 81]

[bloodyashes]

[In a beanbag near the windows, there's a redhead threading beads onto string. At the sound of footsteps, he looks up, ready to stash away his project if there's too much risk of discovery.

Whoever the kid is, though, it's not whoever Asch doesn't want seeing him. In fact, he doesn't really recognize the kid much at all.]

Let me guess, you're new.

[An oldbie can always tell.]

[odetothefallen]

How is it possible a tower is high enough to be above the clouds? It's hard to believe what he's seeing just below his feet. Allen has seen some incredible things before but this is...impossible. He doesn't have time to contemplate it or to worry. Someone else is in the room.

His eyes don't leave the foggy haze. "Is it that obvious?" He doesn't let himself tense up. Whoever it is, they might give him some answers. "This doesn't look like saving us at all." He adds. Just responding to them won't get him anywhere.

mixed format threads HELL YES

[bloodyashes]

It's mostly the newbies who show up here looking lost and stare out the window.

[Since the elevator stops here, and most newcomers either progress that way or try climbing the stairs from one end or the other. The second comment gets a disdainful snort.]

They're not. They just like to wrap up hell in fancy paper.

Cafeteria

[taintedwhite]

A newcomer with white hair sitting all by himself is bound to immediately attract Shiro's attention. She saunters happily towards his table and sits right next to him, grinning widely.

"Hey! Mister's new?"

She notices the way he's tugging at his collar and nods knowingly.

"Shiro doesn't like the collar either. But Shiro was told not to take it off." So she doesn't. Even if she could pretty easily. Also when she says she was told not to, she doesn't mean by Jason or any other administrator of the Tower. She means by people she cares about or else she just wouldn't have listened. "Does Mister know they didn't even give Shiro candy when she went to have her collar checked?" Shiro's pouting as she says that. This remained kind of a sore spot.

Re: Cafeteria

[odetothefallen]

In all of his life, Allen hasn't met anyone that reminds him of Road. Until now. It's a little creepy. He smiles anyway, sure that not everyone is as odd as the Noah. If she is well, that's to be dealt with if it comes up. "Ah, maybe they don't have any candy."

Or anything one wants to be given. 'They' is something. He sets his water down to keep talking. "Who are 'they'?" What is their real agenda? "Can these collars actually come off?" Being told not to remove them could mean a lot of things and he wants to know if the information matches what he's been told by other people. He's not sure he wants to find out. But the feeling of metal around his throat is unsettling and restrictive. Allen doesn't like it.

"Sorry to ask so many questions."

[taintedwhite]

The comparison is... pretty apt actually. Poor Allen.

"Oh they do have candy! Shiro knows."

Shiro gently laughs at that. "It's okay. Questions are not bad. Sometimes answers are, though." She touches her collar. "Shiro is sure she could take her collar if she wanted to. Shiro is very strong. But Tohko said Shiro should not. Because they would maybe be mad at Shiro for that and it would make Tohko sad. ...And 'they' are the people at the infirmary who are checking the collars, of course!"

Bathroom/Hallway

[longwinded]

[John has been doing his daily "get out of his room for an hour or two" thing when he runs into Allen in the bathroom. Ah, that look on his face is sure familiar.]

If I were you, I wouldn't fuck with that too much. [You don't really want to mess with your life, or do like he did and rebelled against getting the liquid changed.]

You're new, yeah?

[odetothefallen]

[There's still so much blood and dirt all over Allen's face when he hears the strange boy speak up. He keeps facing the mirror and sighs. New. Yes, he is. But to where?]

What happens if I 'mess' too much with this? [He reaches up with his right hand and taps the metal. He doesn't want to surprise him and his left hand would do exactly that.] I got here today.

...a few hours ago.

[longwinded]

[John throws him the wash rag he was going to use to wash his own face with. He was dirty, and he guesses his own hygiene could wait.]

Well, that stuff in there is your soul, or something like that. Messing with it really isn't advised. [Man just wait till Allen experiences a glamour failure!]

Do you know where you are?

cafeteria

[terreifying]

[And here's Rei walking by with an absolutely massive plate of food. Without saying anything, she walks to Allen's table, pulls out a chair, and starts wolfing down the food at an absolutely inhuman speed. She's so absorbed in her food that for a moment, she doesn't even notice the other person at the table. It's only when she takes a break in eating that she lifts her head, noting that the boy is only drinking water.]

Hey, how come you aren't eating?

[odetothefallen]

[His stomach growls loudly at the sight and smell of the food Rei has stacked up on her plate. Is that what he looks like when he wolfs down everything? He starts when she asks him a question and feels a little silly.] Ah. I wasn't sure the food was safe.

