Day 62: Breakfast

[baniichan]

A misplaced sense of familiarity met Barnaby the moment he opened his eyes, and the sight of the blank, white ceiling from yesterday morning greeted him. After rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands, Barnaby sat up and felt around for his glasses. Had he blacked out again and wasted an entire night? Where was Kotetsu? And what had become of the man who had seemingly vanished before his very eyes at the end of dinner?

Once Barnaby slipped his frames onto his face, the world came into clearer focus, even if he didn’t get any answers out of it. He was in his room, and someone had apparently stripped him out of his street clothes in favor of the hideous hospital pajamas. Barnaby wasn't sure what he found more offensive -- that someone here had once again touched his things without his permission, or that he’d been undressed while unconscious for the second time since his arrival.

The thought made his skin crawl.

Just as he looked over to find a lump in the bed next to him, though, his assigned nurse came to retrieve him. He would have to confirm Klavier Gavin's whereabouts later. For now, he had no choice but to allow the nurse to escort him into the cafeteria. Strangely, she seemed to be under the impression that he and the other patients had slept soundly the whole night. While he might have assumed it was an act, Barnaby got the feeling that she genuinely believed what she was saying.

Regardless of her intentions, he knew she wasn't going to be any help. Instead of trying to ask her anymore questions, Barnaby left a note on the bulletin board concerning his roommate. If his observations from yesterday were any indication, he'd get some responses, at least. While he could have taken the time to leave something for Kotetsu, Barnaby didn't feel inclined to do so, especially when he knew he probably wouldn't check the board anyway.

He had no appetite this morning, but his nurse wouldn't leave him alone until she'd assembled a tray of fresh, fluffy pancakes for him. Honestly, Barnaby didn't see why some people felt the need to butt into his personal choices like this. At least there wasn't anyone forcing him to eat -- for now, at any rate. He sat down at an empty table close to the wall after setting his food down, privately hoping that she wouldn't try to find a "friend" for him to eat with this morning. He was tucked out of the way, so maybe she would forget about him for a few minutes as long as he didn't draw any unnecessary attention to himself.

Hands neatly clasped on the table, Barnaby didn't look at anyone in particular as patients filtered into the cafeteria for their morning meal. There were too many questions buzzing in his mind for him to focus on the names and faces of people he didn't care about. If Kotetsu wanted to find him, he could. It wasn't like Barnaby was going anywhere.

[For Kotetsu.]

Comments

SPOILERS!! Srsly if you wanna watch T&B don't read this

[oyaji]

The sensation of suffocation startled Kotetsu awake and it was then he realized he was lying face first into a pillow. His sleep-addled brain took a moment to process this strange turn of events and then he realized how well he recognized this room. It was his room, except he was no longer in his civilian threads. Looking down, he pulled on the neckline of his cotton grey shirt and finally his dilated amber eyes sobered.

Did--?

Had--?

Was he so tired last night that he couldn't even remember redressing himself and getting back into bed? That wasn't very heart-warming. Had Barnaby--No, that didn't seem too likely. He would have probably crashed in his room than gone all the way back, unless he thought it was so imperative that they keep up appearances and not tip off the nurses that they had gotten out last night. That man could be so anal-retentive. Smiling to himself, the older man stretched with a mighty groan and rolled over to get a bit of fresh air away from his pillow.

Eventually, a light knock came and one of the nurses came in to escort him to breakfast. He couldn't deny that he was hungry after running around most of the night. Waiting in line like everyone else, Kotetsu was happy to see today was pancake day. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good pancake since they usually required someone to make them and that someone wasn't going to be him. Bacon and eggs were faster.

With his tray, the former Hero tapped his fingers anxiously against the plastic and looked for one young man in particular. It took some searching, but eventually he set eyes on that stylishly curled blond hair he knew all too well.

"Hey, Bunny!" he announced cheerfully, his foolish smile right where it always was as if they weren't being held against their will in a mental institute and it was another beautiful day in Stern Bild. They both knew better, but old habits never really faded away. Placing his tray down on the table, Kotetsu took the seat in front of Barnaby.

[baniichan]

Well, Kotetsu didn't take as long to show himself as he would have expected, given the circumstances. Then again, Barnaby didn’t know what to expect anymore. He never could have anticipated that life as he knew it would begin to unravel over such a condensed period of time. He never could have predicted those horrifying inconsistencies and holes in his memory, much less what he accidentally learned about Kotetsu shortly before waking up here.

And just when he thought he’d have to shoulder all of this alone, the man shows up during the least likely moment. Not that Barnaby was certain of what that even meant, of course. The wounds from their last encounter were still fresh. They had both said and done some things they undoubtedly regretted, but there wasn’t much use in wishing they’d approached things differently now.

Upon hearing the offensively cheerful greeting, Barnaby shifted his gaze onto the other hero’s face. In the end, he wasn’t sure how to address Kotetsu. He’d worn his mask last night, but there was no telling whether he ought to be open about his identity here if he wanted to keep it a secret to the general public. To make matters more complicated, he wasn’t sure whether Kotetsu was trying to ignore what they’d done to each other, or if he was just that much of an idiot.

Instead of returning the sentiment, Barnaby turned away, surveying the crowd of patients as the harsh fluorescent lighting glinted against his lenses and hid his eyes.

“How long have you been here?” he asked, his words distant and chilly. Barnaby just wanted to find out the basic facts before he could even think about how he wanted to deal with all of this.

[mirthful]

Gamzee was in more of a stupor than usual on his way to breakfast that morning, so much so that his nurse just filled his tray for him. He didn't so much as watch her do it. Before he knew it, he was sitting at a table with a tray in front of him and no memory of how he'd gotten there.

The usual dopey smile wasn't on his face, though his eyes remained heavy-lidded. He didn't really seem upset either, just confused. Something had happened the night before, but he'd be damned if he could remember what it was. All he knew was that it was important, and that it had something to do with the night before last. Unfortunately, the usual drug dosage had been upped that morning, and he was soon distracted by the dishes in front of him.

Soon enough, the smile returned, and he got to thinking that perhaps he should ask about Rose and the others on the bulletin when he got the chance. She always knew what was up.

Their fight went completely forgotten.

