paixaorpg | Actually At The Actua Are [Completed]

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completed,
tidus

Actually At The Actua Are [Completed]

Character(s): Uchiha Sasuke, Tidus, Son Goku
Content: Continuing on towards the city center, the group closes in on the Actua Are Hotel. They are intent on finding their friends and getting information about the strange domed world.
Setting: The Actua Are Hotel (city center; O-13)
Time: Evening - Day 2
Warnings: None so far

The group had been walking all day, using the map to get towards Paixao's center. Uchiha of course had taken the lead. He stayed ahead most of the time, adding very little to the traveling conversation aside from directional adjustments. Goku was better behaved than before, aside from the occasional grumblings about how empty his stomach was. By then, that was nothing unusual. As for Tidus, he followed the other two peaceably, taking in the sights and sounds of Paixao. It changed the closer they got to the city's center. It got noticeably busier. The people still were nondescript, but there were more of them to look at. There were also more buildings and places that were full of activity.

This is great! Tidus thought, near overwhelmed at the scenery. There was still nothing real aside from the people, but the copies of plants and animals were crafted excellently. There was detail in everything. It was still a little creepy, certainly, being inside a giant dome with fake flora and wildlife, but there was something that made it interesting. Maybe it was just the novelty. It was certainly unlike the whole of Spira. Not even Zanarkand was like this, Tidus considered.

When evening came and the light dimmed accordingly, the group came upon a rather large building. It could have been a big house, but it seemed more commercial and not quite so homey. People went in and out of it regularly. It was a busy establishment. It just might be their hotel. Actually, it was very likely their hotel. There was a sign outside, though the writing couldn't be read. Finally! Tidus was so relieved he could have rushed inside immediately, hotel or not, but discretion won over. Besides, running in was something that Uchiha would have frowned on. And after today, Tidus really didn't want to push any more of his buttons. So he hung back and waited to see what the plans would be.

It's weird, Tidus thought. Usually I make decisions and go on my own path. But since I've met Uchiha, I've held off on that. There's something about him that I don't want to test. It's funny how I've started thinking of him as the leader of our little group. And Goku as the comic relief, of course. I won't say any of that out loud. Ever. I've gotten enough strange stares to last me the rest of my life.

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It only seemed natural that he would've led this little expedition of theirs. Maybe it was because the other two had seemed incompetent. Well, Goku more than Tidus, but that wasn't really the point. Fact was neither seemed to stack up when compared to him. He doubted either of them, no matter their backgrounds could challenge the level of training and sheer talent that he had. Besides, that infamous Uchiha pride wouldn't have it any other way.

Given his relative disdain - and it wasn't that he hated them really - for his traveling companions, Sasuke had spent most of the time surveying his surroundings rather than keeping tabs on the direction their conversations took. Which, as it turned out, had pretty much died down to Goku rambling on about food at some point. This world was...interesting. Only in the fact that it still highly unnerved him. Despite the increase in activity it was still populated by those drone-like beings. He had begun to notice shops however, and eventually dark eyes settled upon what finally appeared to be that marker on the map. Sasuke did a mental recheck of direction and distance. Was satisfied that this place was in fact it.

Pulling to a halt, he turned to face the other two for the first time since his explosive stand-off with Goku. "I believe this it is."

And that was the extent of it. He tossed another glance at the building, noting further that this was more than likely a hotel. Double their luck on that one, for that map had offered little in the way of building description. Spinning about once more, he headed for the entrance.

Now for their next problem: Money [Which was pretty much synonymous with comfortable sleep and food].

Goku showed neither Tidus' restraint, nor Sasuke's forethought: his mouth hung open in a sense of awe as, at the sight of the hotel, the fact he was in a strange land was (oddly enough) hammered into his head. Tidus didn't quite manage it, nor Sasuke (who had been sulking: won't the guy lighten up?) nor even the domes painted in bizarre colors and undeniably fake wildlife which were still strange and alien to Goku...but the hotel did.

