dividedby: (I remember now...)
Zero ([personal profile] dividedby) wrote in [community profile] damned_institute2012-06-12 12:04 pm

Day 64: Patient Library (Fourth Shift)

... ... ... ...

It was shock, like failing to recognize some heavy injury following a traumatic accident. Zero's mind was reeling, still trying to accept the fact that Ciel - or else, someone who looked and sounded exactly like her - had been standing right before him, calling him by a different name. She'd spoken untruths, supporting the Institute's idea that he was mad, but her face, her voice, her mannerisms...! It had undeniably been Ciel!

No, his mind couldn't accept that. Not yet. The so-called superior thinking power of the human brain couldn't do anything to help him.

And so the once-Reploid slowly walked out of the visitation room as if in a trance, following behind his forever cheerful nurse. She, of course, thought that there was nothing wrong and began chattering to herself about how healthy that visit must have been for him.

'Healthy'.

On any other day, he would have let out some sort of displeased grunt or, better yet, some rude remark about just how 'healthy' such a visit had been for him, but any sort of response became impossible when his brain was too busy just trying to process simple facts. So he simply stared past the nurse instead, only vaguely aware that she even existed. (Not that she seemed to notice. In fact, she probably took his lack of rudeness as a good sign. Wouldn't be surprising.)

Thankfully, it was only a very short walk back to the Sun Room and, therefore, only a short amount of time spent with that woman. Zero abandoned her and then slipped into the library in order to find some peace and quiet. He could sit in a chair somewhere and try to think about what just happened...

...He ended up standing in front of a random bookshelf mindlessly staring at the rows of paper-made novels in front of him rather than sitting, but oh well. His mind was in the same place either way.

[Long Hair Brigadiers UNITE!]
hairraising: (lost in a strange world)

[personal profile] hairraising 2012-06-15 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)
No answer. Rapunzel didn't know how to react to that. Apart from Pascal, no one had ever just not answered her before — and Pascal didn't count, because he always answered in his own way, even if he couldn't speak a human language. Was this man just the kind of person who really didn't like to talk, or was he just that affected by everything in the Institute?

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, hoping she hadn't offended him in either case. "Sorry. You just look kind of lost."
Edited 2012-06-15 13:37 (UTC)
overlimit: (Just thought you should know.)

[personal profile] overlimit 2012-06-15 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
The man tugged at the book to demonstrate, and Rita had to admit that it looked like he could be on to something. "... I see. It does look pretty suspicious. It might be worth coming back here later to find out for sure." With Rita's previous goals derailed for the time being, she supposed she could even come examine it herself.

"And watch what you call me. I have a name, you know." The hypocrisy in being offended by that went apparently unnoticed by her. Although, she wasn't likely to care even if it was pointed out. "It's Rita. Rita Mordio."
skeletonenigma: (darkfirewind)

[personal profile] skeletonenigma 2012-06-15 02:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Skulduggery glanced at her, a little surprised. He hadn't been paying close attention to his own words, busy planning out the next few hours instead. He'd naturally assumed that his explanation was as brilliant as his explanations always were. "Ah, yes." He paused, and cocked his head. "A response to your earlier nickname, I believe. It's nice to meet you, Rita. I'm Skulduggery Pleasant."

He pointed to the ignored pile of books on the table. "Can I assume you won't be needing the ramblings of a crazy man anymore? I don't mind putting them back for you." After a moment, he added, "because you are very short." His face remained unchanged, but the amusement in his tone was obvious - Skulduggery was really only teasing her now.
oneman_onekill: ([aku] no such luck)

[personal profile] oneman_onekill 2012-06-16 08:58 am (UTC)(link)
[AFTER FOREVER]

He'd left his little meeting feeling more confused than before. There were just so many things that they didn't know, and so little time...the temptation to give up was actually pretty tantalizing. The problem was that it just wasn't his style to surrender so early in the game. No, he'd keep trying even if it was a lost cause, just as Akumetsu had with its incomplete manifesto.

The movie was probably over or close to finishing up by now, so Niikura decided to head over to the Sun Room, figuring it'd be the best place to spot Mike. Instead, though, he found the former turtle hanging around not more than a book's throw away from him, perusing the shelves for something that he obviously wasn't finding.