[He's still not. But, she's eating just fine isn't she?]

[terreifying]

It's usually safe. Sometimes it tastes nasty, but I don't think anyone's been poisoned yet!

[She scarfs down some more food before continuing.]

...Though...eating anything other than oatmeal makes people throw up.

Here, have another green-eyed redhead that ISN'T Lavi

[desireforchange]

The eyes cause him to abruptly stop, and he is momentarily staring back. Curiosity rests on his face, before he offers an encouraging smile. This guy looks the way Luke felt when he first arrived. He's beginning to get the hang of spotting new people. After all, they show up around the same time, every month. Without saying a word, Luke moves to sit down next to the stranger.

The replica doesn't mind taking some time to help a newcomer settle in. He knows, firsthand, how much easier it makes things when you have someone there to answer questions.

"This must be your first day," he pauses lean his back against the table, "Go ahead, you can ask me anything. I may be somewhat new, but I've had all of my questions answered by trustworthy people."

With that, he offers a gentle, but weary smile.

I feel so blessed.

[odetothefallen]

It's the smiles and the words that ease some of the tension out of Allen's shoulders. He offers a tired smile of his own and sets his cup down. "Is the food safe or is it drugged?" It probably is safe, but you never know. He isn't about to take the risk. If this person is willing to answer questions he's going to chatter on until he knows everything he can.

Maybe there's a way out and he go back home, back to where he has to run and find the answers before time runs out. ...but if it's true. No.

It can't be true.

Everyone is okay.

It will all be okay.

Excellent. <3

[desireforchange]

Luke nods with yet another smile--this time a little more encouragingly.

"The food is safe, but... it's complicated. You have to eat the oatmeal, first, in order to be able to stomach the rest of the food."

Tilting his head to the side just a bit, he furrows his brow.

"It is strange, though. Either way, nobody's ever gotten sick from eating the regular food, unless it was without eating the oatmeal. And I've definitely never heard of anyone dying from it..."

The redhead takes another sip of his drink, before realizing that he's telling the guy all this... while sitting there without food. How ironic.

[woodpeckermaruta]

The Deadman blinks at the voice within the bathroom, before stepping out of the shower, right hand using the towel to scrub at his hair. Already fully dressed, he rounds the corner to give a concerned look to the white-haired stranger. His left hand carries a bag of what looks to be clothes.

"No, you should be wary of certain things in this place."

Wow, that isn't going to help this newcomer, at all, is it? Ganta sighs and shakes his head, offering a faint apologetic expression. Tossing the towel over his shoulder, absentmindedly, he tilts his head to the side a bit. He studies the stranger a moment, before speaking in a low tone.

"Sorry, this place isn't exactly... easy to stay positive in," he pauses a moment, scratching at the lower part of his cheek with a finger, "You're new, right? My name's Ganta and I've been here nearly two months. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

[odetothefallen]

He nearly chokes on water, starting at the sudden voice when he'd been sure no one had been around. Allen scrubs blood away from his mouth before he looks over his shoulder. He looks back at the mirror. Does violet mean new? Will the color change later? He looks back at Ganta and shuts off the water. "Why is the fluid violet? What is this collar for?"

He's considered getting it off. Allen hasn't missed the collar snug around Ganta's throat. Why does he keep running into tech made to contain people? His luck with it always sucks. With the thought in mind he adds, "It's not going to shock me at any time, will it?" Stupid science department and their crazy inventions have him wary of anything that clamps onto his person.

[woodpeckermaruta]

Ganta scratches just above his own indigo collar, a frown appearing on his face. He feels bad for scaring the person. At the questions, the frown turns into a look that implies he really feels bad. It's the first question he's asked, and he doesn't know the answer to it. He's never heard of it shocking anyone, though. That's better than nothing, he supposes. Sighing, he gives a defeated shrug.

"Honestly, I have no idea why they gave certain people certain colors. And none of us has figured out what they're for. They're working on it, though. As for... shocking you. I doubt it will do that, since I've never heard of that happening."

The Deadman pauses a moment, before adding in a bitter tone, "At least it's not injecting poison into our veins at a steady rate, though."

He appears to realize just how scary that might sound to someone who doesn't know his story, "Ah... that's... never mind. You don't have to worry about the collar, I don't think. Oh, and... I do know that when you get close to death, the fluid loses it's color. So, I guess... in a way, it's an indicator to how much time we have left before we die."

He shrugs, "That's just a guess I have. I haven't spoken with any of the science team members--they're the ones trying to study them. Oh, and... you can't take it off. I've tried, and... it doesn't work."