Loki (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
complicatedliar) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
damned_institute2012-04-10 11:25 am
complicatedliar) wrote in damned_institute2012-04-10 11:25 am
Day 63: Bus 2 (morning)
The night hadn't been nearly as productive as Loki would have liked, though he didn't feel all that upset about it. He had all the time in the world, as far as he was concerned.
He would have to keep an eye out for those showing very visible signs of infection. It seemed to be a very rapidly progressing disease, which was interesting, but not necessarily all that helpful. Of course, the question of humanity was cute in terms of philosophy, but considering that Loki had never been human and had no desire to lower himself to that level, he found it amusing more than threatening. It would probably set the mortals into mental paroxysms, though.
The prospect of visiting the town Soma had told him about, that was certainly more interesting, and possibly useful. Particularly considering they were apparently to be given some money to spend. There had to be a book store in the town at the very least, an possibly something more useful. He had serious doubts that he'd be allowed to purchase anything overtly useful like specialized tools, but the knowledge was far more important and books were the best place to focus.
Loki smiled prettily enough for the nurse when she showed up and took the clothing offered. It was slightly less painful to look at than the normal horrible uniform - jeans and a green flannel shirt, though he wasn't enamored of the plaid pattern. The outfit also included a black jacket and gloves, necessary since the weather was still cold. He made certain to tuck his notebook and a few pens into the jacket, since even if he wasn't allowed to purchase useful books, there would no doubt be an opportunity to take notes.
And he had a message he wished to pass around as well. Hopefully there would be some sort of bulletin board in the town. If not, it could always wait another day he supposed. That didn't tend to make people less dead.
Loki went quietly to the bus, accepting the sack of food and the little booklet of coupons. He examined the card that came with it for a moment - apparently that was the money equivalent - then looked through the coupons. Really, of the choices the massage and the manicure sounded the nicest. He was particularly wary of the 'tasty meal' since in his experience, anything with 'tasty' actually in the name was destined to be anything but.
With his normal air of amusement mixed with despair at the general state of food in this place, he started picking through what passed for breakfast.
[Send me an angel!]
He would have to keep an eye out for those showing very visible signs of infection. It seemed to be a very rapidly progressing disease, which was interesting, but not necessarily all that helpful. Of course, the question of humanity was cute in terms of philosophy, but considering that Loki had never been human and had no desire to lower himself to that level, he found it amusing more than threatening. It would probably set the mortals into mental paroxysms, though.
The prospect of visiting the town Soma had told him about, that was certainly more interesting, and possibly useful. Particularly considering they were apparently to be given some money to spend. There had to be a book store in the town at the very least, an possibly something more useful. He had serious doubts that he'd be allowed to purchase anything overtly useful like specialized tools, but the knowledge was far more important and books were the best place to focus.
Loki smiled prettily enough for the nurse when she showed up and took the clothing offered. It was slightly less painful to look at than the normal horrible uniform - jeans and a green flannel shirt, though he wasn't enamored of the plaid pattern. The outfit also included a black jacket and gloves, necessary since the weather was still cold. He made certain to tuck his notebook and a few pens into the jacket, since even if he wasn't allowed to purchase useful books, there would no doubt be an opportunity to take notes.
And he had a message he wished to pass around as well. Hopefully there would be some sort of bulletin board in the town. If not, it could always wait another day he supposed. That didn't tend to make people less dead.
Loki went quietly to the bus, accepting the sack of food and the little booklet of coupons. He examined the card that came with it for a moment - apparently that was the money equivalent - then looked through the coupons. Really, of the choices the massage and the manicure sounded the nicest. He was particularly wary of the 'tasty meal' since in his experience, anything with 'tasty' actually in the name was destined to be anything but.
With his normal air of amusement mixed with despair at the general state of food in this place, he started picking through what passed for breakfast.
[Send me an angel!]
no subject
Still, even that irritation was put on hold for a moment when she caught sight of the rash on her hand. It was angry, it was red, and it had somehow managed to spread to her wrist in the last--hour? Two hours? Who knew how time worked in a place like this.
But she didn't feel sick. Did she?
Her nurse arrived with a pair of ill-fitting jeans, an itchy sweater, and a puffy yellow jacket. There was, she noted with some relief, a pair of gloves to go with the jacket. They were equally ugly, but at least nobody would be able to see the rash right away. It was probably nothing, but if any of the other patients were as on edge as she was...
She found an empty seat on the bus and bit angrily into a muffin. Hopefully she'd get to the bottom of all this before too long.
