Anise Tatlin (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
gald_digger) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
damned_institute2011-08-16 01:37 am
gald_digger) wrote in damned_institute2011-08-16 01:37 am
Entry tags:
- aidou,
- albedo,
- america,
- anise,
- badd,
- badou,
- battler,
- bella,
- brainiac 5,
- byrne,
- carter,
- castiel,
- chise,
- claire bennet,
- claire stanfield,
- claude,
- daemon,
- damon,
- doctor facilier,
- edgar,
- edward cullen,
- england,
- erika,
- firo,
- gren,
- guy,
- guybrush,
- hijikata,
- ippo,
- izaya,
- japan,
- jessica drew,
- klavier,
- kratos,
- l,
- leanne,
- lightning,
- lily,
- lunge,
- maya,
- meekins,
- mikado,
- niikura,
- peter parker,
- peter petrelli,
- renamon,
- riku,
- rita,
- ritsuka,
- rose (tvd),
- sam winchester,
- sechs,
- snow,
- sora,
- tear,
- terra branford,
- the doctor,
- tolten,
- trickster,
- tsubaki,
- two-face,
- utena,
- venom,
- yomi,
- zack,
- zero
Day 58: Cafeteria
Anise woke up feeling lucky to be alive. She still felt a bit waterlogged, even though her skin, hair, and clothes were completely dry. During last night's adventures, she'd swallowed a lot of water, and it still felt heavy and disgusting in her stomach. Her arms and legs were tired from treading water. Lying still in her bed, she still kind of felt like she was floating and bobbing in the water.
But she was alive.
Knowing how close she came to death last night, and remembering the lengths her friends had gone to in order to save her, there was no way Anise could let a little discomfort get her down. She had to be at her best today so she wouldn't seem ungrateful to Guy and Claude. On that note, she had to remember to thank them properly, now that she was better able to express herself.
While getting ready, Anise was surprised to actually run into Claude that morning. He came to her room asking for the notebook he stored there (or maybe it was an excuse to see her cute face again), so Anise happily located it and handed it over. She was pretty tired, but the big smile she gave him was genuine. Who wouldn't be happy to see her savior so soon after a dramatic rescue?
After he left, Anise finished re-tying her pigtails into a low position so the military beret would fit on her head, and then she was ready! Even though her stomach wasn't feeling that great, she figured sitting down to a decent meal would help normalize it. And luckily for her, she was among the few who had the privilege of eating such a meal. Anise filled a plate with french toast topped with syrup and fruit, accompanied by small portions of each of the available side dishes.
It looked like she was early, which meant there weren't a lot of people around. That was okay, though. Anise could get a good head start on her meal before any company came around. She sat down at a table by herself and started on her sausage first.
[for Tolten!]
But she was alive.
Knowing how close she came to death last night, and remembering the lengths her friends had gone to in order to save her, there was no way Anise could let a little discomfort get her down. She had to be at her best today so she wouldn't seem ungrateful to Guy and Claude. On that note, she had to remember to thank them properly, now that she was better able to express herself.
While getting ready, Anise was surprised to actually run into Claude that morning. He came to her room asking for the notebook he stored there (or maybe it was an excuse to see her cute face again), so Anise happily located it and handed it over. She was pretty tired, but the big smile she gave him was genuine. Who wouldn't be happy to see her savior so soon after a dramatic rescue?
After he left, Anise finished re-tying her pigtails into a low position so the military beret would fit on her head, and then she was ready! Even though her stomach wasn't feeling that great, she figured sitting down to a decent meal would help normalize it. And luckily for her, she was among the few who had the privilege of eating such a meal. Anise filled a plate with french toast topped with syrup and fruit, accompanied by small portions of each of the available side dishes.
It looked like she was early, which meant there weren't a lot of people around. That was okay, though. Anise could get a good head start on her meal before any company came around. She sat down at a table by herself and started on her sausage first.
[for Tolten!]
no subject
As his hand passed in front of his face, his eyes widened; he sat up quickly, admittedly surprised (and grateful) to see his hand at all. He looked himself over: tail gone, humanity returned, strange desire to find his tailypo replaced with the urge to offer a meager apology to Inspector Javert— it was a relief to be himself again, as he'd half-expected he'd be stuck as a mangy monster for the rest of his natural life. As complicated as that would make his stay at the institute, he'd been more concerned that his love life might suffer. Roguish charm could only get a pirate so far: when one's mouth became as foul as LeChuck's because he was changed into a creature only a desperate mother with no other children could love, there were bound to be some averse effects on his relationship with a beautiful woman like Elaine.
