Jade Curtiss (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sarcasmancer) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
towerofanimus2013-12-06 10:48 pm
sarcasmancer) wrote in towerofanimus2013-12-06 10:48 pm
1. Wisdom
[Characters]: Jade Curtiss, OPEN
[Setting]: Room 1-06, Floor 5, 19, 45, Cafeteria.
[Format]: Prose to begin, but I'll follow your lead if there's something else you prefer.
[Summary]: Jade's arrival in the Tower and what he finds there.
[Warnings]: Mild creepiness on Floor 45 but nothing more than that. Yet.
[Edit]: I had Jade looking up information on the Tower on Floor 19. Someone gave me a head's up that there aren't any texts about the Tower itself in the libraries, which is mentioned in the desc for Floor 3 but not 19, which is what I focused on. That's my bad, and it's been fixed. Sorry!
- Room 1-06 -
When he had gone to bed, the night over Grand Chokmah had been still and warm and calm. Could the world really have ended on so peaceful a night?
The note that greets Jade Curtiss when he awakens in a room with an unfamiliar ceiling says so, at least. He pulls himself upright, frowning at any of his new roommates should any of them be present--and if not, simply frowning at the clearly lived-in room simply for being--and then reads the note carefully.
His expression does not change for a moment. Then the fingertips of his left hand rest on the bridge of his spectacles while he sighs.
He is out of bed, ignoring for the moment the suitcase that is set up at the foot of it, and examining himself and the blue-liquid collar around the top of his neck, just above the collar of his usual military uniform, in the first mirror he's able to locate.
Then he is out, only briefly in the corridor outside his dorm room before he heads to the most logical first destination.
-------
- Floor 5 -
Jade silently observes the state of the world on the other side of the viewing station screen: everything dead and dust, from the humans to the planet to the stars. He rests a hand on his chin as he watches, a troubled look on his face. He spends a long time in front of the viewscreen, changing angles and locations and so forth. The vision of destruction never changes despite his efforts. In time, Jade turns his back on it, one hand in his pocket, one holding his spectacles in place as the glare from the overhead lights obscures his eyes, and walks away.
-------
- Floor 19 -
It had started in the more general library, which Jade had lingered in for no more than a minute until he was informed of where the actual research texts could be found. Then he brought himself here, and considers the many, many blank spots on the shelves, including and especially the entirely empty history section.
He sighs for the second time that day. "One would think that these 'benefactors' would go to more effort to hide the fact that they're hiding something," he laments out loud, despite being in a library.
Nonetheless, he flips through a few of the remaining astral projection books, then returns them to their correct spots and finds himself a relatively comprehensive text on magical theory; something on the Tower itself would have been ideal, but he hasn't been able to find anything on the topic. At least he can compare and contrast "magic" with the fonic artes he knows. He removes the text and takes it with him to a suitably squishy chair, where he begins to peruse it. However intense his concentration, though, he's not so absorbed that he'd be unable to notice anyone approaching.
That would just be foolish.
-------
- Floor 45 -
After familiarizing himself with the nature of his new "home," the man known as the Necromancer brings himself to one of the observatory levels. He strolls up to the glass walls, peering through the cracks in the clouds at the empty sky. He's about to turn to leave when motion in his peripheral vision catches his attention, and he turns his head to regard something that might be human if if it weren't clinging upside-down to the outside of a glass wall on cloud level.
And, of course, it didn't have waxy corpse-gray skin stretched all over where its face should be.
Like a lizard, it creeps slowly down, then across, before coming to a halt in front of the long-haired man. Jade watches it without moving. It watches--for a relative value of "watches" given that it has no eyes--him back. When he steps to one side, it follows; when he steps back, it skitters around on himself and winds that way too. As the skies gradually begin to redden, a couple more of the faceless things crawl in, and he amuses himself for a time by walking slowly back and forth across the room and watching as he gradually leads a chain around the circumference of the floor like the Pied Piper of faceless horrors.
-------
- Cafeteria -
Jade is tempted, once night falls, to go hunting for monsters. For the nonce, he opts instead to get his first meal, having not bothered to eat all day. He heeds the warning and takes a bowl of hot, plain oatmeal as his first meal, then carries it to the first empty seat he finds and eats with all the resigned resolution of a soldier. His expression is somewhat distant as he eats, but the moment anyone speaks to him, it transforms into a pleasant smile.
This may be a trap.
[Setting]: Room 1-06, Floor 5, 19, 45, Cafeteria.
[Format]: Prose to begin, but I'll follow your lead if there's something else you prefer.