[free~]
no subject
When morning came, Rei could barely open her eyes. Sluggish and out of sorts, she idly took note that she had never felt this way before. Worse and worse, and now the skin on her hand, red and raw, with no answers other than what that man had alluded. Monsters to men and men to monsters, and she didn't have the mind to fully think about it.
She was herded outside, and remembered belatedly that town, and how this time there would be no pilots-- Then was prodded onto a bus, and it occurred to her how slow she was moving. Concerning. Yes. Just. Concerning.
She slid into the first open seat, quiet voice speaking, "...Excuse me," an apology for the interruption, even as her eyes only watched her hands. Her eyelids were heavy. She wondered if this was perhaps what--
Ah. Nothing productive would come of that.
no subject
The muffin vanished quickly. It wasn't as if she was especially hungry--she wasn't, even less so than usual--eating was just something to do instead of stewing in her own anger.
She sighed and leaned her head against the seat. It felt oddly cool. Or was her forehead warmer than usual? It didn't matter. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"...Excuse me."
Soma looked up. A vaguely familiar girl was sliding into the seat next to her--no name came to mind, but she'd definitely seen her around the institute at some point or another.
Come to think of it, she didn't look all that well, either.
"Don't worry about it," said Soma. Then, a little more abruptly than she'd really intended, "Are you feeling all right?"
no subject
The allowance was accepted, and Rei started to nod in return when the other girl spoke again. It was perhaps what she thought last night. That the people here had more attention to spend on others, that it was deemed more natural to check on others' conditions. It came as an irregularity and a bit of an annoyance, but Ayanami didn't have the energy to move otherwise.
"No," was the answer, tired and clear. Adding any explanations to that would overcomplicate things. That she was ill, that it was perhaps what had been spoke of, that she-- No. None of that was useful, especially when this person was likely only checking in. The pilot fell to silence instead.
no subject
She had to know.
"This is going to sound strange," she said. "But could you show me your hand?"
no subject
Both circumstances had little to do with Ayanami in the end. The general apathy Rei maintained regarding others had worsened with her illness, and whether this person thought to commiserate or shun her was roughly the same. There were no answers that Rei knew of, and therefore, it was all meaningless.
She was becoming nihilist without realizing. She wondered if she should adjust that mentality.
no subject
It didn't seem right, somehow, that the girl should have to show her hand without Soma returning the favor. She wasn't sure what it would accomplish, but she pulled back the edge of her mitten anyway to reveal her own rash.
"You should be careful," she said awkwardly. "What Landel said about turning people into monsters...I saw it once, the night they left drugs in the medical wing."
no subject
Hm. This was something the pilot hadn't expected to hear. "...It's happened before?" Men turning into monsters. "It's possible, then."
As if she didn't already know. As if she already harbored no doubts within her because of what she had already experienced at home, and in the illusion of home, reaching for Kaworu Nagisa with a robotic arm, to do what Ikari could not, and even now, Ayanami could not say if she believed that that course of action, that outcome is successful, was right.
no subject
She didn't want to think about that. Just because they had similar rashes...there had to be some way to counteract this. They'd find it.
"I'm Soma, by the way," she offered. "Soma Peries. What's your name?"
no subject
...Something neither here or there. "Ayanami. Rei Ayanami." And to Soma Peries, Rei considered. It was very likely that the other girl was correct. "...It makes sense, if it was a test. When, though," she asked suddenly. "Did you say that occurred?"
A night they left drugs in the medical wing. There was nothing in her knowledge of that. Was it when she was unconscious, sleeping the days away?
no subject
Rei Ayanami. She'd seen the name around, probably on the bulletin, but as far as she knew the name didn't hold much meaning. "They promised us something useful if we'd take the drugs they left for us. We got what they promised, but if all we did was help them in the end..."
no subject
"If they asked for something, it seems clear that it would have helped them," she gave, with no care one way or the other. "What they promised...." What could have been worth consuming something unknown? "What was it?"
Would she have done it, hopeless as she was? Would she have tried something if only to progress? She did not know now. She could not answer.
no subject
"Tools," she said promptly. "They said it'd make it worth their while. I got twenty rounds for my gun, which is more than I've ever had before. I know other people got weapons. But...I don't know if I'd do it again."
She still remembered the cold operating room, Utena dissolving into flames, that blinding rage and the desire to kill. Nobody had died that night, but they could have. She knew enough not to take the risk next time, even if the bullets she'd received were worth their weight in gold.