[Free]

[selfnighted]

The head doctor was getting worse, wasn't he? Maya would wonder at his plan to frighten the patients if she didn't know that he could proceed with his promises. Best not to think on it until she could observe what it was he was being vague about.

In the meantime, a quick glance around the room confirmed that Rose was nowhere to be found. That was to be expected, but it didn't mean Maya had to be happy about it. Maya took a seat where she could see the doorway, which... she found herself to be sitting next to someone.

"Good morning," she said with a smile.

[complicatedliar]

Loki was in a much better mood for this breakfast than he had been the previous one, though all things considered, that wasn't such an achievement. Still, the acquisition of books - even if they were rather primitive books and not precisely in his area of interest - was enough to put an extra little spring in his step. Not having something to read had started to prey upon his mind rather badly.

Notebook tucked under his arm, he followed the nurse to breakfast after bidding her a polite good morning that wasn't even too forced.

The pancakes looked interesting enough, though not on par with the waffles that had greeted him his first morning. He avoided the appallingly sticky syrup and covered the bready things with fruit, since that seemed reasonable enough. That and a cup of tea were enough to have him feeling downright cheerful.

Or as cheerful as Loki got when he wasn't yanking on the strings of some innocent puppet. But all in good time. Foundations, foundations, foundations.

He settled in at a table and started picking away at his pancakes while working on a new set of figures in his notebook. It would pass the time reasonably until Rita arrived. Hopefully the conversation with her would be like yet another well-deserved treat.

[Rita]

[overlimit]

Rita awakened with a heavy mind, weighed down by all the new information received right at the end of the night. First was the Sphinx, warning them about a Coliseum of some kind, which hinted at what sort of trial awaited them at the end of the basement.

The second was the Head Doctor's ominous announcement. Putting together the pieces of what he said, Rita had a feeling she knew what he was getting at. And she didn't like it.

Fortunately, she was meeting Lingormr this morning, which would hopefully lead to a positive exchange of information. Rita entered the Cafeteria, acquired some pancakes, and was quick to find the man she was looking for. Pleased to see how punctual he was, she walked over and slipped into the chair across from him. Her tray and notebook were set down in front of her.

"Hey," was all she said at first, looking a bit tired. "You hear those announcements last night?"

[corvus_veritas]

Byrne awoke feeling completely miserable.

Again. Just when things were looking up for him, some random shit had to happen again to pull his mood down. This repetitive cycle of feeling a little up, like he was actually accomplishing something, and then having his spirits trampled upon again. And again. How long was this madness going to go on? And how many more cryptic messages was he going to be forced to listen to every night and day by the head asshole here? Just the sound of that man's voice was enough to induce headaches...and speaking of headaches, the one from last night was still around, with no sign of going away anytime soon, and...

Sigh. Right now, Byrne didn't feel like eating anything or even dragging himself out of bed. He considered pretending to be sick and trying to get away with sleeping in a shift or two - hey, Landel did say there was a bug going around - but in the end, he decided it would be better to get something in his stomach. Even if he wasn't hungry, it wouldn't do him any good to starve himself until lunchtime.

On the way to the cafeteria, though, he stopped at the bulletin board to leave an important note. That hallucination - what had caused it? The prosecutor still refused to believe it was only a 'black magic', or a trick of the Institute. There had to be some other, more physical explanation. Drugs or his own mind dying away, or something. Had anyone else experienced such a thing here? He hoped the note would help him find that out.

For now, breakfast. ...If the small plate of fruit Byrne got for himself could be considered a meal, anyway. He chose a seat by himself and sat there staring at the fruit, lost in thought. This...didn't feel like it'd be a very good day.

[Free!]

[cpt_minnow]

The Maximal bolted up in bed, spark pounding and processor whirring and-

And then he realised what had happened to him.

Depth Charge's first instinct was that he was going to throw up- that he'd never had a mouth or a stomach to throw up in his original body (the same body I spent all of last night--) didn't get in the way of recognising that. Maybe it was all in his head, though, because by the time he'd made a break for the bathrooms all he could do was lean heavily into the sink, breathing shallowly and staring down at the cold, hard porcelain under his hands.

At first it seemed as though his memories were fragmented into blips and images and sensations, but the more time he spent avoiding his own reflection, the more Depth Charge knew that he couldn't pretend he didn't know what he'd done. What he'd let himself do. The Scarecrow's face seemed to burn into his mind, blotted with fear and uncertainty, and suddenly he wondered if that was why he'd run from their room. Stupid, cowardly thing to do.

The only physical trace of what had happened was the taste in his mouth: faintly metallic but without the coppery tang of blood.

Probably there was something about self-pity that attracted other lost sparks on the verge of a meltdown, because when he finally managed to drag himself into the cafeteria he ended up in a seat opposite a guy who looked more or less as worse for wear as he did. Saying nothing, Depth Charge picked up his glass of juice and started to chug, willing it to wash the taste away. Then he wiped the back of his mouth and croaked, "You gonna drink that?"

[norainu]

Well, they'd kind of gotten something done, in that they'd made it down to the basement and killed some things. Rats. Whatever. Maybe he could argue with himself that the night wasn't a total loss, but it was pretty frustrating to get to yet another place where none of the doors would open.

And of course, the head doctor bitching like a drunk, bitchy plumber about how unappreciated he was. Yeah, fuck that guy.

Renji wasn't in really any worse mood than normal when he got up. Just annoyed and... pensive. Pensive was definitely the word. If he got worried every time Landel sounded like he was up to something, he'd never have time for anything else. But his instincts prickled that maybe there was something special about the raving this time around.

Well, who knew. Hello, paranoia, my old friend.

Sausages and eggs and more sausages made everything better anyway.

Renji found himself a quiet table - easy, this early in the meal - and started plowing through his overflowing plate.

[Brook]

[somesoulsearching]

There were at least two things Brook knew he was better at than Zoro now: not being directionally challenged, and being able to admit when he did happen to lose his way. Try as he had last night, Brook had never managed to track down his roommate's whereabouts. Actually, it was questionable whether he'd gotten to the correct rooms or not during his search. The whole thing was sad for him as a friend, but was even worse for the one who'd been taken. He could only hope that Michelangelo had gotten help through someone who hadn't gotten as lost as him.

