For Thine Is; The City

[animusmods]

Characters: any characters who were warped outside
Setting: outside
Format: any
Summary: The outcast residents arrive in the city that surrounds the Tower.
Warnings: psychological horror

The city appears on the horizon long before they reach it, of course--and it stretches and stretches and stretches, swallowing up the landscape until it's all that can be seen before them. And on a hill in the center lay the Tower, as if it were a monolith to be worshiped by an awestruck populace. But if that's the case, then the god has been abandoned: there is no one left alive to pay tribute.

But if that's the case, maybe it's the god who abandoned them first.

The city is dead, and its population has fallen like ash on the streets and buildings. The bodies are familiar ones to those who have seen their home worlds after being taken from it: corpses that do not decompose, with their insides pulled out through their mouths.

The city is sorted into ringed districts--while time is not on your side, you have to pass through each district anyway, so there's nothing saying you can't do a little exploring as long as you don't dawdle too long...

Comments

INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT

[animusmods]

The outermost district of the city, this area is filled with various factories and warehouses that now lay abandoned. Most of the items will crumble at a touch, but that's not to say there's nothing to be found. Most of the buildings are locked, of course, but the largest factory is not.

[justabignobody]

The sight of bodies isn't an entirely unfamiliar one - even though it's been over a year since the one month that Riku had spent in his set of destroyed worlds, that particular image is one that tends to stay - but it's still somewhat disturbing, even now.

It's something that's better not focused on too much, Riku thinks, as he pulls his attention towards other issues. There is a need to hurry and return to the tower, no doubt, but as things stand, he would rather like to do something about this sense of being utterly vulnerable and take the chance to find some sort of weapon - make-shift or otherwise.

There isn't enough time to try explore the warehouses or even the factory, he thinks, but maybe the side streets will yield some sort of pipe that hasn't corroded to the point of falling apart when he tries to pick it up.

[animusnpcs]

A shadow skitters away as Riku moves down the side street--though it pauses just around a corner to peer at him.

[bashfulshifter]

[When Rick splits off from the rest of the group, it isn't because of curiosity, or distraction, or the need to rest, or any really more relevant reason other than he's pretty sure he's going to be violently ill.]

[The bodies are not a welcome sight, but the open door is. Already trailing behind the herd of wireframes as his empty stomach churns, Rick is polite enough to wait until he thinks no one is looking before he hurries inside the large building, ducks behind the wall and some crumbling, box-like objects, and dry heaves for a full minute.]

[He hasn't eaten, he hasn't slept, the world is literally falling apart around him, and now he's gasped himself into exhaustion. Now seems like as good a time as any to relax--or try to, at least. As Rick shakily straightens up, he realizes that he not only doesn't hear the others anymore, but also isn't quite sure where he is.]

[...Maybe he should leave. But first, he'll look around while he's here.]

[gradosfinest]

[To her credit, Amelia is handling it slightly better than Rick is. She's seen enough violence (and a trip back to her dead world as well) to not be too surprised by the state of the corpses they've come across, but that doesn't make it any more fun at all.

Fatigue is not something that's helping at all, even with the shape she's in that was a long march just to get here. All the same, she has her orders and she's following them as best as she can, much of her attention turned towards the sides or rear of the group. This is why it only takes a couple of minutes to notice their headcount is down by one, and only a few seconds later to figure out who's missing.

A moment later and she figures the factory with an open door is her best bet for finding him, cautiously peeking inside before calling out.]

Rick? Tell me you're in here somewhere?

[This isn't the entirety of her focus though, eyes scanning around for anything that might be functional as an improvised weapon. Ideally something sword-shaped, or something that'd function as a makeshift mace like a tool or something but really, she'll take just about anything over her bare hands right now. Being alone and unarmed is not a situation she wishes to be in, and any chance to correct at least one of those problems will be taken.]

[warriorscribe]

Whatever boost to his morale the singing from before had imparted to him, weathered as it was by fatigue (though he still marched on unflinchingly), thirst, and desperation, was shattered momentarily by the first sight of the bodies. His last moments in Meridian had been as he slept beside Armaros, curled up so his head was against his chest. It had meant, when the destruction had killed Armaros but not him...

Enoch choked back a scream and it became a sob. He folded his arms tightly and his steps faltered, his legs almost buckling and turning a forced step into a stumble. Though he doggedly kept walking with the group, his distress didn't abate. Though there was a goal to move forward to, there was no immediate presence of danger as Ruana's presence had provided last time. So for a ways unless someone came forward to help, his breathing would come harsh, his arms tucked tightly to his body, and his steps brokenly forced. He would recover on his own if left be, of course, but that's not to say nobody could approach him. It was surely at least a bit disconcerting.

[notachickenhawk]

Tobias noticed Enoch stumble, and landed on a nearby roof. He knew that problem well. He called out to Enoch mentally.

<It's always hard to see that stuff. Just keep moving. You can't do anything for them now.>

BUSINESS DISTRICT

[animusmods]

Countless businesses of every description fill this district. There's signs of what once must have been a thriving commercial sector here. Most of the buildings are locked--apparently when this city was ruined, night had fallen across it. There is an all-hours diner, however, and it seems as if the owner of a small toy store was just leaving when she was killed: the keys to her store are on the ground beside her.