There were several possible reasons for this. It could have just as easily been the increasingly strange crowds, the bright lights and colors which made Goku gawk like a tourist (absently rambling on about how food would be nice all the while) as he watched. He was used to majestic temples, imposing monasteries, small homey towns carved from the land filled with shacks and rice and people who weren't so blond and artificial. Goku was moreso struck, however, at the occasional heads he thought he saw in the dark (it was rather gloomy, after all, and the lights of Paixao colored the night in strange shades) which hinted at the fact that the three of them might not be the only travelers and perhaps he wouldn't be alone after all. (Sasuke and Tidus aside.)

That and the fact that the hotel hammered in the fact that Paixao wasn't a fever dream nor a hallucination caused by lack of breakfast, two theories which Goku had clung to for most of the day despite himself.

It was also really cool looking.

Which was why despite the fact that all he had was a spare buck fifty (or equivalent thereof) in small change Goku found yet another burst of energy. He hurried past Tidus, hurried past Sasuke (or at least tried to, given that it's Sasuke Goku might end up with an attempted kunai to the throat) in favor of seeing the insides of the hotel. Because...wow.

Goku was a blur as he raced past Tidus, making a direct line for the hotel. At first, Tidus didn't believe it was happening. But it was Goku. And he really shouldn't have been surprised. Racing into the unknown without thinking did fit what he knew about Goku.

This ought to be great. Instead of hurrying immediately after Goku, Tidus quickly approached Uchiha. "Goku took off like a bullet. I don't know about you, but I think we should go after him to make sure he doesn't get himself in any trouble." After this brief update, Tidus ran after Goku into the hotel. He couldn't deny his own curiosity for too much longer anyway.

He took it back: They were both idiots on an equal level. Sasuke merely scowled at Tidus' words, then watched as he took off, in what appeared more like excitement than actual worry, after the Monkey boy. Honestly, it wasn't as if the damn thing was going to fold in on itself and relocate. . . . .Ok, maybe tha could happen seeing as he knew next to nothing about this world. Still, the plausibility of such a thing was hovering around zero.

"Tch..." Dark eyes watched as the blond disappeared into the hotel. Definitely like Naruto. Just blindly charging into the unknown. Idly wondered that if Tidus could fight would he do the exact same thing in battle? It was bad enough dealing with the unknown, but having to cover for two losers was more than his patience could handle.

Brushing those thoughts aside - at the moment fighting seemed the least of the things that could happen to him at the moment - the Snake prodigy trudged ahead, weaving his way through the people about, and stepped into the hotel.

The interior of the hotel was somewhat...disappointing. Cool looking, but disappointing. Yeah, that was the way to put it. It wasn't that the hotel was run-down or shabby: it was pretty nice, with couches and chairs and lights hanging like glowing suns, and Goku was happy to see it. But at the same time, it was so mundane compared to the rest of Paixao that it was a bit surprising. He was kinda expecting for there to be something special, flying dragons or rampaging tornadoes or something, not just a hotel which suggests that Paixao's just another place, another town, and that line of thought led to things Goku didn't want to think about so he stopped there.

He was disappointed, therefore, but only to an extent. The Actua Are was still a new experience, a new place, and they didn't have this shiny material where he came from, and it was somewhere which wasn't the streets with Tidus and Sasuke and...oh yeah.

Goku made a half-turn...and saw Tidus following him. Goku headed back towards Tidus (or Tidus towards him) with the full intent of dragging stuff like 'does Spira (Zanarkand's such a complicated word, so hard to say) have stuff like this?' kicking and screaming out of Tidus. Starting out with....

"I didn't think we'd EVER make it here! I'm so...."

You can guess the rest.

"I know." Tidus tried not to let the annoyance show in his voice. It was Goku's favorite complaint, after all.

Tidus looked around at the hotel's lobby. He had been expecting a little more than what was there. It wasn't like the inns of Spira. It was homey, more like a living room than any hotel lobby that he could call to mind. There were not as many intricate details in the room as there were outdoors, true, but nothing was garish. It seemed comfortable.

It would be great if they could stay there. After all, the rooms were probably just as comfy as this lobby seemed to be. But hotel rooms cost money, and Tidus didn't have much on him. In fact, he wasn't sure if he had saved anything at all or given everything to his old group for safekeeping. Maybe Uchiha had something. Though he was generous enough to give trail mix to Goku, Uchiha couldn't be expected to provide Tidus and Goku with lodging as well. It looked to be another night on the street.

