damned_institute | Day 63: The Twin Pine Restaurant

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Day 63: The Twin Pine Restaurant

With Eugene in need of some time to just rest up and let more of the drug get out of his system, Rapunzel had to wonder what she was going to do for lunch. It would be too loud and crowded in that Tasty Burger place, but she doubted he had the energy to sit down to a full meal with her either. In the end, they compromised. Eugene came with her to the Twin Pine Restaurant, but opted not to eat just yet. There would be other opportunities for him to get food later, when he was more ready for it.

So Eugene sat in a comfy chair near the front while Rapunzel found her way into the main seating area of the restaurant. To be honest, she had other reasons for wanting to sit down by herself for a bit. This was the place she had met Facilier the week before, and with any luck, she hoped he would show up to have lunch with her again. She hadn't seen him since the night they had talked to Harrington. Moreover, as much as she wanted to show off her boyfriend (could she actually call him that now?) to people as soon as possible, she doubted either Eugene or Facilier would be up for awkward drugged-up conversation during a meal.

She sat down at a booth, picking up the menu as she had the week before. What to try that she hadn't tried last time, she wondered as her eyes scanned down the page.

[Facilier]

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Riding the bus to town was not something she looked forward to, even with it being a break from the monotony of the institute's routing. There was nothing to really do in town other than look around.

And eat.

That much she remembered from the last time. Real food had been here during the withholding the military had inflicted. Or real enough. Fast food had been the word, she recalled. Burgers and fries and stuff. As real and welcome as it had been the last visit, Celty wasn't particularly looking forward to having any this time around. For that reason alone she'd ended up at the other of the two eateries in town - The Twin Pines.

Coupon in hand, she carefully made her way into the place and looked around until she found a server. What will this get me? she asked, holding up the coupon for the server to see. It might have helped more had she asked the question aloud.

[free]

After the last time she had been in this town, and was given full view of the grease-ridden piles of meat called food, Renamon tended away from Tasty Burger. Instead, she shifted towards the other food location, and realized she hadn't been in it enough to recall easily. She sat, glancing over the menu idly. At least this place had more choices.

Despite looking at the menu, Renamon's eyes were still, thinking beyond it. Last night had stopped right before they made progress, and she was unsure about moving full-force into a location she had no knowledge of, after Nigredo's vague warning. She would do it regardless; there would be no progress otherwise, but it was worrisome. Especially with three others under her charge to consider.

[ Brook! ]

Being cheerful had never come hard for the man, but Brook was finding it rather difficult to be his usual self for how much attention he was having to give his arm. It was really itchy, and swollen which was making it difficult to hide. He didn't want anyone to be put off by it, nor did he want to spend the day avoiding others who might need some cheering up. So he didn't let the itching and redness stop him from heading right into the restaurant and looking around for someone sitting alone.

It was hard to tell who was a patient with all their clothes being changed for this day, but he did know some faces. One very familiar one was already sitting down and looking over the menu. He had been meaning to catch up with the woman.

"Renamon-san! Good morning!" he waved, remembering to use his left hand so as not to worry her. He headed over to where she was sitting and gave a slight bow. "You're looking beautiful as ever today, I must say!"

Her name being called out loudly made her recall herself, and her gaze snapped up to land on a man somewhat familiar to her. Brook, from the strange night she had spent with the ninjas from Konoha. He, as well as herself, had seemed the odd ones out.

...Though, again, she was struck by familiarity at the compliment, and decided that perhaps this man was the sort to just say such things. It had been told to her before, but saying it to her in this human body.... It was a bit awkward. She didn't have the mind to ascertain if it was true.

Ignoring the compliment once again, she gestured to the seat outside. "It's good to see you. Do you want to eat with me?"

He, too, was someone that had been downstairs. It was possible he knew more than she on certain things.

