six.

[sicharia]

Characters: Claudia Hortensia & OPEN
Setting: Floor 1 (or 48, 50, 101)
Format: Brackets preferred
Summary: Returning from her dead world
Warnings: TBA

[Waking up in the Tower again is—nice. Claudia wouldn't have ever thought she would find such a thing nice, but when she opens her eyes and finds herself in the dorm room, all she feels is a dim relief. It's been days—weeks?—since she's seen another living human being, and she thinks that if she had needed to stay on that planet any longer than she had, she would have gone insane.]

[...But she doesn't really have much response other than that. On her world, she had wandered like a ghost, but now that she's here again, she doesn't feel much differently than she did there. She doesn't know what she should feel or do. So, she just does what she would normally: get breakfast.]

[Really, heading down to the cafeteria is probably the most logical decision she could make, anyway. After more than a few days in that world, she lost track of time, and she's been here long enough to know she can likely tell how long she has been gone by what's being served there. This is quicker and simpler than trying to find someone she knows, then asking.]

[The selection of food makes it immediately clear what month it must be, and numbly, she thinks she couldn't have been gone too long, in that case. With the same shell-shocked detachedness that pervades her thoughts, she takes her pancakes and moves to find a place to sit, not as alert to her surroundings as she maybe should be.]

[Around meals, she'll linger here before and after she eats, as most of the people she would like to see now will have to pass through here at some point in the day. When she isn't in the cafeteria, she can be found performing her rounds in the graveyard or skulking around Floors 50 or 101.]

Comments

floor 1

[chainsawn]

[ Urotsuki is just getting food too - some of the waffles are piled up on a plate and she's carrying them along as her breakfast - but she manages to spot something much more interesting than food. And that's another person she knows, of course. So Urotsuki quickly makes her way over to where Claudia is sitting, moving to sit next to her without even asking or saying anything..

... But then the girl suddenly looks really tired and slumps against the woman's shoulder. Whoops. At least the waffles are safely on the table instead of all over the floor. ]

[unhealing]

Oh! Good morning, Urotsuki. [She doesn't mind the lack of greeting, or social graces in general. That's just how Urotsuki is, and it's nice to see someone she knows at all.] It's good to see you agai— Ah!

[It's a little startling, but Claudia doesn't flinch away, staying still as Urotsuki flops against her. She isn't sure if this is just...Urotsuki being Urotsuki or something else, so she tries not to immediately fret.]

Mm, are you okay?

[chainsawn]

Nnnn...

[ At first the girl doesn't reply, instead opting to snuggle against Claudia's shoulder for a moment or two before she seems to realise that oh, wait, it's not really bedtime, is it..

Slowly she opens her eyes again, although she doesn't move from her current position. ]

I'm fine.. [ Her voice sounds a little slurred though. ] Just.. a little tired.

[ That thing with the machine really drained her, although she doesn't seem to consciously realise it herself. She sleeps all the time, after all. ]

[unhealing]

[Claudia allows Urotsuki to rest where she is, not protesting her behavior. Looking down at the top of the girl's head, she smiles, though the expression is a little concerned. When she speaks again, her tone is much the same.]

If you're that tired, you should have slept in and rested a little more. [Wiggling her arm out from under Urotsuki while doing her best not to disturb her position on her shoulder, she touches her fingers lightly to her hair.] But since you've already come down here, you should probably just take a nap after you finish your breakfast.

[chainsawn]

I want a lot of naps then..

[ She doesn't move from her position even when Claudia moves that arm. She just lets the woman do that much since she's still comfortable even so. Then again, we're talking about Urotsuki, she could sleep practically anywhere if she had to.

And it's sort of comfortable like this, either way.. and warm. She's never slept much like this before.. ]

A whole lot. Like this. This is.. nice..

[unhealing]

Hm. [Claudia hums, thoughtfully, at that reply.] I'm going to be staying down here for a while longer. If you'd like, though, you can stay with me for as long as I do, right there.

[She had intended to stay in the cafeteria for a while, anyway, and if Urotsuki stays with her, she'll be able to keep an eye on her and make sure nothing happens while she's so exhausted...]

[chainsawn]

...

You really don't mind me staying here..?

[ As nice as Claudia has been all this time, she's still really obviously an adult and sort of the parent type, so part of her can't help but always be a little wary about this. ]

cafeteria

[glassceiling]

[Assassin's movements are sluggish these days, not only because her guilt over Claudia's disappearance has drained her energy, but because of the side effects of Riki's machine. She is also wearing Claudia's cloak because suddenly losing her powers means she can no longer generate her original cloak.]

[She creeps into the cafeteria, silently grabs some pancakes, and is just about to find a table to sit down at when she sees Claudia over at one table. Even with her energy issues, she still perks up significantly when she sees her Master.]

Claudia!

