damned_institute | Day 65: Men's Showers

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Day 65: Men's Showers

Well, it was about time they got to bathe, that was all Loki really had to say about it. He'd been wondering just how barbaric his captors were. The fact that it was showers only, and no baths for soaking spoke volumes, as far as he was concerned.

But at least there were showers, which was certainly better than nothing. Loki felt something approaching cheerful as he allowed the nurse to lead him on. At the showers he shucked off the ridiculous uniform without so much as a pause and claimed a shower head from those available.

He was used to bathing around others. And as a god among mortals, he definitely had nothing to be ashamed of. Though the warm spray of the shower did let him know that he had some definite bruising on his back from where Kratos had managed to hurl him into that wall, and one of his ribs still twinged occasionally. His jaw still hurt a bit as well, but any bruising there had taken care of itself during the night.

[For the ambiguously gay duo!]

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Loki had kept an eye on the comings and goings of the other prisoners. He'd been internally amused by the tragically bitter expression on Scar's face; that was one person he had no intention of giving any sort of apology to, not even a feigned one for purposes of maintaining his role.

The next seriously injured patient he saw, however, he thought he ought to approach. He didn't know the man at all, hadn't met him outside of their unfortunate encounter the previous night. While he doubted there'd be any good to speaking with him, it was useful to be able to truthfully claim that he'd at least tried and then rebuffed.

And you never knew. Strange things could and did happen on occasion. He finished rinsing the soap from his hair, pushing the wet locks back on his forehead, and covered the short distance between them. He left his own shower running, figuring he'd be back to it soon enough.

"Excuse me," he said. "I just wished to say I'm terribly sorry." The thought that someone might find this an awkward conversation to have while wet and naked didn't even occur to him.

Barnaby had been concerned about someone trying to start a conversation with him while showering, but he didn't think anyone would have the audacity to approach him so soon. But even if he wasn't used to showering with other people, he was accustomed to strangers talking to him anytime he went out in public. When he thought about it that way, it wasn't so difficult to maintain his calm, polite exterior.

He turned his head just enough to assess the man's height and proximity. Though Barnaby's blurred vision prevented him from placing the man's face, he knew he at least recognized the patient's voice.

It was the NEXT from last night.

"I heard you underwent a procedure called Special Counseling," he remarked, neither accepting nor rejecting the apology as he faced the tiled wall again. "Is that true?"

Well, that was a start at least, Loki decided. It was most definitely an opening. After a split second of consideration, he decided to play up on his supposedly ancient roots, keeping the speech formal. "Lady Tsubaki has informed me that would be the name for it. I'm afraid whe I was marched from my room last eve, no one bothered to inform me of the formalities of it." He allowed himself a wry smile when he said it.

"But that would be why I wish to offer apologies. It is not my normal practice to attack unprovoked, nor follow the orders of such a base man as who holds us against our will."

The name "Tsubaki" sounded familiar, and he realized he'd seen it on the bulletin board in the past. She was probably a patient who had been here longer than either of them if she felt like she could speak about those kinds of things with any authority. That didn't necessarily mean he was willing to take her word for it based off of that alone, but if no one had tried contradicting her, then odds were there was some weight to the story after all.

"If it's true that you had no control over your actions last night, then I suppose you're not at fault," Barnaby said, still not looking at the man as he lathered up some more soap in his hands. It would probably be the closest he'd come to saying he forgave him.

While he could have left things at that, there were still a few details that bothered Barnaby. It was clear this man was no ordinary NEXT, for one thing.

"I've never seen anyone dressed like that before," he continued after a brief pause. There wasn't any hostility in his voice, but Barnaby was to the point, and it was clear that he wanted answers. "What would you consider your 'normal' practice?"

"In control or not, I still regret what happened. Given my free will, I don't like to hurt people." At least not frivolously, but that didn't need to be spoken aloud. It was in keeping with his gentle scholar persona.

The man seemed to want to keep talking. "A moment." Loki crossed the room to turn off his former showerhead, then moved to the one next to the man. He didn't particularly like the creeping feeling of cold that came with not being under the warm spray.

"It's not uncommon from where and when I'm from," he said after a moment. "I come from Svealand, during the reign of Emund the Old. Experience here suggests you'd be more familiar with my people as... vikings. My armor is rather fine since I..." He closed his eyes briefly, but the story needed to be continued. "I was part of a noble house."