"Would that be allowed?" he questioned before laughing, "I have always thought it better to have company when eating though. So, I suppose if you don't mind it, then I'd be happy to join you for a meal." And with that he slid himself into the seat opposite of her, adjusting as best he was able to get his legs to fit in the small crevice between the table and the seat.

"How have you been doing? It's been some time since since we last spoke," he asked, hoping she had been doing well. So many things had happened for him, but he knew she hadn't been there to see anything in the basement. That meant she'd had to have had a better time than him.

He spoke a lot, but it didn't seem to be in the way of one who liked to hear themselves speak. Perhaps just someone overly friendly, and so far, she had little reason to complain. She nodded her agreement, and waited for him to situate himself.

How had she been doing. It wasn't a question she had spent much thought on previous to this. "I suppose I can't complain. It could be worse," she started, tone level. "I've mostly been in this town at night, or in the basement." And while the former had been productive, of the latter, she could not say the same. "Have you been well?"

"As well as one can be in such a place," he admitted albeit cheerfully. Sure, he didn't feel is best and had a rash and had been through an awful lot over the past few weeks, but he was still there, alive and breathing and capable of having conversations with others. What was there to complain about when he had that?

He was thankful that Renamon seemed to share the same sentiment about complaints. She was right, it could have been worse. And it sounded as though she was covering far more ground than himself at night, so she was getting to be productive as well. He would have liked to get so far himself, if only he could manage as much. "That must be quite the trip every night if you're coming here. Do you use one of the buses? I wasn't aware that you knew how to drive, Renamon-san!"

Watching the driver from time to time had made Brook curious how just turning the wheel moved the metal contraption, but he hadn't thought to learn the specifics. That would have distracted the driver and probably have caused them to crash!

...An upbeat man. There were fewer of that type in this place than might be thought-- Or perhaps it was more appropriate that there was not more. Either way, it was an interest. Brook had been here long enough that she recognized him, despite not speaking with him previously, and still he kept this kind of mentality. He was either impressive... Or a natural idiot. She wasn't sure which.

The Digimon shook her head in response to the question. "I don't, actually." Use the bus or know how to drive. It hadn't even occurred to her to take one. She idly wondered how complicated it would be... Then decided she'd rather not. The effects of the ring were fine to deal with. "I use one of the teleportation rings," she explained, then tilted her head as she paused. Leanne and Byrne, as well as others hadn't been familiar with the rings. She continued after a moment. "...Some rings were acquired after the night the doors opened to areas they normally did not. They have the same basic capabilities."

After enjoying a little pick-me-up at the Crossroader's Bar that morning with remaining money to spare, Facilier was in the most complaisant mood anyone trapped in a staged town setting could be. The allowance he received from the staff was far better compared to the mere peanuts the former military regime threw at him the week before. If only Facilier could feel the actual cash in his hands, not be forced under credit by the same plastic card he was given before. Oh well... It was better than nothing.

Strolling his way out of the bar and onto the sidewalk, Facilier tucked his head deeper into his scarf and quietly sighed to himself. Even if the late morning sky was clear, the cold air still bit and nibbled away at his hands and face. He didn't think he could ever get used to this chillier New Jersey weather...

So when he came across the Twin Pine Restaurant, Facilier did not hesitate to go inside. He would leave his plans of scouting out any potential suckers for later; right now a warm lunch inside a less chilly place would suffice.

As soon as Facilier stepped in through the door, he was greeted by the sight of a rather dopey-looking young man sitting by himself near the entrance. Facilier's eyebrow instantly perked up into a crooked arch, his lips curled with subtle disgust. Now just what was wrong with this fellow? Facilier did not recognize him, assuming he was either a new addition to Landel's prisoner population, or Doyleton's equivalent of the Village Idiot...

Pointing his nose away from the stranger, Facilier moved to the usual spot where a waitress would have him seated, but paused when he spotted a familiar head of golden hair--

"Ah, Rapunzel!" Facilier greeted the girl as he approached her table. "Long time no see! Mind if I join y'all for lunch?"