[lorule]

This place was awful and in spite of her temptation to explore, she kept walking to the tower along with everyone else. Maybe there could be important informations to be gleaned here, but all doors were closed. It's not like they could really explore. That is, until she spotted keys on the ground next to a corpse, keys that probably belonged to the closed toy shop behind.

... Keys. A locked door. Keys and a locked door. There must be something in the very soul of the people from Lorule and Hyrule that compels them to take any small keys they can find and open nearby locked doors with them.

And so, Hilda purposefully stayed at the end of the group and took advantage of a second where she thought nobody was looking at her to rush to the keys. Discreetly so, at least she tried. It wouldn't take long and that was worth a shot, right?

[attheclocktower]

[Xion is drop-dead exhausted. Her stomach feels hollow, and her throat is parched. And that was with the naps she'd been able to steal thanks to Shion and some of the others hadn't really gotten to rest at all, let alone eat or drink. The Tower was a lot closer now, thankfully, but there's still a ways to go.

She approaches the all-hours diner, first peering through the window, before walking over and trying the door. Maybe there's supplies in there, of some sort. Or even just something worth seeing.]

[hoasen]

[Even though she told herself that she would rush through this city, most of the time she found herself either trying to find someone to make sure she still has her eye on them. Constantly counting the number of people there, so they can make it back the tower. Many were wanting to explore, after all; she wouldn't blame them, this was a place they may not have seen before. Her self-control, however, was driven by survival and she was going to continue on.

That being said, it doesn't stop her from looking through the windows as she passes through the streets. She rattles the doors of some of the locked buildings, just to check on their state.

Vietnam does linger at the set of keys of the diner, however, decides that she will move on. Given that everything is safe, and she might learn something from the offices, who the heck would want to check out old food?]

Re: BUSINESS DISTRICT

[idkworldruler]

[After his jaunt through the garden district, he decided to head towards the area where the shops seemed to have been concentrated in. Perhaps he can find some useful items here. Such as a bag to Cary the powdery items in his hand. And maybe, just maybe, information on the people who lived here. After all, what better way to learn about someone than to see what they were buying?]

GARDEN DISTRICT

[animusmods]

This was surely a lovely, vast garden before the disaster. Everything is dead now, though--an unnatural grey has crept like mold through the plants, and they crumble when touched.

There's nothing to be found here, but it's more empty of corpses than the rest of the city, so it might be a good place to take a break before continuing. You've been traveling for quite some time, after all...

Re: GARDEN DISTRICT

[idkworldruler]

He had entered the garden by complete accident and almost immediately wished to leave it. The sight of the dead, decaying plants sent more shivers down his spine than the decayed, preserved bodies that liberally littered the city. He has smelled death before, he has seen people die, and has killed his own fair share of people as well. So why would dead plants cause him to subconsciously shiver?

Perhaps it had something to do with his severed connection to Gaia, and his inability to use his Anima while in this form. It reminded him of just how much decay this world was apparently suffering, or had suffered as it seems to have died long, long ago; though not too long ago as the bodies were evidently still present. It reminded of the feeling he received whenever he made contact with the Filth. That cold, piercing, feeling. As if your suffocating within the icy waters of the Hudson during winter.

The sheer amount of lifelessness that he felt in this one, lone garden was almost literally suffocating him. Here he attempted to a flower, any flower, gingerly, and with care. Hoping that the plant still held life within that he could feel and interact with.

[wrigurun]

[It almost felt natural for Wriggle to gravitate towards the garden. Even if it was dead, it was still her calling. She didn't stop at all through the business or industrial districts, keeping her head high so she didn't have to look at the bodies for too long, but the moment she stepped into the garden her legs practically buckled underneath her.

This is what her precious natural world had been reduced too. Mustering the strength to carry on she managed to stumble towards a nearby tree and rest herself against the trunk. Being so focused on the goal of the tower, she had forgotten how tired she was. While Wriggle rested she ran her fingers over the contours of the bark and peered into every nook and cranny as well as the roots near her feet for any signs of insects.

Not that she would like what she saw if she found them]

[sageprincess]

[Through the industrial and commercial districts, Zelda does not deviate from the group's beeline for the Tower. She sees little point in wasting what precious time they have investigating the ruins of a world long since damned, especially when the world is one that allowed the hideous experiments within the Tower of Animus to run in the first place. There is nothing of value to be found here.

But oh, when what was once the garden district stretches out before her like a dilapidated oasis, what strength she has left after the three day long hike wavers. Her soul is screaming for her to keep going, that feeling of being too small for her own (fake) body not abating in the slightest despite their lessening proximity to the Tower. But that fake body is begging for her to stop, joints that are purely mechanical and muscles that aren't really there aching for a moment to relax.

Maybe... just one moment will be enough. She's remained near the front for almost the entirety of the trip, and the group's pace has slowed since they entered the city, several of their number curious about the ruined buildings that span for miles in all directions. Maybe... she can wait for them to catch up here.

