Day 65: Intercom, Evening

[damned_intercom]

As some of the clouds from earlier began to clear, the intercom jingle sounded over the intercom once again.

"Hello, patients!" came the Head Doctor's cheery voice. "I hope you're all feeling fresh and clean this evening! To top it all off, we've prepared a scrumptious herb chicken dinner for you to eat before bed. Of course, we have vegetarian options available, so please don't hesitate to ask the nurse if you're interested in that.

Also, since we have the pleasure of welcoming a few new patients into our family, some of you will be receiving new roommates. Let's do our best to give them a nice, big Landel's Institute welcome, shall we?"

The Head Doctor gave a friendly chuckle. "Well, anyway, enjoy your dinner!"

With that, the intercom shut off.

[Note: All dinner threads are posted in response to this entry. Be sure to check the Roommate Assignments if you're not sure what room/roommate your character has! Thanks.]

Comments

[dividedby]

Well, well. Someone did their homework. Gabe seemed to be taking it all seriously from the way he was searching his room for supplies, which was good; it would make things that much easier for him when the night began. The only fact on Gabe's list that seemed off was something about a zombie in the Sun Room...but Zero wasn't going to ask about it. Though he'd never seen zombies in the Institute before, he'd seen them in Doyleton, and he'd seen the nurses change into something like them. Some other prisoner probably recounted their attack to Gabe, and that was probably (hopefully) all it was...a random monster attack. Not some new threat.

... And, of course. After reciting what he'd learned today, Gabe continued to be bothersome by questioning the once-Reploid's health yet again. What did it matter to him, anyway... It wasn't like Zero's health was the most important issue in the Institute.

"I don't have what's going around," he finally answered, sitting down in his chair so he could start eating in a moment. (He was hoping answering would get Gabe off his back about this.) "I was only sick earlier because the nurse drugged me." Which was his fault, he was willing to admit to himself. He'd asked for it by picking a fight with them.

[impudentsongbird]

“Do they do that often?” Gabriel asked, his brow crinkling in thought and concern both as he glanced up from his last sweep of the desk. “I’d think it would make their job more difficult.” Unless patients were being difficult themselves, in which case—

“Ah,” he murmured, his expression softening from curiosity to understanding. The Archangel glanced away to set down the heaviest of his things in an easily accessible place, ready for whatever was awaiting him this evening, and then took a seat at his desk. Then he looked back with a gentle smile. “From all I’ve heard there are any number of things to rebel against around here.”

[dividedby]

Another good thing: this guy caught on to details quick. No need to explain Zero's...incident with the nurses this morning (fortunately), for Gabe guessed it on his own before the once-Reploid could bother to reply. Hm. Once again, the man showed something that made his chances of survival here go up a little more. Good for him.

"There are," Zero confirmed after a small pause, though he was no longer staring in Gabe's general direction; his food was the focus of his attention now, as he began prodding it with his eating utensil. "...But it's not worth it to fight them during the day," he added a moment later. ...Understatement.

But he'd leave it at that. He wasn't exactly eager to recount a personal failure to a stranger. Getting energy back in his body...higher priority. And so he started to slowly cut his chicken up (as he'd seen the humans here do to their food plenty of times) for consumption.

[impudentsongbird]

Zero’s attention on his food redirected Gabriel’s attention to it, though the Archangel took his utensils to it with far more enthusiasm. Food had always tasted good as an angel, but as a human there was a new weight to it, a necessity, which made it feel more meaningful.

“Things seem very … regulated during the day here,” he said delicately. “But chaotic at night.” He supposed it made sense; the regulation to break their spirits, followed by monsters in the evening. “How many of the staff here know about the head doctor’s—proclivities?”

[dividedby]

Regulated during the day, then chaotic at night - obvious statement, and sadly, something one was forced to get used to. But Gabe's next question...

...That was one of those many things here that no one seemed to know the answer to. However, Zero was beginning to form his own theory, supported by events from this morning. He considered his answer as he chewed a piece of chicken and swallowed it - carefully. (Yes, the memory of choking on food the first time he tried swallowing was still fresh in his mind, and he would love to avoid any repeats of that if at all possible, thank you very much.)

Then, his answer. "It's hard to say. They all seem to believe we're sick and Landel's just another doctor...so either they're innocent, or just really good liars. Doesn't help that they turn into monsters at night, too." Something he'd unfortunately had to witness the night they were all stranded out on the road. "In my opinion, they're brainwashed." That theory made his opinions of the nurses a little...tricky, though. It didn't feel right to not consider them enemies, but if it really wasn't their fault that they were like this, then...

Zero continued to eat slowly, thinking hard about it.

[impudentsongbird]

If only Gabriel had even some measure of his true powers; he should be able to tell whether they were lying or not. Of course, that wasn't much help if they were victims themselves, and Gabe paled a little, looking away. "I hope they don't remember it, then."

He was getting chills down his spine. It wasn't a welcome sensation. The things happening here--naturally they would mimic his own trials. They'd mimic the time Lucifer almost got him to Fall.

"That would make sense," he said instead, suddenly finding he wasn't in the least bit hungry. On the contrary; his stomach was rolling unpleasantly. Still, he took a small bite. He'd need the food. "But it would make it hard to oppose them, if they're innocents."