"Doctor Facilier!" Rapunzel beamed when she saw the familiar lanky figure strolling in the door of the restaurant, waving him over as he greeted her. "Of course you can join me! I was hoping you'd show up. We've got some major catching up to do," she said, smiling and gesturing to the seat across from her. Indeed, they did have a lot to catch up on, considering all that she had leaned since the last time they had met.

"I'm just sorry that my... My uh..." She wasn't sure what to call him to other people yet. Boyfriend? Lover? Flynn? Eugene? "...That, uh, my guy over there can't really meet you right now. The nurses got him pretty good. Maybe he'll be more awake. before lunch is over?" she said with a shrug nod in Eugene's direction. (Rapunzel winced internally. Guy? Really? That was the best she could come up with?)

Facilier beamed back. It was good to see Rapunzel alive, but it was even better to find her magical hair to be still intact and most of all usable. He graciously seated himself in the booth across from the girl and untied his scarf. "Indeed we do!" he said with a soft chuckle. "So much happened since those crazed riots nights ago... Yet all seems the same, even with them soldiers and their General gone. Otherwise, I do hope all that's new with you hasn't been life threatening so far!"

Looking over his options in the menu, Facilier's eyes shifted away from the listed lunch specials towards the aforementioned "guy" slouched over near the entrance. "I see..." The Bokor's eye brow twitched up slightly. So the odd stranger was a new prisoner, and sedated no less! Only a fool would get himself incapacitated like that! You had to get on your captor's good side first before striking them when they least expect it! Hmph! No tact at all!

Meanwhile, none of Facilier's critical thoughts were reflected upon his face, as he faked a sympathetic grimace before returning his gaze back to Rapunzel. "A new friend of yours then?" he asked, "It must be quite the adjustment for him if he's just arrived under Landels'... erm care, if y'all get my drift there."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes in complete agreement. "Pretty sure I do. Landel's has top notch care, all right," she said, glancing back over at Eugene again. She could only hope he wouldn't do anything else during his stay that would earn him a jab of the needle. Well, much else, anyway.

Her cheeks went pink as she came back to Facilier's question, though. She really was going to have to explain this, wasn't she? It was actually kind of exciting. "Anyway, yeah, you could call him that. He's someone I know from home. Someone I recently became very close to," she said, smiling warmly as she watched Eugene nap. "He saved my life..."

She realized how that sounded after a moment, then shook her head and gave Facilier a reassuring smile. "Oh, not here! Back home, I mean. Don't worry, I haven't been through too many more life-threatening things since we last met," she said, unconsciously running fingers through her hair as she continued: "The most that happened was that night when everyone's powers came back. My roommate and I were chased by a swarm of giant dragonflies snapping at us. Neither of us were seriously hurt, though."

If Facilier's eye brow was subtly twitching before, both of them were now completely raised towards the ceiling! Intrigued by this new information, Facilier pursed his lips and glanced back at Rapunzel's currently lame savior with growing interest. Facilier had yet to see more than one prisoner who came from the same home world. He made sure to keep this new detail in mind; as small as it was, it could be another valuable piece to Doctor Landel's distorted puzzle. Already Facilier was sizing up Rapunzel's friend. Landel didn't just snatch away useless people, and if this fellow was that sort of friend to Rapunzel...

Looks like his access to Rapunzel's magic just got some competition...

"He's from the same place as you too?" Facilier mused out loud, pretending not to notice Rapunzel's blush as he returned his focus to his menu, "I wasn't aware that Doctor Landel took more than one person from one place until now!"

"As bad as the situation is, it must be reassuring to have such a good friend like him with you now!" Facilier added with a consoling smile. "He must be very talented and valiant to have saved your life before, am I right?"