While the list of good news was short, the amount of bad was piling up: not only was he pretty sure Javert might never fully trust him again (a state with which he was familiar, given that most people didn't really trust pirates in the first place. It came with the territory), but it looked like the patients were back to normal with the military. The uniform had returned, complete with stiff shirt and even stiffer pants. There was at least one new addition to his attire, however: a shiny pin for his troubles, attached to his hat. Looking back, it hadn't really been worth it, but there was no changing the previous night now. He could just hope it didn't happen every night from then on, and try to avoid ingesting strange liquids in the future.
The soldier, no longer bothering with the nurse outfit— not that it fooled anyone, least of all the perceptive protagonist of the incredibly popular Monkey Island™ series— fetched Guybrush for breakfast. Indeed the rest of the institute had followed suit: soldiers around every corner, an air of hostility that hadn't been there before, and the pink sludge being served in place of a proper meal. He sighed to himself as he trekked to an empty seat. "So much for getting better food via drinking a possibly toxic concoction. Maybe it takes more than one? Well, not like I'd ever consider doing that again."
Guybrush took a seat, eyeing the gruel as he listened to his stomach churn from both hunger and nausea. "Not tonight, at least."
[Facilier]
no subject
His rude roommate was asleep in the opposing bed, but Facilier had no plans on talking with him; the man was likely still in his deep coma like the night before anyways. As the Bokor gingerly pulled himself out of his bed and back to his feet, he had other concerns on mind than whether his roommate was alright or not. Something wasn't feeling right with the witch doctor, something felt out of place...
Facilier could only comprehend that odd, confused feeling he was experiencing once the memories of last night began to return to his consciousness. Was last night just a dream, or did he really find himself in that strange "Dance till you Drop" show in the Sun Room? It all seemed so random and disconnected from reality that Facilier was nearly convinced that it had simply been some hodgepodge dream caused by that awful pink gruel he had for last night's dinner. (If only he could avoid eating that blasted stuff...) It just didn't make any other sense!
Facilier's theory of his memories being nothing more than some wacky nightmare was proven wrong once he recalled what he had been doing before his encounter with the surprise dance competition and its cross-dressing host: His collection of materials from the Arts and Crafts room! Facilier was sure that had all been real. He hated to think that his discovery of so many helpful items had been for nothing!
So a quick check in his closet and the witch doctor's worries were eased. His pillowcase of crafts sat in the back corner of the closet, yet beside it rested the prop cane he had chosen from the dance show's wardrobe. Seeing the cane baffled the Bokor. "So all that was real then..." Facilier thought to himself, rubbing his chin and looking all the more perturbed, "How much more bizarre can this institute get?
Just as he closed the closet, Facilier was suddenly intruded upon by an unwanted visitor. A stern soldier in full military garb had arrived to escort Facilier to the cafeteria for breakfast. As Facilier was led down the hall by his unfriendly guide, it was obvious to him that the strict, no-nonsense authority of General Aguilar was back in full swing in the institute. And to Facilier's dismay, his favorite pink gruel was still on the menu.
With his tray laden with the edible abomination on his plate, Facilier's sour mood took another nose dive as he scoured the cafeteria for a quiet place to sit. If he wasn't allowed any time to himself, then someone was going to be the receiving end of his frustration...
A glint of curved metal caught Facilier's eye, directing his scowling gaze towards a familiar stranger. With a small goatee on his chin, his hair tied back in a ponytail, and a hand replaced by a hook, the young man slouched over his own tray of unappetizing food was immediately recognized by Facilier.
It was that pirate-wannabe Facilier encountered during his first night in the institute! The same fellow who used him as a distraction and sent that raving boy armed with a sword after him! Yes, that fellow... Facilier wasn't going to forget that scheming man anytime soon for what he did! This called for an investigation to see if the man in question was of potential use or a possible threat...
