towerofanimus | Sleepover before the storm

Characters: [OU] Xion, Excalibur, and whoever comes
Setting: Floor 101
Format: Whatever floats your boat
Summary: It's the night before the infiltration. People are plotting, discussing, and Xion has brought a Dream Eater so those who want to try to get a good night's sleep have a marginally higher chance of doing so. So in short it's a Tower-flavored sleepover. Bring your own pillows.
Warnings: Nothing in the top level. Will try to edit if anything changes but if something comes up in one of your threads make sure to add a warning in the subject line

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[Standard mingle post procedure. Make your top levels. Tag around. Have fun. Or not, this is Animus after all.

Notes will have been passed out and quiet discussion gone around by word of mouth, just saying that several people were spending the night in the hidden floor. Anybody who spoke to Xion would have been told that she's trying to figure out a way everybody can get a good night's sleep. You'll need to supply your own blankets and pillows but... hey, at least if you have trouble sleeping, you'll have company?

Note that any characters who sleep on the Hidden Floor, if they normally suffer from nightmares will likely have notably lessened or absent nightmares (up to your discretion) owing to the Dream Eater that Xion has brought with.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

All right. *Well, now he's worried. He gets up to follow Naoya, his blanket draped over his shoulders like a cape despite it not being cold at all.*

[He doesn't say anything, not until they leave the hidden floor and emerge amongst the hanging gardens. He looks up at the great tree, looking somewhat melancholy.]

A tree of knowledge, you might say...

[He returns his tired gaze to Enoch and holds both his hands up in a gesture of surrender.]

Enoch... tell me. Why do you follow Him? I'm... not trying to start an argument here. Just... tell me.

*Well, a sapling of knowledge, at least.

He can't help but think of their actions, now. The chips and the glamour failure, and all it's done for them. He wonders now if it was Pandora's Box, or the fruit...

But Naoya is asking a question, and he looks so tired, and Enoch wonders if he's simply lived too long with his hatred of his tyrant God that he can't envision one who's any different, much like he has his own difficulty imagining that tyrant.*

I follow Him because He cares for Earth and for humanity. Because He wants to see us fulfill our potential on our own, and He has given us all the blessings we need to do so. He is gracious and wise, if enigmatic.

I... I know your God is different. *His expression softens, then grows sorrowful.* I'm sorry. If I could take you to mine, after all this...

[He listens, and he tries to imagine a world like that, and he just... can't. He can't, and it hurts that there are other worlds where God could be good and wise and caring.]

... The Enoch in my world - not my son, the one that's the same as you... he was also taken up to Heaven. After many years there, he... changed. He became the Metatron, God's voice. An angel.

He... he's in charge of many things, from what I've been told. He was one of those involved in moving Heaven's armies in position to influence the government, in my world.

[... He reaches out, to put a hand on Enoch's arm.]

Please... promise me. Promise me that you won't.... forget what's best for humans.

*He'd heard of this one. The Metatron thing. And yet...he's never felt less human, even if he's obviously not an ordinary one.

He puts his hand over Naoya's. If something were to happen...yes, of course he'd keep humanity in mind. How could this other him forget?*

I won't, of course I won't.

... Thank you.

[He stays there for a moment, gripping the other's arm. He doesn't want to let go. Enoch is one of the few people who can get even close to understanding.]

I'm... somewhat worried about what will happen if we fail. There's a lot riding on this. Heh. It's not really like me to worry so much about what happens to other people, but... there's a lot of people involved with this that I'd rather not die. We might break something, and make revival even worse, or impossible.

... I wouldn't mind, but there's people here who don't deserve that.

*Enoch nods solemnly.* I know. I'm frightened, too.

*And for a moment, it seems as if that's all he'll say, eyes lightly closed, breathing slightly deeper than normal through his mouth, a vague look of pain and fear on his face. But then it's gone, and he raises his head again, and gives Naoya's hand a light squeeze.*

But if we don't act, we will certainly fail. We've come this far, great-uncle.

[He steps closer, and pulls Enoch into a hug.]

We don't know enough. Too many variables...

[He doesn't like this. It's too uncertain... but they have no choice.]

*And Enoch holds on tightly, as much for himself as for Naoya. They could both die here, and that wouldn't be so bad since they both should have been dead long ago, but what of Lucifel, who was never meant to die? What of all the mortals here who still had many years left in their lives? What of all the creatures, people, and deities of all their worlds?

No, they had to keep going.

Not that the affirmation would make it any easier to sleep, or make it less daunting.*

There always are...almost always.

[He presses his face against Enoch, trying to keep his breathing calm, but it's hard.]

I want this to end. But I don't... want to go back to my world.

I can't blame you... *He rubs Naoya's back gently, trying to comfort him.*

Zo can manipulate barriers of all kinds. Even if we can't restore the tower, perhaps he can place your soul in the Heaven of my world. Perhaps the God of my world can break the curse that of yours put on you, and put you through proper reincarnation. Or...at the very least, you may be allowed to reside with those who won't die either.

... Perhaps. If they would even want a soul such as myself there. Or perhaps I'll go somewhere different, without a God. Even if the curse cannot be broken, perhaps I can find a place where I can make an entirely new life.

I can vouch for you. You will have helped us restore the worlds. In a way...you will be owed a debt.

*God, too prideful to admit he owes someone? Surely, that's a trait of that other God and not a universal.*

... I.

[Mmm.]

... Thank you.

Sleepover before the storm

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