"Whatcha lookin' for?" Being tall, the teenager craned his head over Mike's shoulder (or more like, his head, neck, and then some) to peer at the shelves himself. "If it's comics, don't waste your breath. I already checked."
overlimit: (Stop talking. Forever.)

[personal profile] overlimit 2012-06-18 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
Skulduggery. Apparently, that was a name.

Rita was about to agree to his offer, but then the guy had to throw in a comment like that. How the heck did a guy live to be 400 without learning how to watch his mouth? Anyone who talked to Rita like that generally got a fist or a fireball to the face, but sadly, she lacked the means to deliver either at the moment.

So she settled for stomping on his foot. "Yes, please do," she implored through gritted teeth, then stepped off, hopefully before any nurses would notice.
skeletonenigma: (Default)

[personal profile] skeletonenigma 2012-06-18 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
Of all the reactions Skulduggery might have been expecting, physical violence was somewhere at the bottom of the list. Hadn't Sora talked about the threat of sedation like it was common knowledge? And it hurt, too. The foot Rita had stomped on wasn't nothing but bone anymore, and even through the fuzzy layer of slipper, the stomp had been enough to send small pinpricks of fire up his leg.

Skulduggery managed to bite back any sounds of pain, lest they draw the attention of someone who could administer a sedative, but his face twisted more than it had all day. Perhaps that was the reason a genuine smile broke through his features less than a second later. "Sore subject?" he asked as he walked gingerly over to the table. "I'll try not to bring it up again." No promises, of course.

He stopped just before picking the books up, and then turned back to her, his face as impassive as before. "If I were to come and examine that potential secret passageway tonight, would you want to come? You seem like you know your way around, and I'd like a look at that morgue later."
overlimit: (Go tell someone who cares.)

[personal profile] overlimit 2012-06-18 07:43 am (UTC)(link)
A sore spot? Not necessarily. "I just don't have patience for people who say stupid things." It was an understatement when it came to describing how short Rita's temper was, but Skulduggery could consider himself warned.

To her surprise, however, the man's next move was to invite Rita to join him that night. The mage furrowed her brow, confused both by the sudden offer and by his interest in the morgue of all places. What was that about? ... Well, maybe she'd ask later.

"... Fine by me," she decided after taking a few moments to think. "I was going to go myself, so it's probably better to work together than to get in each other's way." And in her condition, things like competition or obstacles were best kept to a minimum. "There's just one thing I have to take care of first. It shouldn't take long. I'll meet you when I'm done."
skeletonenigma: (Default)

[personal profile] skeletonenigma 2012-06-18 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
A small part of Skulduggery couldn't help noticing the similarities between Rita Mordio and Valkyrie Cain. Both young teenage girls studying magic, both completely unafraid to run into danger, both impatient, intelligent, sharp-tongued, and fun to tease. And one of Rita's arms was in a sling. That same small part of Skulduggery briefly wondered if there was some connection, or some hidden meaning behind his impulsive offer.

Skulduggery usually ignored that small part of his mind. This was about not knowing what to expect, safety in numbers, and a fellow mage. That was all. "Excellent," he replied brightly. "In that case, I'll see you tonight."
overlimit: (Here's the deal.)

[personal profile] overlimit 2012-06-19 02:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Rita hadn't expected to form a partnership like this, but she supposed she'd take it. It was convenient for her, anyway.

"Meet me at the doors to the Sun Room. That room's usually guarded, but the way there should be safe." It was probably the most time-efficient way to go about it, too. Rita just hoped there wouldn't be any big hold-ups on either of their ends.

The intercom sounded then, signaling the end of the shift. Rita glanced up at one of the speakers, and gave a sort of half-shrug. "We can talk more tonight. Don't make me wait." Being the one with a prior appointment, Rita knew she was more likely to be the one delaying them, but she still felt the need to make that clear. With that said, she turned and made her way to the exit.
hiddenbadass: (smiiiirk)

[personal profile] hiddenbadass 2012-06-22 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[AFTER EVEN MORE FOREVER]

"You kiddin'?" Mike asked, turning to look at Niikura with a bit of an incredulous frown. "This whole library, and not a single page of comic print?"