Thoughts of apology were fresh on his mind following his awakening, yet without the presence of his roommate, those thoughts would have to wait for later. Brook made his way to the cafeteria, hoping to find either Michelangelo or another patient in need of cheering up. As good as apologizing early would be, speaking with a patient who needed his spirits lifted was sure to cheer Brook up as well. And there was one patient off on his own already, tearing into his meal.

"Good morning," Brook provided loudly, hoping his voice might carry over any sounds caused by the man's eating, "Would you mind if I joined you?"

[fai_d_flourite]

Last night was only a quick blur, though that was somewhat better than the night before where he'd managed to sleep the entire night through. He wasn't sure what was making him so tired; unlike the sedatives he'd taken before when he'd been healing, this sleep wasn't part of any medication. At least not any he could remember taking.

Days were beginning to become more of a reality, where the nights were becoming less and less dark and frightening. Was that a result of his treatments? Did it mean he was getting better? Or just that they wanted him to?

He made the usual trip from his room to the cafeteria with minimal fuss, keeping up the same friendly conversation he always did with the nurses and staff he came across. After picking up a tray of food, mostly the sticky-sweet stuff, and a glass of juice, he found an empty seat.

[Kuro-papa!]

[seekingmystrength]

He'd expected it, to come up short of the Basement yet again, but with how close he'd gotten this time, the ninja could not help but think that something might have been keeping him from the place. Landel likely had a closer eye on him and the other two that had been in his office; if the one running the show didn't want him in the basement, then the doctor likely had the power to keep Kurogane out. Was it because that was where Landel was hiding himself, or because of some other reasons?

One more time. Kurogane eventually decided as he entered the cafeteria and looked around for a seat.

"Oh no you don't," the nurse saw his wandering eyes and stopped his attempt at free choice by pointing him to a nearby table, "You have a seat right there, and don't even think about getting up Mr. Cross."

Kurogane scowled down at the woman, but found he wasn't in the mood to protest. Her nagging aside, he wasn't against having a quick seat with his leg injured as it was. Even cleaned and bandaged, it still stung like hell to walk on, but at least he wasn't having to use the crutch she'd offered. That made hiding the thing all the easier. And now that he could see which table he'd been pointed to - and more importantly who was already sitting there - he was even more intent on keeping his steps at a normal pace.

"You can blame my nurse," was all he said as he pulled a chair out and had a seat adjacent to Fai.

[notachick]

The ceiling this morning seemed unnecessarily bright. It was white like always, a pure clean color, but the candles that burned without fire seemed to sear him as he gazed up. The cold, harsh light washed over the room along with the falsely cheerful voice coming from the speaker box and Okita let out a small breath. A sickness going around the Institute that had several of the staff missing? He closed his eyes again and rolled to the side, pushing himself out of bed to get dressed as quietly as possible while Guy still slept.

His roommate had come back safely again and for the first time since arriving here, Okita wondered if he shouldn't change rooms. It would seem strange, of course, to suddenly disappear like that, but Souji knew what he had would cause problems later - not only for him, but for Guy if the blond were susceptible to it. Even without being a doctor, Okita knew what last night meant and he also knew that it would become increasingly hard to keep a smile on his face as others began to notice. Another deep breath in. A slow release accompanied by a light huff as his lungs protested.

Okita Souji smiled as bright as always and turned to face the door as a new nurse came in to take him to the cafeteria.

The pancakes were welcome, even if the meat was passed over in favor of eggs, fruit and the curious thing called cereal that he was becoming more and more accustomed to with each passing day. He piled on the syrup and carefully moved the fruit out of the way, then moved to his usual seat. The cafeteria was still rather thin on guests this morning which meant it would be easy to catch Hijikata this morning if he were to come in. Of all people here, Souji wanted to smile the most for him - especially considering the decision that was soon to weigh on both their shoulders.

[Hijikata]

[terriblehaiku]

Hijikata hated mornings as a general rule, but this one was worse than most. His first thought upon waking was that he felt incredibly hung over. The second was that he wanted get his sword and stab the talking box in the ceiling until it shut the hell up. Sadly, that wasn't an option, so he had no choice but to try and get himself out of bed.

And it hurt. He'd taking beatings in the dojo before, though it had been awhile, so he was used to bruises and sore muscles, but this went far beyond any of that. His arm, at a glance, was one ugly welt where the plant had grabbed him and dug its spines into his skin. He didn't need to look at his leg to know it was even worse. The numbness from the toxin that had been something of a blessing was gone now, leaving him with with a headache, and all too keen an awareness of just how badly he'd been thrashed around the night before. Nothing had been broken, apparently, but just standing was an exercise in torture. His still utterly un-cute nurse had apparently anticipated this, and was quick in offering both little pills that he did not trust, and crutches, which he would not stoop to using. He'd gotten himself into this mess, he would just suck it up and deal with the consequences.

Needless to say, it took him longer than normal to reach the cafeteria, and once there, he was in even fouler a mood than usual. As a result of snapping that he just didn't care at the cafeteria staff, his plate ended up with a little bit of everything on it, regardless of whether it was something he actually wanted to eat. The only good thing was that it wasn't very crowded, and he was able to find Souji rather easily. He limped is way over, and then sat down sullenly, without preamble. He was pretty sure he looked just as bad as he felt, so it was probably best to just let Souji get the teasing out of his system as quickly as possible.

[osoreirimasu]

"...AH!"

He woke with a start, throwing himself up and out of the sheets, as his slumber was brought to an abrupt and terrifying end. Japan wasn't sure what dream he had been seeing, but it left him in a cold sweat, his hands still shaking from the haze enshrouded phantom fragments of old pain and confusion. He could feel something was missing. Something important, but besides the eternal silence that hung around him to remind him of his lost connection, there was nothing tangible for him to grasp. No clues to find that would lead to the right conclusion. He was simply terrified, sitting in bed, staring at his hands as they trembled.

Perhaps he'd been dreaming of the end of Vocaloids or the loss of the Gundam franchise.

Yes, that had to be it. It couldn't be about the taste of blood in the back of his throat - imaginary of course - or about some long-forgotten memory of someone no longer in this world. He shook his head, running his hands through his short hair as he tried to clear it. What time was it even? He'd heard the chime of the intercom, but none of the words. None but the last. Some sort of illness? A bug? Was that a literal bug or just...?

