the journey of a thousand miles;

[notachickenhawk]

Characters: Tobias and anyone who runs across him.
Setting: Floor 22 (art gallery), floor 25 (meadow), floor 81 (lounge)
Format: Whichever.
Summary: Tobias does some exploring, some eating, and some thinking.
Warnings: Mentions of child abuse/neglect and death. Animorphs is a kid's series, you guys! 8D


[Floor 22]

[He had thought this was going to be a decent idea.]

[At first, he doesn't really see anything too off about the art here. Some of it is strange… or gory… or just plain unsettling. But as he pads around the corner in his human morph, he stops dead in his tracks.]

[Well, it's like an honor. I mean, the committee picked my drawing out from hundreds of entries. Just something I sketched during art class. I had no idea it would make the state show.

Do you get prize money?

No.

No? So then what's it worth? If it won't help pay the bills, what good is it?]

[He shakes as he stares at the drawing on the wall. He digs his nails into his palms as he remembers how the rest of that conversation went - and the conversations after, and the yelling about how he wasn't doing anything to help support them. The things thrown, and how he'd left the house to try to find somewhere, anywhere to hang out that wasn't that house.]

It's not my fault…

[He turns and goes to try to find his way out, but the blood all runs out of his face as he sees another one. His legs shake, and he collapses, hands and knees on the floor. He tries to hold the noises back, but he can't. He lets out a sob, dragging himself to at least a sitting position so he can press his face into his knees. He should have come to terms with this by now, right? But he can't help but let out whimpering sobs at the thought of it.]



[Floor 25]

[Once he's gotten himself back together, Tobias heads to the meadow. Once there, he morphs, allowing himself to slip into a form he hasn't used in a while. He allows himself to bask in the feeling of the sun for a moment before he rears up and then starts galloping along. While grass isn't his usual kind of meal, right now he'll take it. It feels good to have legs that he can stretch like this.]

[… Of course, it's probably a pretty odd sight to anyone just stumbling across it.]



[Floor 81]

[After a while, Tobias heads upstairs. He can't help but like the lounges - even if they can't really be outside, the open space is nice. And it's the space outside the tower that draws him - or at least the suggestion of it. Tobias perches on the back of a chair near one of the windows, staring out at the stars.]

[That doesn't mean he's not paying attention to the rest of the room, though. A hawk is hard to sneak up on.]

Comments

Floor 25

[nordic_dovahkiin]

[Brunwulf clenched his sword within his two strong hands, as he fixed his gaze upon the creature before him. Past the trees and grass stood a strange, blue creature, unknown to the Nord's eyes. Was this another of the Tower's evil creatures come to rip everyone apart? He growled slightly, as he made his way towards the beast, his Nord reflexes primeval in nature.

The Nord crouched low in the grass, his greatsword a welcome heaviness in his hands. What would the creature do next? Could it smell him? Brunwulf was facing upwind, so he had the advantage at least.]

[notachickenhawk]

[Unfortunately for Brunwulf, Andalite vision was very good. Tobias whipped his eyestalks around, checking for danger - and he spotted Brunwulf. He stopped, raised his thin hands, and held his tail down with the blade as flat against him as he could. There wasn't anything he could do about the fact that thought-speak was mental and likely to surprise him.]

<Hey, hold on! I'm not trying to attack anyone!>

[nordic_dovahkiin]

[Brunwulf held his ground but was not about to drop his guard just yet. Yet, the Nord nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice in his head. What witchcraft was this?! He swallowed hard and shook his head. The voice frightened him. He was afraid of mages and this was some kind of magic.]

What- what are you?

[notachickenhawk]

<That's kind of a complicated question. I used to be a human, now I'm usually a hawk... I can change forms.>

[nordic_dovahkiin]

[Brunwulf just stared at the creature and listened to the voice in his head. It was odd being spoken to this way. He rather found it surreal and slightly disturbing, as it wasn't natural for him.]

I can change form too into a wolf.

[notachickenhawk]

<Really? I have friends who can change into wolves. That's not one of mine, though.>

[He had better morphs for what he needed, anyway.]

[nordic_dovahkiin]

You have friends who have the blood of the wolf of them inside also? [Brunwulf narrowed his eyes.] What manner of creature are you?

Floor 22

[notsogrimreaper]

[Ryoji tends to avoid this floor, finding the paintings on display too unsettling to really admire as art, but while walking down the staircase, a sob catches his attention, and he hesitantly heads onto the floor.

He doesn't get too close, respecting the stranger's privacy, but after a few moments awkwardly standing there, he calls out.]

