What it says on the tin

[justabignobody]

TEST DRIVE MEME

You want to join the game with a (new) character? Maybe you’re simply curious about the premise? Or maybe you just need a sample. Well that’s the meme for you to try and test your character as if they were already in the tower! The meme is open to anyone!

• Reply to this entry with a character you consider apping! Put your character’s name and fandom- Your usual meme thing.
• Comment around with your pups. You can also post and tag with characters already in-game of course!
• Most importantly, have fun!!
• Then feel free to go and reserve and app your character when those open.

Have a number of prompts to get you started:

[Floor 29]: This floor has seemed pretty peaceful so far, the maze isn't all that hard and the garden that lies beyond it is rather lovely. Still it seems best to head back now that the sun is about to set and nighttime is approaching fast. ...Is that just the leaves rustling in the wind behind you, or is it something more?

[Floor 56]: Oh this looks definitely like an useful floor - the room stretches into a hospital ward, dusty and old, a surgical suite surrounded by a maze of empty beds. The closer you look, the more you'll find that the first impression is quite deceiving - no medical supplies of any sort, unstable lights and what was that noise just now?! Clearly you are the only one on this floor. Or are you?

[Floor 25]: After all you have seen so far, this just might be the first truly innocent floor you see. But is it truly as trustworthy as it seems...? Many other people seem to think so at least! Come and see what they are up to?

[Elevators]: It's quite a long ride between the Dormitories and the Cafeteria - it probably doesn't help that the minutes and seconds seem to stretch out more and more towards eternity, what a hassle. Are well, maybe there is someone stuck with you and up to provide conversation... or entertainment~

[Anywhere]: Do you still have track of just where you are after spending your day exploring the Tower of Animus? If not, you might want to ask someone... or just start climbing the stairs regardless of where you are! Nighttime is approaching fast...

[Event]: Just earlier this day you have been called for (and/or brought in to) an unscheduled collar check-up, in which the color of your collar was changed. It takes a few hours, but soon you feel the effects of it, feel lightheaded and dizzy, feel all your power slip out of your control. Or maybe you heavy to the point of breaking down on the spot, while just none of your powers seem to work. Either way... hopefully you are at a safe place or in friendly company... That is, if either of these things exist in this tower.

Comments

[bloodyashes]

It's not really a punishment; it applies to them too, after all.

[A bit of a shrug.]

If they don't find another power source, and we don't break out before then? Apparently, we're all going to die.

[He sounds downright pleased about it.]

[relinquishing]

[...

...






Asch, the look that Guy is giving you is bordering something between deadly and barely restrained horror.

They're all going to die. Die. What happened to saving people's souls with the Tower? If things had truly collapsed, then maybe it was just an extreme measure to regain some form of control. But at the cost of so many lives...

Nothing was worth that. Whatever godforsaken project this had turned into... that couldn't be worth so many souls, lost forever.

Guy can feel his throat go dry, quickly casting his gaze to the floor and clasping his hands together tightly. He doesn't say anything. He can't say anything. Not until he's got a good grip on his composure.

The silence hangs heavily. Asch can break it if he feels it's necessary. But for right now, Guy keeps quiet.]

[bloodyashes]

[He'll wait, at least for a while. He's used to this kind of reaction, really; seeing death, true death, as freedom isn't something that even most of his allies do. Asch sees that risk and embraces it. Most people don't.

Instead he just crosses his arms awkwardly and finally says.]

Apparently, the administrators plan to consume the souls still trapped in their worlds as fuel, instead.

[He's glad you're back, Guy, and not Tower-fuel. That's why.]

[relinquishing]

[Welll, that comment totally made the situation better. Totally.

Except not really.

Guy can feel the tension that shoots up his back and through his hands, his fingers clenching a bit harder at Asch's words. So, failure to find a way out would mean the death of everyone. Not just the people in this Tower... but all those people still left behind on planets from different timelines. People on Auldrant. Innocents... millions of innocents for the sake of one sick, twisted game of capture-and-release.

...

Easy. Breathe in, breathe out. Don't lose your cool. You just got back. Get information, figure out a plan, keep it together.

There's a subtle turn of the blonde's head, his gaze not moving from the floor and his voice staying low.]

You're treating this pretty lightly.

[bloodyashes]

[His immediate reaction is to close up, to get angry and ignore it... But Guy, at least, deserves better than that. Asch doesn't have the right to demand honest answers out of him unless he's honest right back.

So a short silence, where Asch runs a hand through his bangs - he's been doing that more, lately, a sign of the stress getting to him even if nothing else is.]

If I stop to look to the side, or behind me, I'll never start moving forward again. And there's not time for stopping anymore.

[relinquishing]

[The answer is quite a bit deeper than what Guy would normally expect from Asch. No brushing aside? No sullen insults?]

As long as it's keeping distractions and trivialities out of the way, sure. You take chances, hopefully for the better. But that doesn't mean throwing your sense of caution out the window. Even without this whole mess hanging over our heads, I think that would be obvious.

[It's a jab to the far-too-cheery tone Asch had used speaking of death - as if he didn't realize what it truly meant for him and for the people around him. That wasn't an attitude Guy could respect.]