They could at least use the lobby to sit and rest. "Anyway, you said you wanted to learn how to use the machina, right?" He took out the small metal box he'd been given at the gate. "Let's take a look at it and we can both figure out a way to use it. It probably isn't that difficult." Tidus was eager to get a better look at the machina. There hadn't been time yet, and now they had the time.

Unlike the others, Sasuke could have cared less what the hotel looked like. Rather, he was far more interested in who was currently littering the lobby. And as far as he could tell, it was no one worth his time Just another splattering of those probably replaceable machines masked as people. Mere puppets. At least, on same level, he had come to terms with that part. No longer did that fact sit uneasily within his mind.

Casting a glance at his two travel companions, he stopped. A few feet away from them, but close enough to catch Tidus' words. At least someone had the sense to spend their time working out something worthwhile. However, that Monkey kid....what was it with him and food? Sasuke hadn't eaten a thing in over 24 hours, and you didn't hear him bitching about it every other second. Not even Tidus had complained about that fact. And Sasuke wasn't about to accept youth as the underlying cause.

There was no point in worrying over that though. Well more like grow further agitated over the fact. Without a second thought given to his travel mates - they seemed perfectly content at the moment - Sasuke made his way to the front desk. Now, how exactly was he going to work this one out?

And Goku was, indeed, content (or at least curious and not-quite-as-bored.) The strange devices were strange, fanciful, and weren't as dissapointing as ~~Motel 6~~ Actua Are. Hopefully. Goku had noticed Sasuke entering, absently noted the last of their party, but with the same absence of mind figured he was going to find a corner to brood in. Besides, Tidus was being more interesting.

"Yeah!" Goku exclaimed again, all shifting energy and reckless abandon: one wouldn't suspect that a half hour ago he was trudging wearily through the streets acting like he was about to die of starvation. Ah, the wonders of youth. He shifted closer to Tidus, the better to see what the faux blond would do with his device. "We don't really have stuff like this where I come from...well, I guess we kinda do, but it's kinda...looked at funny. They," and there was an implied 'Sanzo, the monk I keep talking about,'cause everyone else is a bunch of jerks, Hakkai aside (and Gojyo isn't so bad, even if he is a stupid kappa)' in that 'they,' "Say that bad things'll happen if it mixes with magic. I really don't know much about it, though."

"Ah." No wonder Goku had little idea what to do with the metal box. "We don't really have things like these boxes in Spira," Tidus explained, "but these seem to be machina. Which we do have. Lots of people were distrusful of them. They were forbidden for a long time. Only one group of people continued using them..." Well. That would exhaust Goku's five second attention span, so Tidus dropped the topic and went further into the lobby.

Once he had found a quiet area to sit in, he began looking over the machina. It seemed simple enough. It could turn on and off. It had a bunch of letters in a tray. When one was pressed, the matching letter appeared on the screen. The pen, as Goku found out earlier, could be used to draw pictures or write words on the screen. A little more playing around revealed an electronic version of Uchiha's map. And a few more accidents later, the screen showed that the machina was linked to others somehow. Other people had written with their machina too. Words appeared all over the screen, all from different people.

"Goku, look! Maybe we can find our friends this way!" Tidus said excitedly, eyes widening. He quickly flipped through back entries. "If everyone in Paixao has one, chances are our friends have them too. They can let us know they're out there." 'Maybe Yuna is here. Maybe...' The entries came with little pictures, and a few times he thought he saw her. But he didn't want to get his hopes up. After all, it was a new world, and he ought to be dead. Yuna was among the living.

Well, they seemed eager enough to leave him to his own devices, which, as far as Sasuke was concerned, was all the better for him. Dark eyes scanned the few patrons lingering around the front desk. No one really noteworthy. In other words, no one he knew. Absently, he wondered why he even expected to come across another he was familiar with. As far as things had gone, they were all alone at this point, each taken from their home planet and thrown here unknowingly. Tch....

Enough of those thoughts however. Some overly happy - that fake sort of happy, that all-too-willing to help smile plastered over her pale face but not because she genuinely liked you - woman was standing before him on the opposite side of the desk. It was time to figure out how this placed worked. At least on the monetary transaction scale of things.