The door opened and Japan turned his gaze that direction. His nurse was here, smiling and wearing no mask which was a bit disturbing. If a sickness was going about then all patients should be equipped with masks. Again, the unpreparedness of foreign nations caught him off guard. Still, other than a few questions regarding the possibility of getting a mask himself, Japan followed her into the cafeteria with no complaints. After taking a serving of fruit, eggs, sausage and pancakes (all within a reasonable amount, of course), he shuffled his way to a nearby seat and sank into it. The strange tremors from his dream weren't going away and although he tried his best to seem normal, Japan wasn't so certain how well he was doing.

[Doctor, Doctor, save me, Doctor.]

[timedork]

It had been another night spent in after all, thought the Doctor had lain awake for most of it, deep in thought. He'd thought about venturing out, too, but without a clear destination—without a clearer goal, it was bound to be just another night wasted. In that vein, thinking things over had been more productive.

...Well, somewhat.

After so long, it was almost odd to stay in all night and not get the jarring wake-up after having been in one place and then another, and to instead wake up staring at the same ceiling he'd been staring at all night. If it hadn't been for the morning announcement and a nurse coming to fetch him shortly thereafter, the Doctor might not have realized it was already morning. He greeted her with a grin and a cheery 'Allons-y!', but was more subdued than usual as he proceeded to the cafeteria.

He wanted to talk to Peter again. He wanted to see Woody again soon, to make sure he was coping after yesterday's news. He needed to check on Donna, on Dean, on...

It could all wait until after breakfast, at least. He'd decided last night that he'd face the day fresh, and that was exactly what he intended to do. After taking a modest helping of pancakes and sausage, he headed out to find a seat—and decided to sit with someone new, someone he hadn't met previously. There was a Japanese(?) man sitting alone, and after a moment's consideration, the Doctor headed for him.

"Hello!" he said, hoping he sounded more chipper than he felt right now. He gestured to the seat he'd stopped at. "Mind if I...?"

[not_heavens_adam]

Well, this was....different. More different than anything he could dream, certainly. The clothes, the nurses, the voice over the intercom, and the fact the poor girl who'd woken him up had called him 'Adam' (and hadn't meant it in the way Johnny was used to) hearing all pointed to something more than a dream or a simple kidnapping.

He was being treated like a patient of an asylum, accurate or inaccurate diagnosis aside, he didn't like it. He'd tried to flirt with the nurse for more information, but she seemed pretty immune to his advances. He supposed the thought of 'insane' would turn anyone away...that and the fact he'd already freaked her out when he'd nearly gone for her throat at calling him Adam. That had probably dampened her opinion of him.

So, with little other choice, he'd switched on his best, dashing, smile and played along; following her to wherever she wanted to take him.

Beyond the confusion he felt at what was going on was the fact they must have drugged him. Their steps were muffled, he couldn't hear her breath or her heartbeat and the usual whispers of far-off voices were gone. His sense of smell was dampened as well. He couldn't use the scents on the air to tell him where he was or where anyone else had been...he couldn't even tell if this woman was human...he could only assume.

He felt weak...fragile...almost...human. But that was impossible. What sort of drug was this?

When she lead him to a large room where he was led to get human food and sit he glanced around at the humans in the room. This wasn't an asylum...there was more going on here than the nurse was letting on; he'd seen asylums in his time, these people didn't seem crazy to him. Of course...it would be easier if that drug wasn't messing with his ability to smell.

Maybe it was more demons.

[Lust~]

[a_sin_for_him]

Well. Hadn't that been interesting?

Lust awoke with questions about the man who made her still circling her mind, but the chance to ask them gone. She had little time before a nurse was rousing her, the intercom still ringing in her ears. Both the morning and previous announcement. What had that been about?

Last night almost seemed like a dream, but the bandages around her right hand dissuaded her of that notion.

Poor Scar. Regardless of how he irritated her and got under her skin, she felt badly for the shocks he had endured. Though really, why couldn't he just open his mind and stop being so angry about everything? Anger wasn't productive.

She followed her nurse and listened with half an ear to the woman's idle chatter - nothing useful, as always - though was surprised when her nurse steered her in a specific direction once she'd gathered her breakfast, directing her to a seat across from an unfamiliar man.

"Why don't you sit here, dear? I'm sure Adam could use a friendly face, he's just newly arrived!"

And with that, Lust found herself abandoned with some poor new prisoner.

"What's your actual name?" she asked, without preamble as she took the directed seat.

[age_of_kings]

Oh dear goodness!

Tolten supposed last night had gone better than most, considering they'd actually made it to a destination and engaged in planned activities. But the doors they'd tried hadn't opened, and then that thing had come! The young king still shivered when thinking on it. What madness had borne such a creature? What vile hatred and depravity?

And how many things like it were running about?

But the matter of arming Locke was still open. It was beginning to seem like something was deliberately toying with them. And for all he knew, that was precisely what was happening. Well, there would be another night tonight, and with luck more progress.

And anyway, Tolten had other things to think about. Like fountains of blood and funny feelings in the pit of his stomach. He took his breakfast and found any empty seat, noting none of the people he considered his friends to be here or free.

Perhaps he'd be able to visit the chapel during the day again today...

[For Claude!]

[earthling]

Daytime again. At least the night hadn't cut off during their trip over the underground lake, or while they were crossing through that strange, narrow passageway. But Claude couldn't say he felt any better after what they'd seen yesterday. Sometimes he wondered whether the caverns were set up so Landel could watch them run in circles while eating a bag of popcorn. But what else could they do except play along?

Well, there wasn't much he could do about it now. Claude resigned himself to letting his nurse lead him to the cafeteria. It was hard for him to want to eat pancakes, no matter how tasty, when he was worried about his mother, though. That was why he didn't waste any time searching for a message from her, and when he didn't find one, he wrote his own for her.

All he could do now was wait. After collecting his tray, he took a moment to find a familiar face in the crowd. While he didn't see Anise or Guy anywhere, he did catch sight of Tolten. Eyes brightening a little despite how anxious he felt, Claude approached the man and tried to look as cheerful as possible.

"Hey, there," he greeted. "Mind if I join you again this morning?"