[Summary]: Jade's arrival in the Tower and what he finds there.
[Warnings]: Mild creepiness on Floor 45 but nothing more than that. Yet.
[Edit]: I had Jade looking up information on the Tower on Floor 19. Someone gave me a head's up that there aren't any texts about the Tower itself in the libraries, which is mentioned in the desc for Floor 3 but not 19, which is what I focused on. That's my bad, and it's been fixed. Sorry!
- Room 1-06 -
When he had gone to bed, the night over Grand Chokmah had been still and warm and calm. Could the world really have ended on so peaceful a night?
The note that greets Jade Curtiss when he awakens in a room with an unfamiliar ceiling says so, at least. He pulls himself upright, frowning at any of his new roommates should any of them be present--and if not, simply frowning at the clearly lived-in room simply for being--and then reads the note carefully.
His expression does not change for a moment. Then the fingertips of his left hand rest on the bridge of his spectacles while he sighs.
He is out of bed, ignoring for the moment the suitcase that is set up at the foot of it, and examining himself and the blue-liquid collar around the top of his neck, just above the collar of his usual military uniform, in the first mirror he's able to locate.
Then he is out, only briefly in the corridor outside his dorm room before he heads to the most logical first destination.
-------
- Floor 5 -
Jade silently observes the state of the world on the other side of the viewing station screen: everything dead and dust, from the humans to the planet to the stars. He rests a hand on his chin as he watches, a troubled look on his face. He spends a long time in front of the viewscreen, changing angles and locations and so forth. The vision of destruction never changes despite his efforts. In time, Jade turns his back on it, one hand in his pocket, one holding his spectacles in place as the glare from the overhead lights obscures his eyes, and walks away.
-------
- Floor 19 -
It had started in the more general library, which Jade had lingered in for no more than a minute until he was informed of where the actual research texts could be found. Then he brought himself here, and considers the many, many blank spots on the shelves, including and especially the entirely empty history section.
He sighs for the second time that day. "One would think that these 'benefactors' would go to more effort to hide the fact that they're hiding something," he laments out loud, despite being in a library.
Nonetheless, he flips through a few of the remaining astral projection books, then returns them to their correct spots and finds himself a relatively comprehensive text on magical theory; something on the Tower itself would have been ideal, but he hasn't been able to find anything on the topic. At least he can compare and contrast "magic" with the fonic artes he knows. He removes the text and takes it with him to a suitably squishy chair, where he begins to peruse it. However intense his concentration, though, he's not so absorbed that he'd be unable to notice anyone approaching.
That would just be foolish.
-------
- Floor 45 -
After familiarizing himself with the nature of his new "home," the man known as the Necromancer brings himself to one of the observatory levels. He strolls up to the glass walls, peering through the cracks in the clouds at the empty sky. He's about to turn to leave when motion in his peripheral vision catches his attention, and he turns his head to regard something that might be human if if it weren't clinging upside-down to the outside of a glass wall on cloud level.
And, of course, it didn't have waxy corpse-gray skin stretched all over where its face should be.
Like a lizard, it creeps slowly down, then across, before coming to a halt in front of the long-haired man. Jade watches it without moving. It watches--for a relative value of "watches" given that it has no eyes--him back. When he steps to one side, it follows; when he steps back, it skitters around on himself and winds that way too. As the skies gradually begin to redden, a couple more of the faceless things crawl in, and he amuses himself for a time by walking slowly back and forth across the room and watching as he gradually leads a chain around the circumference of the floor like the Pied Piper of faceless horrors.
-------
- Cafeteria -
Jade is tempted, once night falls, to go hunting for monsters. For the nonce, he opts instead to get his first meal, having not bothered to eat all day. He heeds the warning and takes a bowl of hot, plain oatmeal as his first meal, then carries it to the first empty seat he finds and eats with all the resigned resolution of a soldier. His expression is somewhat distant as he eats, but the moment anyone speaks to him, it transforms into a pleasant smile.
This may be a trap.
no subject
The question itself isn't as strange as it seems, though. Jade shakes his head. "Not at all. I've already met several people here from a variety of different worlds. I myself come from a planet called Auldrant, specifically the country of Malkuth. And yourself?"
no subject
Probably both.
"'Creative truth-telling', huh?" she asks, before adding, "Well, you certainly are creative." And fun to talk to. So, before her curiosity about his comment gets the better of her, she finds herself replying easily with, "I grew up in the village of Mizuho on the planet Tethe'alla," before adding, "Auldrant? That's a nice name." Her expression softens into pleasant curiosity. "You haven't been here long, and you've already met a lot of people?" She leans forward, her curiosity deepening. That's usually done when someone's looking for information. Lucky for her, she had friends here to help her out.