E-Excuse me, are you all right?

[notachickenhawk]

[Tobias looks up, trying to figure out who's talking, but his vision is still a little blurry.]

It's... it's fine...

[Not really. He tries to wipe his face, but he spots the painting with Elfangor again and lowers his gaze again.]

[notsogrimreaper]

It’s not fine… you don’t have to talk about it, but I won’t judge you if you need to…

[He trails off for a moment, gazing around at the various paintings.]

These pictures are supposed to mess with you a little. They find things you’re afraid of and exploit them. You aren’t the only one who’s broken down in here.

[notachickenhawk]

I'd ask 'who ever thought this was a good idea' but the administrators here...

[Sick bastards. He does his best to stand up, wobbling a little.]

[notsogrimreaper]

Yeah… A lot of these floors don’t seem like good ideas, but yet, they’re here. And there’s nothing we can do about it.

[Ryoji offers a hand to Tobias, trying to help steady him.]

[notachickenhawk]

[He doesn't take Ryoji's hand - nothing personal.]

We can win, that's what we can do.

[Floor 25]

[bloodyashes]

[You wanted a redhead? You got a redhead. It's spring enough that Asch is wandering the back corners of the meadow, looking for some very specific flowers -

He's not completely distracted, though, and the flash of blue catches his eye. He doesn't recognize it, but it's wrong enough that there's a hand on his sword and an incantation on his lips automatically.

He catches sight of the collar almost too late, but luckily he can still divert the arte into the nearby flowers. It's not as strong as it should be, anyway, but there's still a noticeable shower of icicles into the ground about ten feet from the weird blue... thing.

Oops?]

[notachickenhawk]

[Tobias jumps back as he sees the ice fly, body tense and ready to gallop away at a moment's notice.]

<Woah, hang on!>

[Sorry about that, Asch. Please don't eat him.]

[bloodyashes]

[...Oh, and he recognizes that voice. Double oops. At least it's easier than trying to explain his paranoia to a stranger, though.

Asch isn't much for apologies, but the look on his face is cue enough. The ice dissipates quickly - something made of pure fonons doesn't stick around, really.]

You could warn me the next time you decide you decide to go running around as a...

[... Whatever that is. He just gestures.]

[notachickenhawk]

<Andalite. The person who gave us the morphing power was one. His brother helps us fight, too.>

[He approaches slowly, and stops a polite distance away.]

<My father - or at least, my father before the Ellimist changed things - was one.>

[bloodyashes]

[If Asch is at all phased by Tobias claiming his father is a blue deer beast, he doesn't show it. After all, he knows a girl raised by ligers.

At least he's off his guard, now, although he's making a very obvious assessment of that tail.]

Common to your world, then?

[notachickenhawk]

<No. They're aliens. We've been waiting on their fleet to come and give us backup, but we've been waiting a long time. They probably don't believe us.>

Floor 25

[keybearer]

[Riku typically uses the meadow as a place to destress and a place to train. Thus, on his way down the steps, he's got his Keyblade out and at the ready. After taking a few days to unwind over Jason's death, he's even carrying himself in a more positive light, striding rather than trudging. Keeping his head held high...

And then, right as he hits the bottom of the stairs, he deflates, Arms dropping at his sides, eyes growing wide. He stares at the strange creature, head cocked to the side.]

What...? Is that some kind of centaur?

[Okay, maybe it was silly to ask, but he'll just... tentatively approach. Hopefully it's not some new kind of monster.]

[notachickenhawk]

<Alien telepathic centaur, yeah.>

[He stops a little ways away from Riku, keeping his tail down.]

<Hey.>

[keybearer]

[Well, that answers his question. Snorting, Riku waves his hand, and the Keyblade flickers out of sight. No need to give this guy the wrong impression; his training can wait.]

Man, I guess I better pay more attention. You'd think that after spending two years here, I would've noticed a psychic alien running around.

[notachickenhawk]

<Well I don't usually look like this. Usually I'm a bird.>

[And he hasn't been here for two years, but the point still stands.]

[keybearer]

Wait, so you're some kind of shapeshifting, telepathic bird?

[He cocks his head to the side, slowly raising an eyebrow.]

...Okay, so maybe I shouldn't question it, but man, talk about the last thing I expected to see in a place like this. How big of a bird are we talking?

[notachickenhawk]

<I was human originally. It's a long story. And I'm a little over a foot and a half long with a wingspan of a little more than four feet.>

[Not huge, but not your garden type of bird either.]