[ippo]

Sunken eyes opened, blinking away any residual sleep that still clung to them. His first thought was to apologize to Woody for falling asleep on him, but Ippo quickly realized his friend was no longer in his room. It was morning. That knowledge didn't make him feel any better, but at least he didn't get taken again in the night.

Turning toward the door, the boxer attempted to push himself up under his own steam. He was only marginally successful. His limbs were no longer so spasmodic and he could push himself up in a sitting position with more effort than he ever wanted to admit. By the time his back hit the wall, though, Ippo was panting and a thin sheet of sweat had broken out over his body.

The sound of a lock being pulled back announced his nurse, who came in with her usual smile and cheerfulness that was starting to make Ippo feel uncomfortable.

"Good morning," she said as she brought in a wheelchair beside his bed. "How're you feeling? Better? You look better."

"Y-Yes, thank you..." It was mumbled quietly like a bad habit as he wrung his hands against the bed sheets.

"Good. Well let's get you to breakfast--"

"Uhm, do I have to use the wheelchair? I think I can--"

"I think it would be best. That way if you do get tired after a bit of walking, you'll have somewhere to sit. I think you'll appreciate it once we get you to the cafeteria, okay?"

"Alright," Ippo conceded easily and slowly lowered himself into the wheelchair.

In the cafeteria, the nurse wheeled him to an empty table and went back to get his breakfast, while Ippo silently wallowed in self-pity. She eventually returned with a tray of pancakes, sliced into squares for his benefit, and a side of eggs and sausage. This time, he could pick up his fork and eat. It was nice to see that he was making progress.

[Rapunzel]

[hairraising]

[Set after Tsubaki leaves for breakfast, durr.]

It was getting to be really, really bizarre living in a place where waking up extremely well-rested was a potential cause for panic.

The bed next to hers was empty as her eyes slid partway open. No announcement; it was already finished. The silence stung it was so strong. Rapunzel's heart seized up, hands clenching the sheets as her eyes went wide. What time was it? What day was it?

"Oh my gosh please say I only slept through the one night," Rapunzel said to herself, clumsily throwing the covers off her leaden legs. Had Tsubaki been worried? Did anything important happen while she was asleep? Darn it! She hated when this happened!

Thankfully, according to the nurse that eventually arrived, she had indeed only slept one night, albeit starting a little earlier than usual — "Amanda" had been feeling tired during fourth shift and so had been taken back to her room, where she promptly fell into bed and stayed there. Rapunzel somewhat remembered feeling tired, but the rest of the story was a blur in her memory. She wondered if that was an effect of some kind of sleeping magic this place could use. With all the other things that went on here, she wouldn't have been surprised to hear that random patients got hit with sleeping spells every now and then. In fact, it was kind of comforting to think about. Maybe that was how some people disappeared and came back. They could just be sleeping somewhere under a spell, she thought as she was led to the cafeteria.

While her first instinct was to look for Tsubaki or Soma upon getting a tray of (admittedly delicious-smelling) food, someone else caught her attention first. Sitting near the edge of one of the tables in a wheeled chair was none other than Ippo, and to say that he had seen better days was an understatement. Rapunzel's heart jumped in her chest for the second time that morning, and she found herself hurrying over to him.

"Ippo! What happened? You look awful!" she said as she rushed up to him, hair flying behind her and then swishing against the table as she came to a stop. A moment or so later, her head drew back slightly and she looked down. "Sorry. I didn't mean it in a— I mean your injuries. What did that to you? Are you feeling okay?"

Her eyes shifted about for a moment, checking to see if the nurse was nearby. She wasn't. "Can I help?" she added, the question more hushed than the rest.

[monkeyboy]

Goku was waiting in front of the door by the time his nurse came in. She gave a startled gasp when she noticed he was right there and almost smacked him with the metal frame.

"Ready to go, I see?"

"Yep! I'm hungry!"

"Alright, let's go get--Don't run, Billy, that's dangerous! Stop!" Her warnings were of no help since the young boy was already out of sight down the next corridor. He ran into a few other patients who were being escorted in the same direction, but he was too excited to apologize. With his short stature, he squeezed through the small crowd with ease and into the cafeteria with his nurse in hot pursuit.

"Billy... When I tell you to stop running, don't ignore me." She scolded once she had caught up with him. As punishment for his misbehavior, the woman picked out his breakfast personally, staying as far away from the sugar she could.

"Awww, but I wanted that sticky sugar stuff!"

"After seeing how fast you ran to the cafeteria, I think it is safe to assume you have more than enough energy. You don't need more. Now, sit quietly and eat your meal." She set his tray down at a vacant table. usually it was in a patient's best interest to mingle, but the nurse couldn't in good conscience sit him with another patient. It was a cruel and unusual punishment that would surely aggravate a patients' issues than heal them.

[Hakkai]

[vinesofregret]

The first thing Hakkai did when he woke up was to look around and figure out where his little towel-wrapped bundle of cookies had gone, totally ignoring the nurse who had come to wake him. He had to surprise his grin when he saw it sitting on the desk at the foot of his bed. It wasn't much, but even one small act of rebellion meant a lot, here. He snatched it up as he was shooed ot of the room, hoping the nurse wouldn't comment or take it away.

Thankfully, she didn't, and he was more than happy to stand in line for breakfast this morning. He glanced around, looking for a good place to sit. Ah - there was a teenage boy off on his own, looking a little glum, and Hakkai found himself reminded of Goku.

He took a seat across from him, and grinned cheerfully. "Good morning!"

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar opened his eyes, only to be disappointed as the white ceiling loomed over him. Once again, he lay in that plain, hospital-like bedroom and was being roused by that same nurse from yesterday morning.

The Ishbalan had been hoping, praying, begging for yesterday to have been a dream. Some sort of horrible dying nightmare. Apparently that was too much to ask for, he thought, as he was once again led off to the cafeteria for breakfast. He retrieved his food, taking the same seat as yesterday. At least he didn't have the desire to lash out violently at everything that moved like he had. Instead, Scar was strangely subdued. Tired. Whatever happened that brought him back to his room, he wasn't sure. He had been sitting in that possessions room with Lust one minute, then...

