For Thine Is; Zo

[animusmods]

Characters: any characters who are still within the Tower
Setting: the hidden floor
Format: any
Summary: Zo needs help. What will you do?
Warnings: psychological horror

Aria and the other retrieval units stand guard in the room and regard each person who enters with a little bit of caution. The reason quickly becomes clear: Zo lies unconscious on a bed that appears to have been stolen from a hospital recovery room. With the glamour down, he looks spectral: it's possible to look through his body and to the bed beneath. He's not quite a ghost, though, as he can be interacted with.

If Zo is attacked, the retrieval units will be quick to retaliate. They can't help Zo on their own, though--so maybe there's something you can do...

Comments

[evokingfool]

[Minato approached Zo in silence, staring down at him.]

...Zo, this is Minato Arisato. We haven't really talk before, but I wouldn't mind if we start now.

[A brief pause.]

And even become friends, if you like.

[imperialsun]

Hello.

[Naoya's spectral form isn't much to look at much like the others, but if it was still on, it would be filled with worry.]

Do you know what happened?

[notagiraffe]

[Taiki hovers by Zo, worried about how he won't wake up. He glances nervously at Aria] Is he sick?

[myblueskies]

Zo? [Romeo looked at the boy, he looked so still and see through like he was a ghost or he was dead. It was scary being without glamour, and even scarier that people had disappeared, gotten lost somehow. And he was still really scared and sad about what had happened, how he had hurt people and been nasty to them. But the scariest thing was that Zo was not waking up.] Everyone's really worried about you Zo, you're not going to die are you?

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya approaches carefully. He doesn't want to make anything worse, but he is curious.]

What happened?

[animusnpcs]

Yes, as soon as we can. It'll still take a week or so to gather and compile the information, but we should be able to get down there with Zo when he gets hooked up to it next month.

[animusnpcs]

"What if I do something bad?" Zo looks very seriously concerned about this possibility, even if some of his emotion is lost without his usual eyes.

[animusnpcs]

We've tried, and he won't respond to us. We think that since you're all connected to him--because he brought you here--you'll be able to bypass his barriers.

[animusnpcs]

He dealt with Sephiroth and then discharged a lot of power. After that, he passed out. We need you to try and interact with him.

[animusnpcs]

[Aria's wariness upon seeing Richtofen is obvious--his reputation might precede him a little bit.]

...He passed out, and we can't wake him up.

[animusnpcs]

Zo passed out after letting loose a large discharge of power. We haven't been able to wake him up on our own.

[animusnpcs]

Zo passed out after he discharged a large amount of power.

[animusnpcs]

We're not totally sure. He passed out after he dealt with Sephiroth.

[fionnuisce]

I appreciate the effort, thank you. But...Aria, if Ruana or even Riki finds out you've been assisting us, what's going to happen to you?

[animusnpcs]

Zo dealt with Sephiroth and passed out after. We haven't been able to wake him up.

[animusnpcs]

[Zo lifts the Tower into the air, still without touching it, and begins to put the pieces back together carefully. He smiles.]

Thank you. You can go help everyone out there now.

[Waver will be returned to the normal Tower and will not be able to get a response out of Zo again.]

[animusnpcs]

[Zo glances over at Yukiko. His eyes are black, as if they were made of tar, and the substance drips down his face.]

What if the people that you love or love you, um--

What if--you thought they were good, and-- [He doesn't seem to be able to finish the sentence.]

[crouching_sin]

Do you think a healing spell would help?

[animusnpcs]

[When Lancer touches Zo, he will be pulled painlessly through the barrier and into a small toy room. Zo is crouched in the middle.]

I took care of Sephiroth. It's okay.

[animusnpcs]

[Zo's fingers twitch toward Quark when he speaks. He does seem to hear the boy.]

[animusnpcs]

[When Colette touches Zo, she will be pulled painlessly through a barrier and brought to what seems to be a small toy room. Zo is crouched in the middle.]

[animusnpcs]

[The bed jerks a bit, and Zo twitches. The retrieval units in the room watch him, closely, but they don't move to attack--seeing the childish kick for what it is.]

[animusnpcs]

[Zo twitches, and eventually his hand reaches to grasp the dinosaur plush.]

[animusnpcs]

[Zo's fingers twitch. He seems to be able to hear Minato.]

[animusnpcs]

[Zo twitches a little, as if in response to Romeo, but doesn't move otherwise.]