"Good morning," Facilier said in a dry tone as he seated himself across the table from his target. Once he placed his tray down, Facilier greeted the man with a sardonic smirk. "I see y'all made it out of that fight with Mr. Pilgrim a few nights ago..."
no subject
As Guybrush prodded the slimy gruel with his spoon, he was joined by another man: just as tall, just as lanky, and with an accent that was both pleasing and familiar. He didn't recognize the guy until his mention of the night with Scott, and even then, it took Guybrush a few seconds of awkward staring.
"With..." A lightbulb in his head flickered to life. "Oh, you must be one of the guys I kinda used as a distraction during the fight. Sorry about that. Though the timing was great- it allowed me to set up a trap that ultimately ended the match." Which it did, though said trap technically backfired and resulted in a loss for the Mighty Pirate. Not that such details of who won and who had their face crushed with a couch were important in the end, right?
"I'm Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate™" he said, putting on a smile that he hoped would make up for the fact that he used the gentleman and his companion as target practice for an enraged Scott. "And you are...?"
no subject
Being at the receiving end of the other man's dimwitted stare wasn't making a very good impression on Facilier, and the witch doctor's opinion of his table mate wasn't helped much by that rather heedless explanation he was given either. "Kinda used as a distraction" indeed! The shallow smirk remained on Facilier's face, but his eyes narrowed dangerously. He didn't consider that offhand apology to be enough for nearly getting cleaved in half by that boy's weapon!
However, Facilier had to give the young man credit for his rather clever treachery that night, but it wasn't enough to appease the Bokor's sore ego. Facilier's festering irritation with the young man was about to boil outward when an introduction was made, and a silly one at that!
The witch doctor blinked, his brow perked up in a dubious arch. "Guybrush Threepwood? Mighty Pirate?!" Facilier mused to himself before laughter suddenly threatened to burst out of him. Just what sort of title was that supposed to be? Was the hooked man just pulling his leg? Facilier couldn't be quite sure, but it was the funniest thing he had heard in a long time! Whether or not his name was real or his title legitimate, Facilier couldn't stop his amusement from pacifying his resentment, at least for the time being.
"Doctor Facilier," he replied, returning the pirate's sheepish smile with a grin that displayed the small gap between his upper teeth, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance..."
Chuckling lightly to himself, Facilier could now relax knowing that the so-called pirate was definitely not a better expert in manipulating situations (and the people involved) than he was. Guybrush barely came across as threatening either, and by that rather dopey look in his eyes, it was apparent to Facilier that the pirate still had ample space in his skull for his brain to grow into. As long as the youth didn't try his "three-headed monkey" distraction on Facilier again, he could be of some good use to the witch doctor... He would just have to see if the youth really lived up to his questionable title.
"So you're a pirate, hmm? And a mighty one too?" Facilier asked, a quiet snigger escaping his lips at the "mighty" term, which in his opinion did not suit the skinny youth at all. Reclining back on his chair, Facilier continued to size up the supposed pirate. "It's been awhile since real pirates have sailed about the coast of my hometown," Facilier said, picking up a fork and twirling it effortlessly between his long fingers. "The only sorts of pirates I see now are just party-goers in costumes during Mardi Gras back in New Orleans. Just regular folks..."
Facilier allowed his chair to drop back to all four legs before leaning his elbows upon the table and continuing his amused appraisal of his pony-tailed specimen. Ignoring his food for now, Facilier gave the fork between his fingers a quick flick, instantly banishing it out of sight before mysteriously reemerging in his other hand.
"Yet in your case, I suppose your... opportunistic actions and the unique apparel you displayed that night must prove y'all to be true pirate then?" he questioned with a wry glint in his eye, "And with that treasure hunting business and all too?"
no subject
He held a look of mild confusion as Facilier continued. Unique apparel? Oh yeah, that was probably in reference to his custom underpants sash. He snorted through his nose- why was it that everyone made a fuss about what was obviously a perfectly practical piece of paraphernalia?
"Treasure-hunting is a prime part of piracy," Guybrush said, attempting to work the alliterative P's out of his system, "along with sword-fighting and the fine art of thievery. They sometimes go together, like when you have to hunt for treasure you tricked your enemies into burying in a specific spot so you could snatch it later without them knowing.
