Day 61: Recreation Field (Shift 2)

[complicatedliar]

Loki wasn't entirely thrilled about returning to the recreation field, though he supposed it would be nicer during the day. And without the annoying presence of Riku. Some fresh air would likely do him good; that was what Sif and Thor had always claimed right before they dragged him out of the library.

He wasn't entirely certain if that was a pleasant thought or not. It was still far too mixed up and painful.

He was allowed to go back to his room and pull out every bit of warm clothing he had, bundling up as much as he could. As he followed the nurse out into the field, he also wondered if this meant he would miss out on the greenhouse, since he'd arranged to meet Soma after lunch. That had priority, of course, but he did find plants interesting. At least it was good to know there were activities they were forced to participate in during the day that weren't as horrifically painful as, say, what the music room would indicate.

Good to know that as prisons went, it wasn't all just torture, torture, torture. Some variation was good for the mind.

He wandered along the crunchy, dead grass, for now steering clear of the few other patients. The air felt much better during the day, smelled much better to him as well as he sniffed at it. even if it was cold enough to make his nose hurt. It reminded him uncomfortably of Jotunheim, and...

But at least here, there was sunlight. He wasn't trapped in that dark place as sometimes was in his nightmares.

Loki stopped about halfway down the field, tilting his head back to take in the thin sunlight, his eyes slipping shut.

[Here, angel angel angel... :D Castiel!]

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[ofthemotions]

He found himself in a bit of a daze still. What kind of technology existed for that to happen? For a wound, small as it was, to transfer unquestionably to another person? It seemed crazy, and added to Tear's description of planets, and Tolten's of other worlds, Mikado had the brief inkling that he was the one going crazy instead. He didn't even realize when he was led outside, the burst of cold air shaking his senses.

...It was fine, though. Wasn't it? He had achieved what he would set out to do, met and spoken with Tear, and now he would follow through with the rest. Whatever had happened.... Half of him thought it would be best just not to think about it, to place that statue to the side, to ignore the fact that Tear admitted herself as an alien, and just continue. But, really... Should he just ignore things like that? Tolten and Tear couldn't prove their points but what had happened in the chapel was proven. Perfectly and unmistakably, and it was exciting, wasn't it? Things like this, they never happened in real life, and why not enjoy what--

The grin that had formed at those thoughts stopped unconsciously. Except it seemed that people were actually dying in this place. Enough to be almost common. So even if Mikado could enjoy the irregularities that were present here, the fact of life being snuffed out like that wasn't something that he could just accept and forget. Tear's apparent nonchalance at another's death was horrifying, and Mikado honestly did not want to evolve in that way.

Thoughts becoming increasingly muddled, the boy stood off to the side in thought, rubbing one of his hands unconsciously as he stared at it.

[Izaya!]

[propheteer]

Izaya had been sorely tempted to stay indoors to watch those gathered in the sun room instead of braving the cold, but it didn't seem to be very often that they were given an opportunity to go outdoors (during the day). That, combined with the fact that the men and women were to have separate activities this morning, is why he'd agreed to be taken outside.

Once he'd been left alone, he took the opportunity to look around—he spotted Castiel right away, and watched as a few of the men took the opportunity to stretch their legs and yet others shivered... After a moment he caught sight of Mikado with a smile on his face—a smile which fell a moment later.

He hadn't yet had an opportunity to speak to Tolten (come to think of it, he still needed to arrange that meeting—he would do so just as soon as he was back indoors), and so he could not yet make his payment to Mikado for the name. Even so, there was no reason he had to repay Mikado right away...

Izaya moved along the edges of the field as Mikado started rubbing one of his hands. He wondered briefly about the reason for the action—a habit? Trying to warm it? If it was warming, weren't there more effective methods...? Ah, how intriguing...

He came to a stop close enough to touch Mikado. "Something on your mind?"

[ofthemotions]

He was deep enough in thought that he hadn't noticed the man at all until he was next to him. Mikado jumped, startled, then visibly relaxed. "Ah, Orihara-san...." That it was relieving to see him was possibly something that should cause some alarm, however, it was how it stood. Izaya was the only familiar face in a sea of irregularities, and had been nothing but helpful. Even that, however, caused something like resolve to move through him. He wasn't going to rely on Izaya. He would attempt to stand even. Here, at least, maybe... They were viewing things the same.