Deciding on one of the soup specials for lunch, Facilier placed his menu down on the side of the table, grimly shaking his head at Rapunzel's story. "A swarm of giant dragonflies, you say? I've seen plenty of them bugs back 'round the bayous near New Orleans, but I'll believe you if there be monster-sized ones flying about in Landel's night time zoo of horrors!" Facilier exclaimed, remembering the enormous claw he discovered during the riots -- not to mention the owner of said claw. "I'm just relieved to hear that you weren't hurt-- Mon Dieu! Your hair!"

Facilier's train of thought was instantly derailed when his sharp eyes spotted something worryingly different about his table mate. Slipping through Rapunzel's fingers were strands of dull, brown hair! How could such hideous anomalies befoul such priceless gold?! Facilier immediately became agonizingly crestfallen; did this mean that Rapunzel's healing powers had been lost? He hadn't even been able to witness the magic of her hair yet, and now he may have already lost such a precious opportunity before he could even use it!

Easing out of his outburst to fake another concerned demeanor, Facilier leaned closer towards Rapunzel, his eyes locked on the distressingly brown clusters that stuck out like sore thumbs against the pristine waves of golden hair. "Some of your beautiful golden locks are missing! Are you sure you've been alright? Your hair magic hasn't been lost, I hope!"

Rapunzel's cheeks flushed pinker (oh gosh, had they been pink before?) when Facilier called Eugene things like "talented" and "valiant". While it was true that Eugene wasn't the noblest of men, and could even be annoyingly cocky at times, it still stood that he was all the things Facilier was saying. He was talented, and he was valiant, whether he wanted to admit it or not. And even if he hadn't been, Rapunzel probably would have fallen for him anyway. Underneath whatever flaws or alternate personas the man may have had, he was still Eugene Fitzherbert at bottom, and Eugene Fitzherbert had a good heart — one that Rapunzel wanted to keep close from now on.

"Mmhmm, he is those things, for sure. I don't even want to guess how lucky I am to have him here now, and with his memories all back, even," she said, continuing to stroke her hair as she spoke. "I'd hope that you meet someone from back in New Oreleans some— hair?"

Rapunzel blinked, wide-eyed and confused. It took a moment for her eyes to follow Facilier's horrified gaze and realize what he meant. Her eyebrows lifted, and she went "Ohhhh! Oh these!"

She carefully lifted one of the lone brown strands out of her long, full mane of gold. She was surprised Facilier had even noticed. She had barely noticed herself for a while after they had appeared. "That's just what happens when any of my hair gets cut. Thank the dragonflies for that," she explained before sliding her hand around the back of her neck, lifting the hair there, and turning her head so that Facilier could get a look at the base of her hairline. There, in a place few had ever seen, was an old but silky lock of short brown hair. "See? When it gets cut like that, it turns brown and loses its power. That's kind of why it..."

She sighed, letting the hair fall back into place. "Why I'm so valuable to some people." Her expression had fallen at that, a certain someone starting to take over her thoughts.

"Goodness! Y'all should be more careful next time!" Facilier chided the young girl, "What if something took a huge chunk of your hair off? Or your whole head?" Facilier paused a little too late after that blurting out that rather unpleasant detail. Giving out a small, uncomfortable cough, Facilier carefully steered the conversation towards a less bloody topic.

"Ah... That certainly seems to be part of Doctor Landel's game..." he grimly replied, cupping his hands together upon the table with a saddened visage placed over his face. "But don't y'all worry dear!" Facilier added, suddenly shifting his expression into a reassuring grin, "I'm sure your valiant friend over there will protect you once he's recovered."

If he recovered of course; and if that dopey fellow did but proved to be a nuisance after, Facilier would give him a good reason to wish he never ended up in Landel's limbo in the first place!

"I can give you my word that I shall be of service as well!" Facilier said, gently patting Rapunzel's shoulder with a cordial smile. "No one should ever be used like some poor work horse!" Not if said horse was being used by the wrong owner...

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Day 63: The Twin Pine Restaurant

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