Shaking his head, he started to pick at his food. He certainly didn't want Lust showing up and telling him to eat like some child again. Scar had been slightly hoping that she was just a figment of his imagination as well. And although he should consider himself lucky that he had someone around who was willing to at least partially tolerate him, Scar dreaded the next time he had to speak with her. Despite the fact that they were no longer enemies, there was still too much between them to avoid past events pop up in conversation that the Ishbalan would much rather avoid. It was all just too complicated.

[Free]

[kings_thief]

The first thing to hit Locke when his eyes opened to the white ceiling was overwhelming disappointment. He tried to fight it back with the thought that they'd actually learned something this time, but when his mind went back to the creature that had interrupted their progress and had driven them to that chapel....it had gone all wrong. He was supposed to protect the people he cared about, not put them in more danger.

Like a bad dream, the image of that horrifying thing coming at them and Locke stepping in front of Tolten like he could actually do anything when he couldn't, flashed through his mind. It almost made him want to stay in bed and drown in his feelings of uselessness...but he knew he shouldn't. Besides, he had a mission today: he needed to find those keys. Perhaps, if they could get into whatever was behind those doors, they'd learn something more.

Once he had his food, he knew he wasn't feeling very hungry and chose a seat across from a man who looked about as good as Locke felt. He probably didn't look that great, himself. Poking a bit at his food, he decided he should say something or risk seeming rude. "Looks like rough nights are common around here."

[madeinthehrl]

Well. That had been unproductive.

Soma rolled into a sitting position, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. No progress on the basement front. No progress on figuring out what kind of person Riku was, either, which was somehow more frustrating. At least they wouldn't have to lie to Sora when they told him they hadn't gotten anywhere.

She followed her nurse to breakfast, Landel's last message buzzing unpleasantly in her mind. She couldn't help but think of what had happened to Utena that night. Was this the same thing, but on a larger scale? Was that what he was doing--turning everyone into creatures for his own sick amusement?

She pushed the thought aside, frowning slightly, and pulled a plate of pancakes and some fruit onto her tray. Sitting down at an empty table, she began to eat, scanning the crowds for a familiar face or two.

[free!]

[fourstonewalls]

A good night's sleep was something Lana hadn't had in a long time, but last night -- and several like it at the Institute -- came close. She felt mildly guilty as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes, fixed her hair, and changed into a pair of sweats that were likely no cleaner than the ones she'd just taken off, but at least felt crisper.

When she got to the cafeteria, she looked around. Ema was nowhere in sight, which wasn't terribly surprising. If there was anything teenagers were good at, it was sleeping in. She kept looking, though, as she put together a tray. Still no Ema. But the smile on Lana's face was fond, as she slipped into a seat opposite a young woman with long, white hair and a searching expression that was all too familiar.

"Looking for someone?"

[an unfamiliar (to her) face OK?]

[toxicspiderman]

S.T. groaned and pulled the sheets over his head. He pretended not to listen as Landel rambled his way through something slightly more predictable and more useless than a radio traffic update. Pancakes, a pileup on Soldier's Field. Lies covering up murder and malpractice, gridlock shading to the cheapest parking in Boston where the 'Pike hit 93.

Same old, same old. Or there really was an outbreak of Norovirus, in which case it was projectile vomiting for everyone. Which he wouldn't wish on his own worst enemy. Or -- naah. If Landel was going to be puking anywhere it was going to be because S.T. had just punched him in the gut.

"Guess it's time to face the maple syrup." The nurse looked at him like she didn't understand English, which was how most people looked at S.T. before he'd had his first cup of coffee in the mornings.

It was real maple syrup. Huh. And bacon. "Coffee?" Single words seemed to filter through OK., though they didn't get him a cup. Something about seniority, and a tap on his concert re-admission bracelet. There were several empty slots between the shiny gold-foil stickers that would make him the envy of every kindergarten playground. "Coffee?" he said, again, tapping the space. Well, that was new.

There didn't seem to be any torture chambers or other actively recruiting traumatic experiences open during the day, so he gave up and grabbed some non-caffeinated breakfast.

[Free!]

[see_my_back]

It was becoming increasingly frustrating to wake up in the morning having accomplished more or less nothing in the last few days. Were they tripping her up on purpose? She made sure to check the bathroom before breakfast, just to be sure there wasn't marker on her forehead for sleeping through the night, but no, nothing there. It was almost a disappointment. She hadn't been missed.

No, she reminded herself. No getting down on yourself for this! If anyone at all was to blame it was the military bastards and the king of all evil, the head doctor himself.

It helped to go look at the bulletin, even if it meant spending an extra twenty minutes stuck at the puzzle post, if only to make sure she could solve it first. Her nurse was becoming impatient by the time she finally coaxed Sakura into the cafeteria, though Sakura hardly seemed to notice. She checked quickly for any sign of the other ninja, but when that failed, she picked up a few nutritious looking foods and found a seat.

[Saucey!]

[firewhichrefines]

Sakura was far from the only one frustrated with the frequency of unfinished nights -- Sasuke woke sharply and violently at the sound of his nurse's voice, so abrupt it seemed to all but overlap with Aidou's. How did Landel do that? After all this time, still there seemed to be no clue. Even the suggestion of gas that had caused other phenomena didn't make sense in the case of the total unconsciousness that ended nights. Drugs simply couldn't function so quickly and so perfectly.

Which left jutsu or magic or something even more ridiculous than that, ideas that left Sasuke irritated enough to snap so harshly at his nurse that she descended into something of a sulk.

That much was clear when he finally settled down at a table and discovered he had nothing but pancakes, and those swimming in syrup. It was impossible to stifle: Sasuke heaved a sigh, contemplating morosely whether it was better to just start with the disaster of his breakfast or to face drinking just his juice after having just brushed his teeth.

And, beyond that, how much Landel had reduced him to such minutiae.

[sixth_attack]

Sechs was beginning to really hate this daily routine of being woken up in the morning when he wasn't finished his business the night before. If only he could actually get something done for once without suddenly blacking out and finding himself back in his bed! Damn that bastard Landel--!

As he was lead down the usual hallways with the usual pair of orderlies flanking his side, Sechs tiredly reflected over the two messages he heard before the night abruptly ended. It sounded like Marc had gotten screwed over by Landel, and the Head Doctor himself certainly boasted about that. This came as slight proof that Marc wasn't responsible for Landel's return to power. Marc also mentioned Lydia, the double agent Head Nurse whom Sechs felt partly responsible for her disappearance. It took a good chunk of guilt off his back to hear that she was still alive -- but that didn't do much to ease the residual tension Sechs felt after hearing Landel's foreboding message. Something about replacing an "antagonistic resource"...