He looked back at the bookshelf with a frown, as if the entire situation was its fault. It kinda was, if one considered how it was part of the Institute. Besides the food, some of the company, and the roof over their heads, this place wasn't too much unlike back home.

The food made it a lot more livable. His body was adjusting to it, now, getting used to real food again. He didn't feel a slight upset in his lower extremities nearly as often.

Mike glanced back to Niikura as his mind came back to the present, rubbing at his beard. "Hey, do you know how to shave? I kinda want to avoid the grungy, creepy guy look--" He smirked softly. "--even if it might be kinda fitting."
Edited 2012-06-22 20:34 (UTC)
oneman_onekill: ([shou] come again?)

[personal profile] oneman_onekill 2012-06-23 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
[GOSH!11!!]

Niikura held up his hands in a mock gesture of innocence. "Hey! I didn't pick the readin' material around here, okay?" If it were up to him, the whole room would have been filled top to bottom with manga, instead of things like that stupid Heart of Darkness. Ugh...that had taught him never to judge a book by its length.

He looked just a bit taken aback when Mike asked him about shaving. "Wha... C'mon, do ya see any hair on this chin?" The teenager ran a hand across his cheeks and chin, as if testing to see if there really was. "I'm not that old, okay." Niikura squinted as he peered in for a closer look at Mike's stubble. "I agree that it fits ya, though--better than me, at any rate."

Sheesh, how did they end up talking about facial hair? Right. Back to business. "--anyway, I gotta ask your opinion on somethin' too. It's, uh...it's complicated."
hiddenbadass: (smiiiirk)

[personal profile] hiddenbadass 2012-06-24 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
Mike paused for a moment when the subject changed, then shrugged it off. Eh. If he started having issues, he could probably just imitate one of the other guys shaving. Somehow, he'd deal with it when the time came.

"I never bothered to figure out when humans started growing hair," Mike shrugged as a final word to that subject.

His eyebrow raised at the change of subject. Was Niikura suddenly... nervous? Like actually, honest to god, nervous? Mike never thought he'd see the day. It certainly wasn't related to fighting--the kid was confident with that. He was confident about a whole hell of a lot of stuff, actually. He wouldn't be asking Mike any of those coming-of-age questions, because he knew he wasn't always a human, and couldn't help him there.

So that really left teenager problems. Niikura didn't care about being popular. He didn't care about fashion or food or anythin' like that. This wasn't gonna be about videogames. Really, if it had to be something complicated, it had to be....

"Lemme guess--you got yourself a girlfriend," Mike replied with a smirk after a moment, unable to resist the chance to tease.
oneman_onekill: ([shou] error 404)

[personal profile] oneman_onekill 2012-06-24 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
...what. What. WHAT.

"Wh--wha...what the--NO!" Niikura sputtered, shouting that last word more loudly than he'd intended and earning himself a loud "SHHHHHHH!" from one of the nearby nurses. He winced and then continued rounding on Mike, this time in an angry whisper.

"She's not my girlfriend!" he hissed. Oh damn it, was he blushing? That was not going to fly...damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it--"She's sick, okay?! And she wants to keep goin' down to the basement! And I..." Niikura pulled back abruptly, as he realized just what he'd let slip. Then, he visibly deflated.

"Fuck. Look, I just...I don't know. I feel like we should be lookin' around for a cure, y'know? But I can't...I gotta respect her feelings too." He had to, because he did owe it to her. He couldn't deny that before, he'd done as he'd pleased as Akumetsu without stopping for one second to think of how his friends might have felt, because he couldn't afford to. Now, though, he had a whole different story on his hands.
hiddenbadass: (huh wha)

[personal profile] hiddenbadass 2012-06-24 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
Mike smirked at the reaction. Just because he insisted on her not being his girlfriend didn't mean he hadn't considered the idea. Obviously, Niikura had to be talking about Shiina, with that reaction. Man, Mike hadn't even known that Niikura could get that red....