[She starts running toward Claudia, trying hard not to trip over her cloak. However, while she doesn't trip, she does blink out of existence for a moment. Still, she's excited enough not to notice when she blinks into existence and remains solid until she gets to Claudia's table.]

You are back! Where have you been?

[unhealing]

Assassin! There you are!

[Of course, by the time Assassin reaches her side, Claudia has already risen. Without hesitation, she reaches out to greet Assassin with a hug. She's so happy to see her Servant again that she doesn't even notice the cloak she's wearing now, and what that detail should signify.]

Yes, I'm back! [She continues to hold onto Assassin, as tightly as she can manage.] I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I wouldn't have left on my own...

[glassceiling]

[She returns Claudia's hug, holding on to Claudia as tightly as Claudia clings to her.]

Are you alright now? Forgive me for not going with you.

[A tear slides down her face. She's happy enough to cry.]

No matter what, I am glad you are back.

[unhealing]

Yes, I'm fine! [She pulls back partway, her hands remaining settled on Assassin's shoulders.] You don't need to apologize, Assassin. Nothing really happened to me, and I don't think you could have gone back there with me, anyway...

[She trails off and frowns a little, thinking of it, but the moment she realizes she's doing so, she forces her expression back into a smile. Assassin has worried enough, and she really is glad to see her again, so she doesn't want to spoil their reunion.]

Mm, I'm glad to be here again, too. Are you well?

[It doesn't matter to her if it's supposed to be Assassin's job to worry about her well-being; it'd be callous of her not to worry as well.]

[glassceiling]

[For a second, Assassin's expression turns worried when she sees Claudia's frown, but she perks up again when she sees Claudia smile.]

Yes...I am fine.

[She just feels somewhat sluggish, and sometimes she disappears into the void. But she does not want to worry Claudia with this. Not because she figures out what is really happening to her.]

[Still, her answer is a little hesitant.]

[unhealing]

[Claudia's smile doesn't fade, but her lips do purse together faintly. Where her hands rest on Assassin's shoulders, she traces the seams of the cloak she herself had sown, thoughtfully.]

You're wearing this thing again, though... Why is that?

[She has no intention of calling Assassin a liar, so she asks that instead.]

[thirtybits]

[Judas beams and immediately goes to sit across from her when he spots Claudia.]

Claudia...! I was so worried, how are you!

[unhealing]

[And Claudia perks right up at the sight of Judas in return.]

Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't want to worry anyone! [The apology comes immediately, with Claudia only realizing a moment later:] Ah, but I guess I didn't really have much of a choice in the matter... Still, either way, I'm here now, and I'm fine!

[thirtybits]

No, don't apologise, it's true, you don't have control over these things! I'm just glad you're alright!

[unhealing]

Ah, well... I don't think there was anything around to hurt me. [Because of course her physical well-being is the only concern!!] Aha, thank you anyway.

[Not that she wants to people to worry about her, just... It's nice to know he thought of her!]

[thirtybits]

And you didn't...I mean, mentally as well...?

[He knows what would be worst for him, and he knows he and Claudia are awfully similar in that.]

[unhealing]

Well, that... [She bites the inside of her cheek.] It's complicated! And it's done with now, so—there's not much to say about it.

101

[god_damned]

[ He had decided to venture as high as the Tower may go -- and that is where he finds her.

He had noticed her absence, but the Tower is a large place. He did not react with fear nor ask after her. If she did not wish to see him, she had no obligation to answer after him.

Kirei had considered the possibility of her dying in this place (as much as one can) and that thought had lingered... ]

Claudia?

[unhealing]

[Claudia often comes here to relax as much as one can here, or to read. Today, though, she doesn't seem to be doing much of either. Her expression is distracted and lost and thought as stands among the flowers hanging here, her single eye staring at the foliage without really seeing it.]

[When his voice reaches her ears, it catches her by surprise, and she starts, immediately forcing a smile onto her face as she focuses on him.]

Ah, Kirei! There you are. I'm sorry, it must have been a while.

[The apology comes automatically.]

[god_damned]

[ She doesn't look ashamed or embarrassed to see him, as if it was purposeful that they have not crossed paths, but something still rings as amiss. Her phrasing indicates more than avoidance, or simple chance that they have not crossed paths. ]

It was. [ Oddities happen often in the Tower, and there could be more than one explanation. ] Where were you?

[unhealing]

Ah... Hm. [Her hands fold together in front of herself, squeezing together uncomfortably.] I think... I was back home?

[She can't truly say with certainty, given how changed things were, but... It doesn't seem like something she's eager to discuss, but by the same token, it seems wrong to hide such from Kirei.]

[god_damned]

Home?

[ The idea strikes him as bizarre. He hasn't heard of anyone returning; he hadn't thought it possible. ]

I was told it was destroyed.

[unhealing]

It was. [She answers with an awkward kind of bluntness, not sounding upset so much as dazed as she tells him:] Everything was dead.