The Replica continued his brooding over a plate of pancakes hidden beneath a small mound of sausages and bacon. He frowned furiously to himself, the words of Landel echoed darkly in his head. "...You weren't meant to be humans, you see. Just animals..."

[Free]

[ninelivesonce]

Taura didn't like the sound of the intercom's message one bit -- either of them. After the drug trials had gone from a terrible gamble to the usual sort of sure thing this place thrived on, she wasn't eager to see what was next.

But if this next plan involved screwing around with their food, she was going to have to risk it; she followed orders and the lovely smells down to the cafeteria and piled a plate high.

It looked like she wasn't the only one turning over Landel's words -- that, or something else had happened to the young man hunched over a plate. Commiseration or distraction: both had the same opening gambit, and that was the best kind of battle plan. All roads lead to victory, and all that. Or at least someone to talk to.

"He's wrong, you know. We're adaptable. It's our greatest strength." She smiled, and hoped he wasn't one of the rare aliens whose opinions on humanity matched Landel's own. Well, they couldn't quite match, since she was still convinced Landel was human, too. Adaptability and intelligence were also a recipe for great evil, and petty cruelty, and everything in between.

She dropped into the seat across from him and let the grin widen. "Sergeant Taura, at your service."

[herr_inspektor]

"I see."

Lunge stared back at the nurse, glassy-eyed, expression resilient to any straight-forward interpretation.

She remained equally resilient to his response, and smiled brightly and coaxingly back at him. "Both Mr. Lant and Ms. Irving are very happy now that they've recovered, I'm sure. I understand that you're disappointed that they left-"

"I'm not disappointed."

An uncharacteristic little interruption there, though his face didn't so much as twitch and his tone stayed level. She continued anyway; it was only natural that he would feel a little out of sorts. "Maybe if you concentrate on getting better, too, you can see them again soon. Wouldn't that be nice? Now, why don't you settle down and eat some breakfast?"

Lunge settled down.

He'd thought he was going to spend the morning dissecting their night and the fact that they hadn't been able to open the basement doors. Instead, he found himself unpacking the heaviness he'd felt since he realised that both Bella and Venom were nowhere to be seen. The nurse was right, but not for the reasons she'd suggested: there was no point in fixating on their disappearance because people disappeared every night, and he had enough to consider as it was. One man and one girl made no difference to his plans.

Ah. There it was. The one girl. That had made a difference. Because he had been projected onto her, obviously, projecting his own insecurities and uncertainty in regards to his own daughter. His concern for her now was an extension of his concern for his daughter. Once he picked it apart and examined his feelings, Lunge could see very clearly how little point there was to mourning someone who had all but been a place-marker or placebo. Someone he barely knew.

Calmly, he cut of a piece of pancake and put it into his mouth. Try as he might, he could also see how flatly his analysis fell next to the truth of the matter, the truth sitting uncomfortably in the periphery of his mind: it had hit him as painfully as Javert's death had.

He swallowed. So many things were best left unconsidered.

[free]

[tasteoftruth]

This place was going to give him a damn heart attack one of these mornings. Of all the people in the world he'd never expected to be talking Byrne Faraday down off a high roof. To hell with this place, seriously.

Badd did his normal Byrne-head-check and then scouted the rest of the crazies. Who to be bothered by today...

Hm. Nosy bossy detective guy who'd made contact with the outside world. Badd had scorned him yesterday but he'd been grumpy yesterday. Today he was grumpy but on the hunt for information and that was as close as he'd get to sociable. Byrne had questioned whether he was truly going crazy. This guy might know how common the delusions were and if there was any way of getting rid of them.

Badd sat down next to him casually, as if he'd chosen the position completely at random, and began eating his breakfast.

[sarcasmfordummies]

What a productive night she'd had?

Not

The only thing Donna had really managed last night was not getting herself killed which, while a good thing, didn't help one bit towards her getting the heck out of there. She could only help the Doctor was doing better than her, only then she'd have to admit he was doing better than her and, well, swallowing her pride in this place had not been the easiest of things to cope with. She already had to suffer without a proper shower every day without adding on to the pile.

She got her food and was at a seat quickly, determining that for all she'd been through she deserved to break her diet rules every once in a while if the pancakes on her plate were any indication.

[free]

[survives]

If there was one thing Leanne could be sure of it was that she'd definitely managed to make up for the missed night.

While she wouldn't say the previous ones had been a waste of time-- save for the one spent sleeping, she'd come away from each one feeling like she'd accomplished something, last night was almost a milestone. Weapons and a trip into the nearby town? What else could she have asked for? (...Besides a permanent way out, anyway.)

For a few moments, she'd even been able to convince herself it was just another job, just another challenge she'd face before going back to Ebel City, back to familiar faces. Leanne knew thinking like that wasn't exactly the best idea and, upon waking, she'd remembered exactly why being in the institute was nothing like being on a job, but her good mood remained.

She could only remember her conversation with Guy just the day before, what she'd told him. She wasn't going to give up, wasn't going to let Landel win at whatever he was playing at.

It was with a smile on her face that she grabbed a tray of pancakes in the cafeteria, quickly choosing a seat.

[Zero!]

I sincerely apologize for the gigantic teal deer that is this tag.....

[dividedby]

It had been, doubtlessly, the worst night Zero had ever been through in this place. Nothing he'd set out to do had been accomplished. He'd gotten himself seriously wounded, and there had been one casualty at the end of it all. And now, he had the pleasure of waking up to tremendous aches and pains in his body. Did anything ever go right in this place...?

He slowly sat up in his bed, wincing from the effort, and quickly realized that his injured right arm was now wrapped in a cast. He threw a hand up to the wound on his neck to check; there were bandages wrapped around that, too. Since when...? They'd...taken care of him while he'd slept? Was this supposed to be a gesture of kindness on the part of Landel? It was only salt on an open wound.

...Many open wounds.