There was a temptation to keep on needling the kid, but that deflated when Niikura started going on about how she was sick. Mike remembered the warnings from Landel, and some of the conversations on the message board that he had stalked. Putting two and two together was like a four piece puzzle. It didn't take much more than a few moments to complete.

"Shell." Mike spoke quietly, adding another curse under his breath for good measure. "You don't mean sick--you mean sick."

Shiina was going to turn into a monster. A real, honest to god monster. Shit. Mike's eyes widened slightly, his mouth barely opening.

That's what the kid was coming to advice about. What to do. How to handle the situation. Truthfully, as far as Mike saw it, there really wasn't much of a choice in the matter. There was only one thing to do. His eyes now narrowed.

"You can't respect her wishes anymore if she loses her mind. Does she realize that?"
Edited 2012-06-24 04:04 (UTC)
oneman_onekill: ([shou] ah forget about it)

[personal profile] oneman_onekill 2012-06-24 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, crap, this was why he didn't want to tell anyone about this. It was just so...awkward. And complicated. And just--HNNNGH.

"H-hey, I tried, okay!" Niikura said defensively, crossing his arms. "And I already asked her what she'd want me to do if it came to--you know, that."

'HNNGH' was indeed an accurate way to describe how he was feeling at the moment.

"I just..." He sighed heavily. Maybe this was it. He had to just say everything and get it over with. Couldn't keep secrets forever. Mike deserved to know what he was working with anyway. "Either way, I'd never forgive myself, y'know? Go to the basement, she dies; look for a cure, who knows what she'd do..." He looked away. "She doesn't want to hold me back, and she's too stubborn to have it any other way. And I..." Niikura pinched the bridge of his nose. "'s kind of my fault she's that way about me, since I was dyin' all over the place--well, not me, but rrrrrgh..."
hiddenbadass: (argument)

[personal profile] hiddenbadass 2012-06-26 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
Mike listened to him, swallowing up the information as quickly as he could. Urgh. Interpersonal relationships. He used to be better at those, but he wasn't anymore.

All Mike knew was that Niikura and Shiina were both being stupid about this. It was stupid. Incredibly stupid. 'Oh, but she wants to go to the basement! She doesn't want to hold us back!'

Yeah. That wasn't going to work with Mike.

Except his entire thought process derailed right off a bridge at that last bit. Dying. Multiple times. What--

"Dying? What do you--" Mike started, then stopped himself with a shake of his head. "Shell, tell me later."

He looked back up to Niikura, frowning deeply. "You both need to stop being idiots. We need to find a cure, 'cause she ain't exactly any use to us if she does change into one. Havin' the possibility of her turnin' into a monster at any moment means we gotta keep our guards up against her, too, instead of focusin' all our energy on our goal. Dead is dead. Dying sucks. She's a kid, and there's no way in shell I'm puttin' her through that if we can save her!"

There was no discussion from Mike's point of view.
Edited 2012-06-26 02:00 (UTC)
oneman_onekill: ([shou] woobie eyes)

[personal profile] oneman_onekill 2012-06-26 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
Niikura had suspected all along that he was going to have to punch his way through Shiina's logic and simply force her to accept that she was sick and that it didn't make her any weaker in his eyes. If there weren't so many awkward feelings standing between them, he might have even done it earlier. As things stood, though, it was nice to hear what part of him had been saying all along from someone else's mouth.

It also hurt because man, he really was being stupid, but he wasn't going to try and save face; he wasn't that puffed up about himself.

"...right." He laughed. "Pretty bad, huh? That I'm willin' to put our goals ahead of her." It was just so much easier to deal with, for one thing.
hiddenbadass: (lack of emotion)

[personal profile] hiddenbadass 2012-06-27 11:12 am (UTC)(link)
Mike shook his head, "No, you're stupid for puttin' her wants before her needs."

It was as simple as that. Clear-cut. She couldn't want anymore if it was dead. Mike didn't have to go on and on about philosophy or even wondering about the choice just now. From his perspective, it was the only one that made sense. The only one that offered possibilities.

"If you love a person, sometimes you gotta do what they don't want."

