Week 1, Day 1 -- Atsushi

[overworker]

[Part of making some sense of order out of all this chaos was figuring out who was still with them and who might not be. So for that reason, a good chunk of time upon waking for Towa was spent going about the train. To each of the rooms even. A lot of the people she knew from before were accounted for but not all. But then... she wasn't quite finished taking roll call so to speak either. And thus she continued, right up to Atsushi's room.]

--oh! Atsushi! You're here too. Thank goodness.

[One more friend accounted for.]

Comments

2/2

[whitemoontiger]

[ The even stranger thing is that his body didn't suddenly collapse over. There is also a VERY distinct lack of blood where his head had parted from his neck, instead, it's a smooth and shiny surface, one that feels waxy to the touch, though the skin on the outside still looks - and feels - like normal skin.

The most notable thing is the wick sticking out of the center of the neck, and there's the smallest hint of the scent of Egyptian oil that wafts through the air around the waxiness.

Meanwhile, Atsushi's head is still on the ground and he's finally processing that his head is here and his body is still on the bed. Which may explain the very undignified cry of surprise, his chest actually heaving with some panicked breaths. ]

I-I-I'm t-totally dead! I.. why else w-would this be happening?! Oh god... it's either i'm dead o-or this is all some dream.. no no no...

[ He didn't know this would happen. Maybe that's why he's having a minor panic attack, his arms starting to flail a little bit in time with his words. ]

T-Towa I.. I'm--

[ He wants to say he's sorry right now but uh. The situation is intense right now. ]

[overworker]

[Towa has seen many things in her time at Thors Military Academy. Or she thought she did. Up until the moment that the scar turned into a cut straight through the boy's neck and his head toppled off.]

Wha-- I-I...

[And then he talked. It's unlike anything she ever heard of before. Is it some kind of illusion? She's not sure she knows artes that could do something of that scale.]

I-It's okay! Y-you're okay! It's.... it's going to be okay! Um... we just... you... yes! We just need to put um... your... head... back on...

[Even though her hands are shaking, she picks up his head. Although I suppose that just mean he gets a great view of her uh. Chest. Great. Good. This is fine. She can't even spare one thought to think about that right now because SHE'S HOLDING HIS HEAD and that's about as much as she can handle right now.]

I'll just um... yes... excuse me, I'll try it now.

[Time to try and connect them again........]

[whitemoontiger]

[ On that same vein, Atsushi had seen and experienced a LOT of things in his time working for the ADA but this was something else altogether. Suddenly he found the tiger really wasn't so bad in comparison to this.

It was incredibly disconcerting because he could feel the empty space on his shoulders, along with the fact there was a WICK sticking out of his neck and how he'd become incredibly aware of that same waxy substance that was all beneath his skin.

Trying to stop panicking a little at this point, when she mentioned putting his head back on? It helped give him something to focus on, even if he did nearly nod before remembering he literally couldn't. His vision shifted as she lifted his head up, only for him to avert his eyes elsewhere because it would be absolutely rude to stare and he wasn't one of those perverted guys who would probably stare at a girl's chest without shame. ]

I a-appreciate you being h-here to help, you know. I... don't know how I would have taken this happening on my own...

[ His voice sounds small to him and still erring on the more panicked side but at least his arms aren't flailing anymore. Atsushi's hands have settled onto the bed and he's just trying to remember how to breathe.

Depending on how Towa's holding his head as she makes to put him back together, she might be able to feel that same waxy substance beneath his hair as well. Once it's put back on straight, though, it doesn't look so out of place anymore. Indeed, he again looks as if he has a small scar around his neck. ]

...D-Do I look okay now?

[overworker]

O-oh it's no trouble at all really!! I'm glad... I'm glad I was able to help.

[Phew! Thank Aidios.]

You look much better. I wonder... if this has something to do with the powers they took away and the things they gave us in return. It was like that before too...

[On the other train.]

I remember McBurn mentioned it on the HML Vespertine. I never tried it myself since I don't have any powers without my ARCUS, but... it seems likely. I'm just glad you're alright. That really scared me for a minute there.

[whitemoontiger]

Me too. I really am.

[ Exhaling a shaky laugh because yeah, that was certainly an experience.

Bringing up one hand after a moment, he brushed a finger across the scar before subtly drawing it back as he didn't want to make his head fall off again. He does look a lot more relieved after her words all the same, though definitively frowning a bit by this point. ]

I'd guess that's probably what's going on here. Since this looks so similar to the last train, the same thing's probably happening again.

[ Including the part where people died/were killed. Though that's not something he wants to think about right now. ]

Y-Yeah. It scared me too b-but I mean it makes sense, doesn't it? [ Sighing softly, he closed his eyes and hung his head with a small groan. ] Of all things... w-why me? Between the other train and this one, when did they have a chance to do THAT? I... this just all seems insane... m-more than it was the last time.

[ He's not voicing it but GOD. Towa should be able to tell just by how pale he is, that there's a lot on his mind and so, SO many questions right now. Such as HOW did they do that to him and still keep him alive? Did he actually have organs? Bones?

Was he even the real him? How was he breathing and functioning as a living candle?! ]

[overworker]

I'm sure that... when we figure out what's going on here we'll be able to put everyone back to normal. If they were able to do it, then they should be able to undo it to, right!

[There's nothing to get out of being negative.]

It's okay, Atsushi... we're going to make it through this!

[She grips his hands in her smaller ones and gives him a gentle squeeze.]

They may have taken parts of us, but-- I'm still me and you're still you! No matter what they do, they can't take that from you.

[whitemoontiger]

[ Maybe it was just a little frightening to him because despite all the progress he's made in coming this far with his time in the ADA, this was still managing to get under his skin in a way he really didn't like. Feeling as if he were mere seconds from a full fledged panic moment, it was Towa's encouraging words that brought him back and away from that mindset.

Eyes filled with conflicted fear, hesitation and so much worry looked up at her as his breath hitched slightly. ]

I... W-We are?

[ He hates his usual pessimism is kicking in here, but after what she's said, it seems to relent in his mind soon enough. Atsushi's shoulders seemed to then lose some of the tension, gaze falling to where her hands were gripping his own. ]

Right. No matter what happens, I'm still Atsushi Nakajima, a-and you're still Towa Herschel. [ Exhaling a heavy breath, he nodded his head. ] We made it through this once, we can do it again. T-Though I do have something I would like you to do for me, if you can...