Loki chuckled, squatting down for a moment to put himself on the same level as the man; it was preferable than seeming to talk down to him for this sort of act. "Given my freedom? Read. Study. I have always been a scholar first."

Edited 2012-07-25 04:05 (UTC)

After another bout of "the runs" that really hadn't turn out to be as pro-active as he would have liked, Wild Tiger was resigned to an uncomfortable stand in the showers with the rest of the population. He was curious to know how his partner was faring or if the nurses simply made him sit this shower session out. That would seriously piss the blond off, which meant he probably had gotten his way eventually. He really needed to learn how to do that more effectively; the nurses around here didn't take him serious at all.

Thankfully it wasn't hard to pick him out since he was the only person--Well, more like one of the few people--sitting down. He was talking to someone, which was a surprise in and of itself, until he realized it was that brainwashed NEXT that had turned them into meat skewers. No, he didn't like anything about this set up, he decided as he squinted from the sidelines. His partner was in a wheel chair for crying out loud! He was temporarily crippled and basically blind. Only devious things could come of this, he was sure of that, and as his partner he needed to go in and save him!

Unfortunately he had to first decide how prudent it was to wear his mask in the showers. It wasn't his standard-issued mask which was waterproof (among other things). This one, however, was cheap, easily tattered, and Wild Tiger wasn't sure when the next time they would be going back to Doyleton. Sighing, he wished it well in one of the lockers with his clothes and moved in to save Barnaby.

Grabbing a washcloth without taking his eyes off them both, Kotetsu stormed right over as fast as he could without skulling himself and stood behind Barnaby. "You know," he began with his eyes on the black haired man squatting down beside his partner. His words weren't really meant to be challenging by any means, it was simply a tasteless observation. Kotetsu was really good at those. "I'm kinda surprised no one tried to shank you yet." The showers were sort of the designated shanking area, but maybe the fact he hadn't been assaulted yet gave credence to this brainwashing story.

When he relocated to where Barnaby was sitting, he realized he was probably in for a long, uncomfortable chat with this man. Maybe it was just as well, though. They only got so many shifts in a day to gather information, and then they were on their own during Nightshift. Barnaby liked to utilize his time as best as possible. If that meant trying to learn things while bathing, then so be it.

He'd almost wondered if this man fancied himself a Hero, especially with such an elaborate get-up and NEXT powers on top of that. That he was a "viking" was among the last things Barnaby expected to hear. Even so, he did a remarkable job of keeping a straight face as he listened to the patient's story.

Just as he was opening his mouth to respond, though, he sensed someone approaching from behind. As soon as the newcomer spoke, Barnaby immediately realized it was Kotetsu, tactless as always. Well, no, that wasn't entirely accurate, but he wondered if he had some crime movies on the brain.

"I think it's clear this place is different from your average prison," Barnaby said in response to the tactless remark. Which was just as well, since he really didn't want to be held responsible for allowing something like that to happen under his watch.

Loki straightened up at the approach of the other mortal. He raised one eyebrow at the word shank, but assumed it was more current slang. "If you mean no one's tried to attack me..." he shrugged. "As Lady Tsubaki said, it seems a sadly common occurrence to which more long-held captives seem accustomed." He laughed quietly. "Though attacking anyone in the middle of the day is a foolish endeavor besides."

He looked between the two men. "My name is Lingormr, no longer of any family." He nodded to Kotetsu. "And as I've already told your friend, I am quite sorry. My actions were not under my control, but I still find them regrettable. I don't care to hurt people."

Really, the hardest part of this conversation was going to be not calling the two men Bun-bun and Kitten. And not laughing. Not laughing was very, very important.

Edited 2012-07-25 05:16 (UTC)

He was about to point out that it didn't stop inmates, but he let the subject drop. It was a pointless argument anyway, one which he usually wouldn't bring up. Physical assault of any kind was not something to joke about, even among criminals. No one deserved to be treated so inhumanely, and that included Mr. Lingormr here as well. Kotetsu was just... Well, he was still sore physically and emotionally from how easily this man trumped the both of them.

"Well no one deserves to be brain washed, no matter what anyone says." It was beyond despicable and could cripple a person for life! "Did you know the other guy who was brought in? Someone else apologized for attacking patients last night..."

Barnaby made note of the man's name. This Lingormr was certainly an odd person, from his unusual backstory, to the antiquated way he spoke. It only added to the mystery surrounding his multiple NEXT powers.