The once-Reploid carefully moved himself to the edge of the bed and sat there, staring at the floor. Counting each breath. Yes, he knew what pain was like. He knew how to deal with it, in a sense. But he'd never felt pain like this before. Lingering, almost numbing. Human pains...

... He knew he only had himself to blame for all of this. The lesson he'd learned from the night before was a hard one. It didn't matter how brave he was. In this body, he was almost useless, unable to complete a mission or even save one person's life....no. It wasn't Zex's death alone that bothered him so much; it was the fact that he had been so stupidly, almost over-confidently certain that he could have protected Zex when he really couldn't that hurt the most.

Zero clenched his fists tightly, then let out a long sigh. He needed to put this all out of his mind. His usual coping mechanism at work. Getting depressed and self-hateful over past events would get him nowhere. He could only do his best to redirect that negative energy into fuel. Fuel to keep fighting, to bring Landel down...for people like Zex's sake. Didn't mean it was easy to move on so quickly... But he would try his best.

Before he could think about the night any longer, his nurse came in the room to take him to breakfast. She carried with her a sling that she put on his bandaged arm before they left. Zero allowed her to do this without a word. At least she wasn't being obnoxiously chatty for once. Perhaps she was taking pity on him and had decided to make his day just a little less miserable? Unusual, but he wasn't going to complain. He was, however, going to ask to stop on the way to the cafeteria to announce Zex's death over the bulletin board. Perhaps someone knew him, perhaps someone didn't, but people still needed to know.

At breakfast, he got himself a plate full of food, but only to avoid having his nurse come by and reprimand him for 'starving himself'. Truth was, he had no appetite at all. There was instead some strange feeling in his gut that he'd never felt before...something that didn't feel good. He could only describe it as the opposite of hunger. Would it be alright to eat even though he felt this way? He wasn't sure.

But he'd figure that out in a moment. For now, he should find a place to sit. His first instinct was to sit alone and avoid all social contact for as long as possible, but when he spotted Leanne at one of the tables, he found himself walking over to her without a second thought. After the hell that had been last night...it was good to see someone he knew who still looked so cheerful. "Leanne," he greeted after sitting down across from her, sounding far more like his usual self than he looked right now. "You okay?"

[idolism]

_{[closed to Aigis. :3]}

“I don’t care if there are pancakes! Just leave me alone!” Although Aidou usually tried his best not to bare his (figurative) teeth at the staff, sometimes restraint just wasn’t worth the effort. After a night of getting nowhere and listening to Marc and Landel spout monologues about each other, his patience toward his nurse was paper thin.

As he pulled out a chair, the woman gave him a vexed look and dropped his tray on the table before doing as commanded--not without casting him one last harassed look from over her shoulder, however. He ignored her and rubbed his temples. His headache was back with a vengeance, exacerbated by the sunlight tickling his bare skin.

But having to be awake during day time hours was likely going to be the least of his concerns, all things considered. With Landel instigating some new torment, Aidou could only guess how long the peace would last. Infecting everyone with some disgusting illness and then turning around and warning the patients to mind their hygiene was right up his alley. Unfortunately, there was very little to do to prepare beyond steeling himself for anything.

His gaze hadn’t strayed far from the door since he’d sat down, but now he glanced down at his breakfast. What he’d said before hadn’t entirely been true: syrupy pancakes were probably the only good thing about the morning.

[no_dont_go]

Aigis always took the Head Doctor's threats to heart and nothing he had said at the end of last night had given her hope of peace. The man was a lunatic. Craven. She could only hope that whatever he had up his sleeve would backfire. The patients needed a break from the madness. Martin Landel could not always win... Could he?

Waking gave Aigis little peace as the Head Doctor's morning announcement was just as threatening as the night's. A bug was going around? Aigis didn't dare trust he was telling the whole truth. Nevertheless, she had no more clues to work off of, so she grimly continued her dressing and moved to the cafeteria without verbal complaint.

Aigis brightened a bit at the smells that came from the cafeteria. Pancake day was always welcome, though she was under the impression that these pancakes were different from the usual back home. Taking a short stack of them along with a small carton of milk, Aigis gazed around the cafeteria until her eyes set on a familiar face.

Aidou was someone she was invested in checking up on as well as looking mildly irate this morning. Deciding a little company would probably be welcome (or not, depending on how he wanted to interpret her care), she moved her way towards him and sat down. She offered him a short bow of her head along with a typical greeting. "Good morning, Aidou-san. I do hope last night was no trouble for you?"

[girlsandgadgets]

Despite Landel's usual announcements, laced with taunting pleasantries as always, Edgar found himself with a renewed vigor when the morning arrived. Though they hadn't gotten far, he'd been given another tantalizing taste of the infamous basement, and that was closer than he'd been in some time to making progress and finding answers to those questions that were littering every corner of his mind, plaguing his every thought. Now if they could get past the doors that had held them at bay...

He pushed that from his mind for the moment, taking the tray the nurse handed him and finding a seat. He scanned the room for familiar faces, the number of those fitting that simple description fewer and fewer as the days passed. Spotting Locke engaged in a conversation, Edgar gave him a nod, deciding to leave him to it. Far more worrying was that Terra was still nowhere to be seen.

A sigh escaped him, one of those aforementioned plaguing thoughts coming to mind immediately. He'd not spoken to her since that night, and not seen her since the morning that followed. It was one thing for his skills with women to be rusty, but to think he was earning a reputation for being one of the last (if not the last) to speak to his female allies before they disappeared? That would never settle well with him if it proved true.

[Terra SO SORRY THIS IS LATE MAN D:]

[ultimagi]

[NAH IT'S COOL I'M LATE AS HELL TOO.]

These slips of memory, she found, only became more and more aggravating as they stacked. The nights frequently disappeared into nothing, and she would once more find herself waking in bed... but more than that, days were slipping from her as well. As she made her way to the cafeteria, the last thing she could remember was making her way out of that very same room! She had already lost her past... was it that she was not meant to have a present, as well?

Not even the emanating sweet smells could brighten her mood. Heck, she still wasn't used to meals that weren't bowls of pink slush.

Uncertain and feeling simply as lost as ever, the girl clung to what few familiar things she could -- and so it was without a word that she slipped into the chair opposite Edgar. She still did not understand him, or why he has been hiding so much from her, but there was a chance he would know why this was happening to her. Wasn't there?