He nodded, though it wasn't clear if it was to himself or to the man. If he was going to start making movements, he couldn't continue to allow himself to act as he previously had. Here, at least.

"I learned some things last night," he started, tone level and open. "I'm trying to get used to them." For a moment, it seemed like that was all he was going to say. Then the boy held up the hand he had been rubbing--it was unblemished and smooth. "For one... This was scraped and raw last night. There's a kind of technology in that... That chapel? The place that we went to with the soldier?... And it transfers wounds to other people." Another beat. "It was an undeniable 'truth.'"

[propheteer]

A 'truth' it may have been, but whether it was 'undeniable' as well was another matter entirely.

Izaya was silent after Mikado relayed the information about his hand, scrutinizing the smooth, unblemished flesh of the boy's hand. It certainly didn't look like there had been even so much as a papercut on the hand recently—let alone scrapes of the kind Mikado had indicated. But... 'transfers'? Not healed, not... 'removed', but—

He smiled, and gave a single, short laugh. "That certainly sounds like something that would take getting used to," he commented. "Something in the chapel 'transfers' wounds? Do you actually mean to say that there's someone else who now has a scraped hand instead of you?" He made a gesture towards the hand Mikado had held up earlier.

If there was... how exciting that could be! One person harmed in exchange for another to be healed—but was it by choice or had it been forced upon them, or an accident? To knowingly take someone else's pain upon oneself—how he'd like to see the kind of person who would choose that! And conversely, how he'd also like to see the kind of person who would refuse.

[ofthemotions]

The boy nodded to the assumption. "A girl I was with." One he was going to mention to Izaya before, actually. "She bandaged me before we went there, and then once I went by the stature in there, there was nothing under the bandages. And she had the exact marks." That wasn't all of what Mikado was mulling over, but he wanted to think through the aspects first and come to his own conclusions. Asking now would just be going backwards.

"I actually..." he said after a pause, looking a bit sheepish. "I actually tricked her a bit in order to meet with her. She heads the paramedic group and I wanted to see what kind of person she was." Take a gauge of her character. Mikado shifted a bit, then looked at Izaya. "I'm thinking of providing them with aid... Since it's dangerous here, and they're working to help everyone." He let a beat pass, a struggle against the feeling of awkwardness. All of this... made him feel a bit younger. Even if he was moving on his own. "...In... Dollars' name. So it can start to gain a reputation here."

[propheteer]

The statue? —Ah, he remembered it: the rather demonic-looking thing in the fountain. He hadn't paid it much mind when he'd been in the chapel with Mikado before, but perhaps it warranted a closer look...

Thoughts of checking out the statue (preferably with an injured party present) were filed away when Mikado continued. Hearing about the boy tricking someone was good (better still would have been witnessing it himself, but he'd take what he could)—and then the thought of using Dollars' name somewhere other than the bulletin board... And using it himself...

Izaya smiled. "I see! Aiding the paramedics... Well, Dollars is your group, so you should do whatever you want with it," he said, echoing his sentiments from the Dollars meeting. He wouldn't give encouragement here—but he wasn't going to try to discourage Mikado, either. He'd done some gradual work of his own to make the name of Dollars at least be recognized if it was mentioned, and if Mikado was now going to continue with growing a reputation for Dollars... He couldn't say he objected at all.

"I look forward to seeing how Dollars evolves here, whatever the course you take." And it wasn't just Dollars he was interested in the evolution of, but Mikado too.

[ofthemotions]

Mikado was beginning to realize that Izaya had a way of speaking that was neither dissuading or encouragement. From other source, the boy might have found it irritating, but here he found some kind of gratitude for it. It seemed like a lack of judgement at the moment, a person bearing witness to his movements, and Mikado was thankful. Emotion rose despite himself, and he bowed quickly, a sharp movement based on whim. "Thank you...."

In all honestly, Mikado didn't need to report to him, or to tell Izaya anything. He could move as he wanted or wished, and continue. But Izaya and Celty were the only ones that knew that Mikado was the actual head of Dollars. And more to the point.... This man continued to back him in different ways, and it almost felt like they were becoming strange friends. To that, he only continued speaking. "It doesn't seem like Dollars is well-known here, so it's better if it gains a reputation as something active and through word of mouth. It's easy to mention it on the board, but it needs to be spread in casual conversation as well."

The problem in that was obvious. It took away the members anonymity, unless it was being discussed as if it was just a viewer watching something unfold. But it was necessary, if that was the outcome wanted.