He wasn't sure how Kotetsu intended to introduce himself, seeing how he had gone without his mask. Of course, secret identities seemed to matter very little when no one recognized your hero persona in the first place. Still, he knew his partner would never give his real name out to anyone here, not as long as he intended to don that domino mask at night.

While Barnaby was always more than eager to introduce himself, he held off, as he was reluctant to put his partner under the spotlight. Instead, he used Kotetsu's comment as a way to neatly avoid the issue for the time being.

"I haven't had time to check the board yet," he admitted, deliberately raising his eyebrows to convey some sense of surprise about this information. "There was someone else as well?"

"I'm afraid not," Loki said. "I wasn't even really aware of how this newest outrage worked, let alone that it would be done to more than one person per evening. Though I suppose that makes as much sense as the next thing."

Loki didn't fail to notice that the two hadn't bothered to introduce themselves. He considered this for a moment, then said, "After the evening we had previously, I somehow doubt that either of you would like me to use the names I do know you by. So perhaps introductions would be in order?" He allowed a hint of brittleness to creep into his tone.

Though really, if they prefered idiotic pet names, he was happy to oblige.

After another moment of thought, he added, "And it was quite interesting, what both of you did. It's been a while since someone's hit me quite that hard."

"Yeah, though I don't... remember his name..." he mumbled into his hand as subtly as possible (which was not at all). It wasn't like that knowledge was any big surprise to the blond, so he should have known that before asking him! But, hey, it wasn't that big of a set back! They could always check the notes again once they left the showers. That was the beauty of a stationary bulletin board, right? Right, so he was in the clear!

The shower head beside his partner was turned on to scalding just the way he liked it. It also helped to relax his cramping intestines, much to the older man's relief. Whatever his latest bowel problem was, it wasn't going away without a fight.

"Uh, no, you can call me Kobayashi, thank you very much!" He was stomping down Kitten as fast he possibly could! He didn't serve the people of Stern Bild all those years so he could be reduced to "cute". He was supposed to be feared, and not just from his flying collateral! His eyes moved to Barnaby, but he let the younger man introduce himself as he slipped his head under the hot, pouring water.

"I would say you deserved it, but... Well..." The former Hero obviously struggled with the words as he lathered up his hair. It could be hard to accept some kinds of responsibility, especially in life or death situations. "If you were actually brainwashed, then... It can't be helped."

Edited 2012-07-26 04:13 (UTC)

Even if no one could provide more information about the second Special Counseling "victim", Barnaby considered it for future reference. After all, he intended to rifle through the notes on the board later today.

In the end, Lingormr asked for their names, but Barnaby figured he'd do as much. At least Kotetsu didn't hesitate in giving the civilian-sounding name he'd adopted for himself while they were stuck here.

Thankfully, his own introductions were fairly straightforward. "Barnaby," he offered as he rinsed some of the soap from his body. "Barnaby Brooks Jr." Though he could have asked whether Lingormr had heard of it, he was starting to feel like it was an exercise in futility. It was frustrating, but as long as he didn't call him Bunny, he could accept it for now.

"Those with unusual abilities are classified as Noted Entities of Extraordinary Talents -- or NEXT for short -- where we come from," he continued. "Kobayashi and I are NEXT who can increase our physical abilities." Since Lingormr was a "Viking" (or perhaps even just pretending to be one), there was little use in assuming he'd be familiar with the term. Not even Harvey Dent had heard of them before, and he was probably one of the more level-headed patients he'd talked to since his arrival.

Edited 2012-07-26 06:31 (UTC)

"As you like, Kobayashi," Loki said calmly. His eyes narrowed slightly at the emphasis on the word actually, the implication that he might be faking it.

It was insulting. If he had his magic back, he certainly would have had better things to do with it than tussle with a bunch of morons in a hallway. "How good of you." He kept his tone quiet and restrained.

He turned his attention to Bun-bun, who was the more likeable of the two to be certain. Though that meant Kitten would probably be the most fun to torment when opportunities with plausible deniability presented themselves. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance under better circumstances."

Loki tilted his head slightly at the odd classification system Barnaby spoke of, but he supposed it was really as good as the next for mortals trying to understand things beyond themselves. "I see. Interesting." After a short pause he offered, "I'm most often called a magician."