Fifteen minutes later, the Snake prodigy had managed to secure them a decently sized room. At least for the night. Apparently this place honored any sort of money, which was the most useful piece of information he had gathered so far. It made things that much simpler for him, and at the moment meant he had no need to find any sort of work. For the first time in months, he was secretly glad he had taken on all those half-ass missions that had gotten him no closer to his brother.

He scanned the lobby once more. Found his companions - if he could truly call them that - seated over in the far corner. Hastily, he made his way to them, tossing the key to their room onto a small table before him with a metal clink.

Goku had been busy (despite Tidus' best efforts, and they were most likely quite good) attempting to get the device open, an activity fueled by the suggestion that they could find their friends that way.

It had looked so easy when Tidus did it, and Goku had gotten it open earlier through a method which involved creative poking with the stylus (wherever did that go, anyway?) included in the pack. He had been ready to to, almost thoughtfully so, lift the...machina up to his mouth and pry the clasp open with his teeth. This no-doubt ill considered device-damaging action had been interrupted (even as Goku started to lift it up towards his mouth with the slightest of gestures) by Sasuke's return, heralded by the clattering of keys.

Goku blinked, paused, and then brightened as he mentally connected a few pieces together, duct taped one thought with another, and realized what keys in a hotel meant. "Sasuke! You got a room! Thank you!" Goku paused as another thought occured to him: did Sasuke get a room for just himself and screw them, or a room for him and Tidus, or for the group of them...together? The keys suggested that it was the group of them, but if the room had a balcony Goku knew where he would be sleeping that night if Sasuke was anything like his friends.

Goku was momentarly pensive, thus: his features were briefly worried, mostly curious, before his previous cheerfully upbeat grin resettled upon his features. "How did you pay for it?" He figured that the rest would come, eventually, and it wasn't worth worrying (or thinking) about it at the moment. Somehow or another, after all, everything would turn out for the best.

Tidus looked up with a start when he heard metal clatter. He looked up to see Uchiha. And down again to see a key waiting on the table. Wow. So he had gotten them a room. They were spared from another night of street sleeping! Uchiha really was full of surprises.

But there was only one key there. Was that theirs? Were they all going to sleep in one room, or did Uchiha have another key for himself? And this meant Uchiha had money. Maybe they could get a decent meal to satisfy Goku for maybe ten minutes. One could hope.

He closed his machina. There'd be more time to tinker with it once they were settled in a room for the night. He shook his head with a smile. "Uchiha, you've really outdone yourself this time. Thanks." When they were truly on their feet in this strange land, with maybe a job and more permanent housing, Tidus vowed to pay him back. Uchiha's generosity was surprising, what with his usually cold demeanor. It didn't seem to fit, more like they were two separate interchangeable people swapping places from time to time.

Tidus stood up. "So where is this room?" He knew as soon as he'd lay down on a real bed, he'd be solidly out for hours. And that was something he very much looked forward to.

"Tch..." He really didn't want all of that. Those damn Thank you's and surprised stares. Really. It wasn't as if he had lost all shreds of his humanity during his search for his brother. Almost. He almost had, but found that his hatred truly wasn't enough to drive him to achieve power by any means possible. No, only through his means. It's why he had simply left Naruto there instead of ensuring he had done the job thoroughly.

Still, that didn't mean he hadn't done a damn good job of burying all blatant traces of what was actually a fairly decent heart [which these two were quickly peeling apart]. Pale pink lips pulled into an annoyed scowl, his mind debating whether he should just ignore their statements completely and move on towards the room, leaving them to guess once more about how they fit into this whole hotel deal, or to coolly address each one.

He went with plan C: ignore the words of thanks and odd praise, answer the one reasonable question Goku had posed all day. "They seem to honor any sort of currency here."

Dark eyes danced over their forms, sparking faintly with disbelief. Honestly couldn't believe he had just done all of this for a bunch of strangers. Nevermind that they both reminded of him of that person in their own way.

"First floor, to the left and at the end of the hall," he supplied further. "There are two beds in the room." In an effort to spare him any more awkward notions of gratefulness, Sasuke turned and began to make his way in the stated direction.

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Actually At The Actua Are [Completed]

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