Those who are keeping up, however, may catch the graceful Princess of Hyrule attempting to lean upon a park bench only for it to crumble beneath her touch, followed by a desperate attempt to catch herself before falling into the pile of grey dust left behind. Goddesses above, there is not a single redeeming feature of this place.]

[regenleif]

Somehow the sight of the garden hits home more than the corpses. Capell has seen corpses before, after battles, during battles. More than he would have liked, he still saw Sapran on bad days when he closed his eyes.

But this was different, this wasn't the aftermath of war or a monster attack, the plants were dead despite being in the ground. He reached out to touch a flower, which crumbled to dust beneath his fingers, like him being there reminded it that it should be gone.

"Everything is gone..." He was speaking mostly to himself as he stared out at the dead garden.

[keepscalm]

[England deeply regrets allowing himself to be affected so deeply by the shock of being outside (he thinks, as if he really had control over that). The rush of panic and fear took a lot out of him, and he doesn't have the vitality of a nation to help him power on.

He's certainly faring better than most people would; in fact, despite the vague ache in his unglamoured joints, it's almost tempting to just keep going. He only slows to a stop in the garden because a number of the rest of the group has, and among those numbers are people he could never leave behind out here, knowing what could await them.

Those are the people he checks on first, but the days spent trekking with the group have provided him with a sliver of solidarity between he and the others who were so rudely thrown out on their arses. So, when not otherwise occupied fussing over those he has sworn to himself to protect, he sneaks glances out at the others resting among the brittle plants. He doesn't speak, but his gaze tends to linger longer than is polite — checking for signs of fatigue or injury.]

RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT

[animusmods]

Skyscraper apartments and condos taper off into smaller single family homes here; this district is the one closest to the Tower, making up the heart of the city. Most of the buildings are locked, but there is one home and one skyscraper to explore, if you would like to.

[keybearer]

[He's barely stopped to look around, propelled by the gut instinct to keep moving. To survive. If he slows down, the brutality of the situation will sink in. The corpses scattered around the ruined city, innards hanging out of their mouths. Having never returned to his dead worlds, the mere sight of the bodies was enough to make his stomach twist.

He wants to keep going. The tower's so close now, he feels like he can reach out and touch it.

And yet, somehow, he's stumbled upon one of his homes. He's stopped to take a few short breaths. And while he's there, he reaches for the door against his better judgment. Who knows if it'll even budge?]

[bowandblade]

[The skyscrapers of the ruined city draw Archer's attention more than any of the other buildings that litter the landscape. He was always drawn to places from where he could observe on high, and it is almost nostalgic to look upon the tall buildings and think of the Japanese city he had been summoned into.

Despite that raw desire to get back to the tower and some semblance of safety, he was not going to deny himself the opportunity to climb one of them. The moment he finds an unlocked door into one of the skyscrapers, he heads inside.]

Re: RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT

[frilliance]

[While he had never been back to his dead world, Edgeworth was familiar with the sight of the corpses - only because he had a vision of something similar back in the carnival.

It was a horrible sight.

Not one that would stop him from investigating, though. These houses......are there any that are not locked?]

[bydefacto]

[Sealand is really, really, really tired. He has been spending a lot of time carried by England, piggybacking, but it's impossible to sleep there, and it's not comfortable - especially with the continuing gnawing, scattered feeling where his soul is. He's walking again now, mostly because he's not comfortable and wants to walk, but maybe a little bit because his brother looks a little tired himself, too.

Then there's the corpses. Being carried, he hadn't really looked - he hadn't wanted to. But now they're more obvious. He tries not to look at them, mostly succeeding. He keeps his hand on the side of buildings, looking straight ahead, and soon comes across a house that actually doesn't seem to be locked. There's only a bit of hesitation before he wanders inside. He needs a proper rest. Maybe he can just sit down somewhere in here. Just for a little bit. He'll go out again and join everyone else soon enough.]

[cursedchosen]

[Man, Zelos didn't think there was ever going to be something that made him miss the Tower, but the City did it. Zelos had been around corpses before, and he'd killed a fair amount of people, but this was a whole cut above the rest.]

[He's still pushing back towards the Tower, though, because there's still an unhinged, psychotic mod in charge and if they only have a few months left, they're taking her down with them.]

[He'll take a moment to stop and look at the skyscraper as he heads back; it's not nearly as tall as the Tower of Salvation was, but it's still bigger than any other building in Tethe'Alla.]

Re: RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT

[ambassadorasshat]

[This district of the city reminds Luke way too much of his dead homeworld. Moreso than the rest of it, even if it doesn't quite resemble the not-ruins of Chesedonia. It's still dead and the corpses littering the ground still cause him to gag when he looks at them.

But he hasn't eaten anything in days so all he ends up with is a bad taste in his mouth, and that combined with general exhaustion and frustration has made him extremely cranky. And prone to shrieking at said corpses, one of which he steps on while poking around near one of the skyscrapers.]

Gaaaaah! What's with this place!?