towerofanimus | (no subject)

Characters: Nina Fortner and YOU.
Setting: Starting in dorm 01-15, then moving out into the hallways and various communal rooms of the Tower.
Format: I'm starting with prose, but I'll match you!
Summary: Nina wakes up in the Tower, and then tries to figure out what's going on.
Warnings: None!

The first thing Nina realized, as soon as she was jolted awake, was that she couldn't move. It was terrifying, to have all her muscles so unmoveable no matter how hard she willed herself to sit up, or even twitch. But it was also, thankfully, short-lived. Seconds passed, and she could move. First she flexed her fingers, just to confirm to herself that the paralysis had faded, and then immediately she was up and out of bed.

Her surroundings resembled a dormitory, and Nina was sure she didn't recognize them. Fear and desperation melted into confusion as she tried to piece together where she was and how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was running madly through the rain in Ruhenheim, desperate to get to her brother and Dr. Tenma before it was too late. Desperate to tell Johan what she knew she had to tell him. She was even wearing the same clothes she'd been wearing then, although they were suddenly and miraculously dry now.

Of course, even in her confusion, it didn't take Nina long to find the notes, explaining where she was and what had happened. She felt first incredulous, and then like her heart was being ripped and shredded into many small pieces. She even gasped loudly, her eyes widening when she finished reading. No! No, it couldn't be true! She was finally going to tell Johan that she forgave him, and now it was over? Just like that? It felt like something out of a nightmare, but it all felt too real to be a dream.

Her mind raced to the others from her world. Were they here, too, then? Had they been saved? Or was she simply going crazy? Was this all the fevered delusion of someone who had finally lost her mind for good? What was going on? She didn't have to long to ponder those questions, though. As she sat staring down at the letters, their words long since having turned to unreadable blurs in front of her vision, she heard the door open. Immediately, Nina's head snapped up at the sound, long blonde hair swishing with the sudden movement.

She was face to face with a complete and total stranger.

But that didn't mean she had to be hostile. "Hi," Nina ventured, not suspiciously, but a little unsteadily and uncertainly. Maybe this girl could tell her something that would make any of this make sense.

***

It was sometime later that Nina ventured out into the hallways, looking around as she did. She was determined to find out everything she could about her new surroundings, and the people staying in them. She would leave no metaphorical rock underturned, and no door to any shared room unopened. Not only that, but she took it upon herself to address the first non-preoccupied person her eyes fell on. She wasn't going to do anything rash, but there were still a few things she had to know, and no telling who might be able to help her.

"Hello," she said, a little less unsteady this time but still soft, and clearly tired. Still, she did manage a smile, at least.

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[Ed had just come up the stairs and quite honestly he doesn't look that great either. Judging by the circles under his eyes he hasn't been sleeping very well lately. He offers a small smile in return.]

Hey. I don't think I've seen you here before, did you just get here?

[There's a little noise of surprise at that, before Nina quickly bobs her head up and down.]

Yes, that's right. Are new arrivals that frequent here?

Taiki smiled nervously as the girl walked past him, he had not seen this girl before, which was good. Because that meant he had not been rude to them, he had no idea what had come over him these last few weeks but he was feeling better now

"Hello." He nodded and smiled politely.

Edited 2011-11-07 14:09 (UTC)

The boy seemed friendly enough. He was certainly willing to help, which was both good and lucky, considering she was a stranger to him. "I'm sorry to bother you," she said, trying and largely failing not to sound completely drained. "But I had some questions about this place. You're a captive too, aren't you?"

Taiki smiled politely, "It is no bother..." He was happy to answer questions provided he had the answers, though there was probably much more useful people about who could help her more.

"Yes... I am, everyone is apart from those with the red collars."

Absentmindedly, Nina's hand drifted up to her own collar. She made no effort to take it off, but let her hand slide gently over it, fingers tracing the outline of the orange liquid within.

"That's right, these collars... Why are we wearing these?"

Taiki touched his own as well, his was blue. He shrugged. "I don't know... sorry... no one does. We can't take them off though, and we have to have them checked. I heard... some people were saying it makes sure we can breathe here."

Fran's making her usual swaying walk back to her own dorm, finally realizing despite the lack of an easily observable day-night cycle that oh dear, she probably should have been resting a good handful of hours ago.

That's when someone sounding as worn-out as she is calls for attention, and is standing non-threateningly in her path. Well. She'll keep this chat short.

"Hi there."

It was good luck that this girl was willing to help her, especially given that it seemed like Nina wasn't the only one who was off-kilter. Not that anyone else could be blamed. This was so bizarre. Nina was surprised there wasn't more panicking.

"I had a few questions for you. I hope you don't mind."

Questions, huh..? Well, if she argues it will just take longer to finish this interaction. Fran supposes she can answer some questions. She nods.

"I'll answer to the best of my ability."

That earns Fran a tiny, grateful little smile from Nina. "Thank you." Nina doesn't want to take up too much of Fran's time. But some things just can't be confirmed from a note alone, especially since she doesn't have any idea who wrote it.

"Our... our homes have been destroyed? Is that really true?"

..well, of course that's the first thing she asks. Fran sighs and crosses her arms, not quite sure how to respond to that, especially fatigued as she is.

"All evidence I've seen so far points to that. This place holds quite a few mysteries, however, and I'm beginning to suspect its governors are not candid with the truth."

Nina nods. She can feel her heart start to race at the thought of her home, and the people she cared about it within it, being completed destroyed. All those happy memories, all those people... ruined. Over.

Erased.

It's too much to bear. Behind her eyes, tears form, but she doesn't actually cry and instead forces herself to go on.

"What kind of mysteries?" she presses. "Is there anyone I could go to information from? Anyone who might be willing to talk to me?"