"Have you been to the Library yet?"
no subject
"Why, thank you," he replies, red eyes still creased up in amusement. His expression shifts to something less amused but still pleasant when she talks about her homeland. He hasn't heard of the place, but then, he didn't expect to. He doesn't remark on that, thus, instead replying, "Yes. I haven't kept count, but it seems like close to a dozen people by now."
Largely these encounters were coincidental, but it is true that he met them while seeking information. Her next question gets a nod. "Yes. The one on the third floor briefly, and the one on the nineteenth floor at greater length. I wasn't able to read much that was useful, even if it was at least interesting; by and large it seems talking to people is the best way to gather information on this place."
Which he assumes Sheena already knows, but he doesn't mind remarking on this much to her.
no subject
Well, maybe not all comments, but then, she's usually blushing, and that speaks louder than she ever can at times.
"You're welcome," she replies just as pleasantly. Like him, she hadn't heard about his homeland, either, but she's willing to bet that she'll hear it again sometime in the future as she speaks to more and more people. "I don't know how many I've spoken to, either, but someone I know from home has been here for a while, and she's told me a lot." Her tone has become serious, indicating that not only does she believe her friend, but that she's experienced some of the strangeness of the place herself.
"Keep talking to people," she suddenly says--confirming that yes, she knows that's the best source of information. "The Library on the third floor has no information about this place that I've seen. As for the other one, I was there only briefly, so I never looked at a book." No, she had been there on a candy hunt, and if she had known then what she knew now, she never would have done it. Or had given all her candy to someone else sooner.
no subject
"I've spoken with a few old friends like that, myself," Jade agrees, sobering up some. "It's very helpful to hear about a place such as this," he gestures vaguely at their surroundings, "from the perspective of someone used to the same world as you."
Sheena goes on to urge him to continue talking to people, and break down which libraries have useful information. He's already figured that out for himself, but given that this is his first day, he appreciates someone taking the time to mention it, just in case. He only nods, though, and says, "Thank you for the information, Sheena. I'll do that."
[[OOC: Welcome back!]]
no subject
Jade not being a flirt is pretty fortunate, since she'd have had an entirely different reaction to his comments. Perhaps not as strong as those she normally shows Zelos when he flirts, but there'd be no mistaking them. Although, her reaction to any dry comments about getting along well with the Chosen would probably have resulted in the same response as before: Jade would have needed to see a doctor about his eyesight. A comment, of course, that may or may not be an appreciation of his humor--depending on the tone of voice she says it in.
That aside, she does consider Zelos a friend, and although the two of them had arrived at about the same time, she feels better knowing that he's all right and that he had been able to learn a few things about the place. Although, one of those bits of information still bothers her and she looks at Jade, her brows knitting in confusion. "Jade, did any of your friends tell you they'd been here for a while, but you had just seen them back home?" This is obviously something she's run into, but she still can't figure out how it's possible.
She's still mulling over her own question when he responds to her recommendation, and her "You're welcome" is already out of her mouth when she realizes something. If he's already talked to several people, they've probably already... "You already know about that, don't you?" she asked wryly, without a trace of anger.
[ooc: Thanks! Still catching up on things!]
no subject
On the other hand, according to Ion and a few others, they've been here for almost a year (albeit not by Auldrant time). Hell, by Jade's when, Ion was already dead. It had been a pleasure to see the young Fon Master again, even if he'd already known he was here. ...Even if it was here, of all places. So, yes, more or less.
"Something like that," he thus says, because he understands the gist of what Sheena is saying. As for the rest...
All he does is smile.
no subject
And at his smile, she glares at him, but there's a hint of the sarcastic in her expression as she shakes her head. Sighing, she rolls her eyes and looks up at the ceiling. "I should have known," she finally says as she turns back to him, breaking into her own smile.
"So... What did you find out in the Upper Library?"
no subject
...He is joking. Isn't he?
If he is, he doesn't bother to say so. Instead, he shakes his head. "Not much that's relevant to the current situation, I'm afraid. I did find a tome detailing the differences in magic from various other worlds, which was fascinating."
no subject
Shaking her head, she makes a disapproving sound as she focuses on her food, popping something into her mouth before she can laugh. That same food is quickly swallowed at the mention of magic and she looks at him curiously. "What are the differences? Isn't all magic elemental in nature?"