"But being a pirate is more than just that," he continued, rubbing his hook on his shirt. "You've got to be a rogue of the seas, sailing with a heart for adventure and a taste ready for any danger that might come your way, whether it's a giant manatee or a voodoo-empowered dread pirate looking to have a fancy honeymoon with your wife."
no subject
"Tricking your enemies? Would that involve misleading them into thinking there's a primate with more than one head behind them?" he questioned with another sarcastic smile. Facilier's sore ego felt slightly better after making that subtle jab at Guybrush; the pirate should be glad that was the worst Facilier could do for now.
Facilier nearly scoffed at the mentioning of a "giant manatee" (the lad must have actually run into a particularly fat one and was just exaggerating), but as soon as voodoo was brought up, the witch doctor's smile fell and both his eye brows perked up.
Voodoo-empowered dread pirate?! Now Facilier was really interested! If Guybrush wasn't just telling some delusional story about himself, then he must have dealt with a fellow voodoo practitioner and survived to tell the tale. That was so far the only thing that truly impressed Facilier, but it concerned him as well. Now Facilier was beginning to reconsider the pirate sitting across from him. Maybe this Guybrush was a potential threat...
"Ah, so you've dealt with the exotic powers of voodoo? I'm quite impressed!" Facilier stated, keeping a mask of innocent fascination on his face to hide his true knowledge on the subject. He decided against revealing his own magical art until he had a better understanding on where Guybrush stood on the matter. He knew it was unwise to reveal too much to potential competition...
"So who was this dread pirate in question and what happened with him?" he asked, slowly leaning closer towards Guybrush. "He didn't make it off with your wife while riding some manatee off into the sunset, did he?" Facilier gave out a fake little chuckle. "Being a rogue of the seas, I'm sure y'all wouldn't have let that happen without a fight!"
no subject
Well, if he wanted to be more accurate, it was probably LeChuck who was doing the kicking and screaming shortly after the demise of the Mighty Pirate™; however, during his stay at the institute, LeChuck had implied he'd been running the show in the months following Guybrush's death. That left the question of what happened to Elaine during that time: it wasn't as though the Elaine-of-the-Past would have known even if he'd asked. Knowing his Plunderbunny, she was most likely leading a one-woman resistance movement against the dread pirate, as she never would have given in to being his bride, but there were times when even Guybrush's confidence in all he knew to be true faltered. She'd sooner die than marry that backstabbing scoundrel, which wasn't a much better fate, to be honest.
"But that was just before I ended up here," Guybrush continued, trying not to dwell too much on Elaine. "LeChuck and I have been at odds since I became a pirate. He kind of wants my wife for his undead bride. He's also not happy that I've uncovered his ridiculous schemes and defeated him at every turn, save for the aforementioned skewering. In the past, I've had some help— from a Mighty Pirate Hunter;, the Voodoo Lady, my various crew members who have occasionally mutinied against me— but LeChuck disappeared from Landel's without even a scuffle."
He couldn't answer where LeChuck was, but he figured it wasn't good, whether it was where the staff sent those who actually believed they were who they were accused of being, or if by some stroke of luck he'd actually managed to escape. Now that would be annoying. Still, if there was one thing LeChuck liked doing, it was torturing his foes to the point of monologue-laden fighting that often resulted in giving Guybrush enough time to set up a trap to defeat him. The thought that the dread pirate would just leave him in a position he could possibly return and undo all his hard work? One would think that lesson had been learned by now.
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"I see... I'm sincerely sorry for your loss there..." Facilier said, his voice dripping with fake sympathy, "I myself was in the midst of important business before I found myself here as well... But your case is far more tragic than mine!"
On the contrary, Facilier could care less for Guybrush's estrangement from his wife. What Facilier was concerned about was the fact that the pony-tailed pirate had a pretty nasty brush with dark voodoo magic, putting him in an unfriendly position against Bokors such as Facilier. If this Guybrush lad was capable of fighting a powerful voodoo dread pirate with his own set of magic and wit, Facilier wasn't keen on becoming his enemy -- at least not in a way that would be obvious to Guybrush. After all, Facilier had made up his mind that the pirate could be valuable in his escape from the institute.
"This LeChuck fellow sounds to be quite the dastardly type!" he further added, hiding his admiration for LeChuck, who sounded to be a very powerful and successful witch doctor. Facilier didn't quite understand why the voodoo pirate would focus all his power on stealing Guybrush's wife though, wasn't getting rich the main focus of a pirate? Unless the woman in question was rich herself...