"Oh..." Thankfully, the connection between his mind and his mouth short-circuited and "So that means you have your own bunny too!" never saw the light of day. Man, it had been such a great joke. It was fantastically punny on so many distinct levels, but something told him Barnaby would take it about as well as a slap in the face, which he knew intimately well never evoked a positive emotion from the blond. Jokes were supposed to be funny and the older man had no interest in rubbing his partner wrong just for the sake of a quick snicker.

Ah well, he knew he was hilarious and that was all that mattered for now. Instead, he tried to actually be constructive in this conversation. Barnaby was injured after all, his partner shouldn't be made to carry on without support!

"So is that your job? Entertaining people with your powers?" Kotetsu thought that would actually be a wonderful job. He enjoyed making people laugh as much as he loved saving them.

After listening to that strange "Viking" talk, Barnaby doubted Lingormr was claiming to be that kind of magician. On the other hand, it could have all just been part of the character he was trying to project. As someone who did a lot of work for the entertainment industry himself, Barnaby had a much easier time understanding that than assuming he honestly believed he came from the past.

Instead of chiming in with his own commentary, though, Barnaby continued to silently wash, dipping his head underneath the water spray. With Kotetsu here to ask at least a few of the questions, he was content with observing so he could try to get a better grasp of this Lingormr.

After all, with NEXT powers like those, they couldn't exactly ignore him in case he was forced to turn on the patients again later. Perhaps he could even be of help, but Barnaby wasn't going to hold his breath in case things did indeed go sour later.

Loki stared at Kotetsu. This was the second time he'd gotten that sort of reaction, so he had a feeling magician was a word he ought to give up on using, even if he liked it far better than the alternatives. "No... no I don't." He sighed. "Perhaps a better word to use would be sorcerer. Or perhaps enchanter. My job..."

He paused again, considering how best to put it, since obviously these men were from a very different sort of time. "I was until recently part of a noble house. I suppose you could say that was my job. My calling was scholarship." He smiled. "And altering reality by the strength of my will. That is what I mean by magician. It's not a terribly common thing. Perhaps you don't have them any more."

"Oh..." Well, now it was Kotetsu's turn to be confused. It was pretty obvious when he scratched the back of his head with his good arm. The other he kept close to his chest so he didn't accidentally pull at the newly knit skin. Associating himself with nobility helped to ground Lingormr in a reality Kotetsu could better understand... Sort of. The older man didn't think monarchies still existed really, but he also hadn't paid attention in geography or world history classes as a kid, so that pretty much branded him ignorant in the ways of the world.

"Well... I guess not--I mean, I bet we have more again, you know, now since the start of NEXT mutation, but... I'm sure a lot of NEXT with such strong powers like yours don't speak out about them. People are still pretty prejudice against us..." His power had been rather transparent and limited and Kotetsu's childhood had still been full of abuse for something he couldn't change. He couldn't imagine how isolating it must be for those with more potentially dangerous powers. Jake had certainly scared the hell out of the general public.

"Well, some things certainly don't change," Loki said dryly. "Sorcerers weren't particularly liked in my day. Especially male ones that weren't interested in being shaman. Spiritual nonsense."

He assessed Kobayashi's confusion, then realized the man hadn't been present when he'd related his cover story to Barnaby. "As I mentioned previously, I'm from Svealand, during Emund the Old's reign. I believe my people are more commonly known as vikings. And yes, there's not just a spacial anomaly that's occurred here, but a temporal one as well. My friend Soma is from what she says is the future relative to what current time seems to be."

Vikings. Time travel. Sorcery. Barnaby closed his eyes as he washed the last of the soap suds out of his hair, silently listening to the exchange all the while. He hoped Kotetsu wouldn't say or do anything too tactless. It was obvious something was very wrong here. Either the patients' stories were true, or the institute had done something to them to skew their perception of reality. No one had heard of them, after all, and he doubted they were all in some giant conspiracy to throw them off guard. It wouldn't make any sense.

Once he finished, he sensed his nurse approaching from the opposite direction to collect him. That was probably just as well. As much as he wanted to continue with the conversation, the shift didn't last forever, either. Barnaby had an image to maintain, which meant he needed to properly comb and dry his hair.

Keeping his posture straight and chin slightly raised, he did his best to give off the very picture of dignity as he transferred over to his wheelchair. From there, he would no doubt be escorted to the changing area so he could dry off and receive a fresh set of clothing.

"If you'll excuse me," Barnaby said with a slight nod, and he allowed his nurse to escort him from the area.

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Day 65: Men's Showers

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