Splinter did. He forced Mike to train. To study. To not sluff off. It was because of him that Mike had lived for so long back home, and why he was able to adapt to this place now. All because Splinter made him do things he didn't want to do.

It calmed him that Niikura caved so quickly. Stupid kid. A little too romantic for his own good, sometimes, but a good kid, really. Both of them were. Shiina deserved to live.
oneman_onekill: ([shou] woobie eyes)

[personal profile] oneman_onekill 2012-06-27 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Niikura gritted his teeth. "Don't use that--y'know what? Never mind." He waved a hand dismissively. "I gotcha."

Well, maybe he'd give it a shot tonight. She'd be hurt, but Hazama definitely wouldn't mind, and hadn't he done the same thing for Katsuragi? Thrown all his being into something that seemed hopeless, even when the other party just wanted him to do his own thing. Right. Things would be different this time, too. He'd set things right.

"Thanks for hearin' me out, Mike-san."
hiddenbadass: (a gentle moment)

[personal profile] hiddenbadass 2012-06-28 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
Mike smirked at the comment, but said nothing in return. The L-word wasn't forbidden, even to a guy that hadn't had much in the way of a family life in around thirty years. As much as he hated what he and his brothers had become... he still loved them deeply. He also loved April like the sister he never had. Mike just had a harder time of showing it.

As for the thanking, Mike gave him a brief thumbs up, giving Niikura a genuine smile, "Anytime, man. Just let me know if you need some back-up with it, and I'll be there. I'm used to talking to stubborn morons."

Although, really, he was truthfully the best at pissing them off. Raphael for example. But pretty much anything pissed that turtle off.
oneman_onekill: ([shou] hakuna matata!)

[personal profile] oneman_onekill 2012-06-28 09:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, it wasn't like the word "love" was off-limits or non-existent in Niikura's vocabulary; it was just that with Shiina, that word took on a few more meanings than he wanted. He was starting to think that he was fighting a losing battle with his own feelings about her, but nope, he'd be in denial about those for as long as he possibly could. (Stupid teenagers indeed.)

"Oh, thanks," Niikura said with a smile as he rolled his eyes and elbowed Mike. "Makes me feel that much better. Anyway, see ya tonight, okay? Let's get some stuff done for once."
hiddenbadass: (smiiiirk)

[personal profile] hiddenbadass 2012-06-30 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
Mike just smirked. He wasn't precisely talking about Niikura, but it applied here, too. Niikura was a stubborn moron, but he had street sense and was a good fighter.

He was also a good friend. Besides April and a handful of others in the Resistance, Mike hadn't had one in a while. Not one that was this "whole" anyways. Niikura wasn't weary like they had been when only moments of happiness could be snatched from the constant depression of a subjugated world.

"Anytime, bro'," Mike continued smirking. "I'll see you later. Try not to get into trouble while I'm not there."
diamondstorm: (Default)

[personal profile] diamondstorm 2012-07-08 06:05 am (UTC)(link)
She moved to the child's offer, and sat without anything more. She glanced at him only once again before returning her gaze outward, to the area around them. "You don't look well," she said, not unkindly. "Is there anything you need?"

What could one powerless individual do for another of the same, she did not know, but it remained all the same. The inclination to help those that she wanted to, even if there was nothing to hold out, with crippled limbs shaking.

She wondered at the pessimism. She wondered at that wonderment.
atrabilis: please do not take (heart in your throat.)

[personal profile] atrabilis 2012-07-08 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
Several poignant images flashed across Nigredo's mind at need. As there was no method for fulfillment, he shook his head. "I'm used to it by now," he added. It was a confession, obvious and lacking, for himself than for Renamon. The marked arm lay in full view, his flesh ruddy and near unrecognizable.

Suddenly, there was no ignoring the matter, and still, he could not muster a reaction. Nigredo frowned, wary of the resignation. His current reactions did not speak of a boy about to enter into the throes of a monster. Perhaps he was too used to the transition. Perhaps there never was a boy to speak of.

An uncomfortable thought struck him. With effort, he swallowed and pushed it away. "Thank you for your concern, however," he said.

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