"And did y'all say that LeChuck had been here before?" Facilier asked, slowly stirring his gruel with his fork. "If I was you, I'd be concerned about him coming back, and getting out of this place to save your wife!" Still disinterested in his food, Facilier placed the fork back down and gave out a sad sigh, his purple eyes looking down at his unappetizing plate. "But we all seem to be trapped here, with only ourselves to help each other..."
Having read Guybrush's reactions regarding LeChuck and his wife, Facilier knew just how to lay his trap now. It was something he always did with his "customers" back home; mislead his clients with the impression of being a humble enchanter who only wanted to help them, and keep the dark voodoo part in the fine print until it was too late.
"Speaking of helping one another, not only am I impressed by your knowledge of voodoo, but that y'all have been willing to accept assistance from it as well!" Facilier said, raising his purple eyes back up from the table to meet Guybrush's blue ones. "From what I'm getting, this Voodoo Lady must have been quite an asset to your struggle against LeChuck. Not all voodoo is bad..."
Now Facilier's fingers were fiddling around with his spoon, his habitual shuffling of his Tarot cards were apparent in the fluidity of his digits. "As you see, I am a bit of an artist in voodoo myself..." he said in a carefully softened voice.
"Now don't get me wrong, I'm not even close to being like that terrible LeChuck man!" he hastily added, pitching his voice slightly and hiding his face behind an anxious mask. "Back where I came from, I've used my talents to grant wishes and tell fortunes," he reassured Guybrush before he could protest, "I could probably help myself and others escape from this place, but much has been taken away from me since my arrival here..."
no subject
When stuck, he'd often turned to the Voodoo Lady for help- she'd guided him through several adventures, providing key items and encouragement, making him aware of the bigger picture, and just plain telling him where to go when completely lost and asked enough obnoxious questions. He'd already resigned that, unless the antique shop owner was this world's counterpart for her, he was probably going to be without her aid for the rest of his Escape from Landel's Institute™; however, if Facilier could provide a similar service in her place...
He wasn't sure about the part about granting wishes, but the bit about telling fortunes and helping others out did leave Guybrush a little nostalgic. And he was supposed to be trying to get people to help them out while Morgan was investigating more into where Landel and and Aguilar spent their free time- it looked like a step in the right direction from where he was sitting. The Voodoo Lady had helped him many times before; who was to say this Voodoo Doctor couldn't do the same?
"You mean your tools of the trade?" Guybrush asked with a slight smile. "Tarot cards, pyrite parrots, a rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle? I think we might be able to help each other. Thanks to dealings with both my friend the Voodoo Lady and LeChuck, I've dealt with both good and bad sides of voodoo on more than one occasion. Let's just say that finding ingredients for complicated voodoo rituals is a little hobby of mine."
no subject
"Très bien!" Facilier flicked his spoon back upon his food tray before clapping his large, boney hands together and rubbing them with excitement. "We have ourselves a deal then! Y'all help me find anything that will aid me with my craft, and I'll whip up spells and fortunes for you!"
The mentioning of a pyrite parrot and a rubber chicken with a pulley in it did bring out an honest chuckle from Facilier. This particular style of voodoo which Guybrush was involved with sure had its oddities! "I think just a plain chicken will suffice, but anything you can find in this institute may help," Facilier said, "I already got materials from the Arts and Crafts room before I was interrupted by this institute's... erm, nightly quirks... If y'all get my drift."
Moving away from the odd memories from the night before, Facilier went straight to business with his new deliveryman... "Now I need any magical and chemical ingredients that can be found here," he explained, "I plan to pay a little visit to the janitor's closet for that, but if you happen to find anything from there that you're willing to donate to our cause, that would be greatly appreciated..."
Cupping his chin in his hand, Facilier allowed his request to sink into Guybrush's head for a moment before speaking again. "Also... if you happen to find anything of value that would make a pleasing gift for a benevolent spirit, I could use it to call for help from the Outside..." Facilier said with an innocently coy tone. "It's purely optional of course, but a pirate of your treasure-hunting skills ought to be up to the challenge..." he added with a daring glint in his eyes.
no subject
"If there's any challenge I'm up for, it's hunting treasure," Guybrush said with a wry grin. "I can't think of anything I have currently that would be even remotely interesting to you, but how about I go check this janitor's closet place tonight and see what I can find? I'm not sure where it is, but I'm pretty good at finding my way if I wander long enough."