[bloodyashes]

[And here Guy does hit a nerve.]

There's only so much caution will do for you.

[Almost unconsciously, Asch makes an aborted movement towards his neck - snap and black, that's all he remembers.]

[relinquishing]

And that somehow means it should be ignored?

[Not that Asch had meant that. But a little blind implication should be enough to stir a little more of an actual answer out of the God-General, wouldn't it? As far as Guy could see, he wasn't thinking things through the way that he should.

He throws the redhead an unimpressed look.]

Tower or not, you can't just barrel through things and call it progress. You're not immortal, Asch.

[bloodyashes]

I didn't say that. But there's only so much that can be done.

[He growls under his breath.]

And I'm not going to let fear of what might happen make me helpless.

[relinquishing]

It's not much better if it's making you foolhardy instead.

[It's a Fabre in front of him, after all. Luke and his father were the same way. The narrowed line of thought toward one side or the other would definitely not surprise him.]

[bloodyashes]

[His gaze narrows.]

They want us to not act, Guy. They're scared. And hell if I'm not going to give them a reason to be.

[relinquishing]

You say that like it's enough.

[Proving his point so far, mister icy pants. There's a bitter edge to his words, very similar to how he'd addressed Asch when they had been together on the Tartarus.]

You're expecting fear and this apathetic attitude of yours to get something bold accomplished in your favor. That hardly changes that you're dealing with the same knee-jerk reactions from the same people that have always had the upper hand. Just because they're scared doesn't mean they can't shift things to fit their plans. All jumping in for the sake of action is going to do is kill you... not to mention possibly endangering everyone around you.

And for some damn reason, you're okay with that.

[There was no reason to let themselves or their homeworlds die because of this place. But Guy would not stand for pointless sacrifices or martyrdom.]

[bloodyashes]

And not acting will get us nothing. That's what they want. They want us corralled and controlled by fear of the consequences.

[Guy might be bitter, but Asch is equally so, and frustrated besides.]

Maybe you're okay with that. But I don't intend to roll over for them.

[That the administrators don't want them to act is plenty enough reason to act, for Asch. Plenty of reason for other people, too.]

[relinquishing]

That's not--- [Hooo boy, okay. Don't snap. Deep breath. He's just an idiot and completely missing the point Guy is trying to make.]

When the hell did I say I was okay with that?

[bloodyashes]

Well, you're practically telling me to sit down and take it!

[Pissy mode activated!]

[relinquishing]

[Aha. There's the temper he knows and hates.]

Don't put words in my mouth. That isn't what I was talking about and you know it.

[bloodyashes]

[Sadly Asch doesn't have nearly the patience for this shit that he used to.]

Then you're not listening either. There's no point unless we keep going. If we stop, we're as good as dead.

[And yes, sometimes that means trying stupid things. This time, Asch actually does rub at his throat.]

Even if we die trying, at least we've done something.

[relinquishing]

[Asch isn't even halfway through his sentence before Guy's got a hand back to his forehead, his face bristling with annoyance. He could feel the strands of his composure starting to slip.]

I didn't say anything about stopping. I didn't even imply you should sit back or give up or let them control you. You shouldn't. None of us should.

What you should be doing is figuring out a way that doesn't get you killed. Dying a martyr is no better than dying in that wasteland of miasma. Death is death. You don't get that back.

This isn't black and white, Asch.

[bloodyashes]

Death is death, and they can't call us back.

[Guy, you've seriously misjudged Asch's priorities. Dying free is better than living here.]

It's not black and white, but it's black and something. Whatever that something is, I'll take it.

[relinquishing]

If the better choice is making you treat dying as a door to freedom, then you should really rethink why it is you're even fighting.

[God. God, how he just wishes he could walk over and give Asch a good clock in the jaw. Too bad he'd probably pass out onto the floor on the way there. Damn this collar and whatever the hell it's doing to him.]

Death isn't an escape. You're just trading a temporary prison for a permanent one.

[bloodyashes]

I didn't say it was the best choice. Just that I'd take it over this.

[Annoyed sigh.]

If we're lucky, it won't end that way, but my luck hasn't been great lately.

[relinquishing]

You shouldn't have to.

[It's a curt response, the blond finally leaning back into his chair, arms crossed and jaw set tightly. He doesn't enjoy the path this conversation has taken, but if Asch had made up his mind, then maybe there was no point in trying to convince him otherwise.

As the redhead continues, though, Guy simply glances at him with a dry curiosity.]

You getting yourself into trouble again?

just FYI I finally uploaded those icons of Asch being bruised and bloodied o3o

[bloodyashes]

Something like that.

[Another motion towards his neck, this one successfully aborted before it gets beyond his chest. When again, what's he hiding?]

At least it was quick.

bruised and battered, just the way i like em

[relinquishing]

At least what was quick?

[His eyes narrow, brow knitting up with concern. Watch out, Asch; Guy's curiosity is quickly morphing into suspicion.]

Did something happen to you?

Here have one then

[bloodyashes]

Broken neck.

[He wasn't kidding about it being quick. No aborting the motion of rubbing at his throat this time.]

Word of advice: don't try to leave the elevators.