Day 66: Breakfast

[nobleman]

What Guy had seen on that scan resulted in some mixed feelings. While he had expected to find something in Claude, seeing how he was sick, it hadn't been quite the same as what they'd seen when they had scanned that other ill patient two nights ago. What did that mean? It was possible that the shape of it just looked different because of where it was in Claude's stomach, but Guy couldn't help but feel that there was a deeper meaning to it.

Yet another thing that he didn't understand, then. With a sigh, he got himself up out of bed and went searching immediately for the single leaf that he'd taken from the X-ray room last night. It was stored carefully in his possessions box, which meant that he didn't have to worry too much about that.

While he wanted to quickly sketch the leaf's general shape to post on the bulletin, Guy wasn't given that chance, as his nurse showed up before he could even grab for his journal. He had to relent and let her lead him to the cafeteria for breakfast. While Guy considered stopping by the bulletin to leave a note, that could wait until after he ate. He suspected that Anise or Luke would try to find him as soon as possible to tell him about their findings, so leaving a note for them would be redundant.

He did need to ask about the clue from last night and see if anyone else had further insight on it, but that might be something Claude wanted to do, seeing how he had a better idea of who that baptist was and what it all might signify.

After collecting a small amount of food onto a plate, Guy took a seat near the cafeteria's entrance, keeping an eye out for any of his friends so he could flag them down as they walked in.

[For Anise and Claude.]

Comments

[redcladidealist]

That failure to use his first name didn't go unnoticed by Lloyd. He frowned, not understanding the levels of formality that the other had with names. "No, I mean it. You can call me Lloyd. People only use my last name when I'm in trouble." Where he came from, almost everyone went by their given name. It was given to them for a reason, after all. Why wouldn't they want people to use it? Even beyond that, it would get pretty confusing if someone had a brother or a sister, not to mention their parents or their kids. They couldn't all be called the same name. Given names just made sense - so much so that Lloyd didn't even think about the fact that it might be different in other cultures or other worlds.

Likewise, too used to the name order used in his world, it didn't occur to him that Ishida and Inoue might not be their given names.

When Ishida commented on Inoue's eating, Lloyd's own stomach grumbled a bit - not loudly, but enough to make him realize that he'd been so caught up in his knee-jerk reaction to Kratos's presence, then the conversation that had been taking place since, that he'd forgotten to even touch his own food. He quickly remedied this by popping one of the bread-sausage things in his mouth, not bothering with a knife or a fork. He chewed the mouthful a few times before swallowing it with satisfaction.

"They're pretty good," he pointed out, in case Inoue needed someone to vouch for their taste. "And eating will help build up your energy." Which he was getting the feeling they'd all need if they had to stay in this place. Speaking of that, though... He hesitated. "I wouldn't mind if you could heal me tonight." He'd really only just met her. He wasn't sure how to ask, or if he should. She might need her abilities for someone else. "But like I said, I'll be okay."

He ate another sausage, then scowled at what Kratos seemed to be implying. "I'm not going to give up just because you think it's impossible. I already made it outside the building once, I can do it again another night." Another night, because he knew that even if he was healed, he couldn't go out there by himself. If he'd run into that monster by himself last night, he was pretty sure he'd be dead. It wouldn't hurt if he got better weapons, too, but he had no idea where he'd find them. He'd been lucky to get a knife from Claude. Unless he could find where they were keeping his swords...

Maybe he'd spend tonight indoors, searching and getting a feel for the building. Despite evidence to the contrary, he could make plans that weren't completely reckless. Maybe he could find something useful.

But back to the point he'd been trying to make. "Besides, even if no one's succeeded before, that doesn't mean there's no point in trying." One of the things that had always bothered him about Kratos was the man's tendency to be pessimistic. Even now, when Lloyd still felt the sharp pain of betrayal, he wanted to reach out and grab the older man's shoulders and shake some hope into him. "It just means we have to think of something no one else has done, or get enough of us doing it together to make it work for us."

[repelling]

Uryuu shook his head, immovable on this point. Or, difficult, anyway. This setting demanded more fluidity in address than he liked, as introductions too often were restricted to single names. Kratos-san, Kairi-san, Sora-san -- with nothing else offered, he had to swallow the concern that he spoke rudely. He knew well that given the difference in cultures, as far as they and the rest were concerned, it wasn't rude at all. Yet-- "It's too familiar," he said, adamant. "To address Irving-san with his first name would be suggestive of either an intimate friendship, or mark me as a terribly coarse person."

"Of course," he added with a glance at Kratos-san, "if you'd only given your first name, I'd have had no choice."

Too bad for Irving-san; Uryuu did not intend to pretend. The other topics at hand far outweighed that of address, so he did not anticipate an extended protest. Uryuu focused on Inoue-san, glad she did not finish her deference, but caught off guard by her threat. Such a serious tone offset by the mirth bright in her eyes, and he took a moment to string together a reply, his mouth twitching even as he lifted a dismissive hand.

"Inoue-san, I don't want your fruit cup. As generous a bribe as that is. Besides, it really isn't-- Inoue-san doesn't need to waste her energy on a bruise." Continuing to pretend as though the bandages that reached over his shoulder were not just visible past his shirt collar. As far as he chose to see it, Irving-san's injuries were assuredly worse. At the very least, if it happened tonight and Inoue-san could still heal, she ought to focus on Irving-san. Her limitations might be such that that alone exhausted her.

Rather than detailing all that, he shifted his approach. Irving-san had just about conceded, so- smoothly, "If Inoue-san's willing and able, then everything can be seen to tonight. Otherwise, neither of us will be at our best, promising worse if something else attacks."

And if Inoue-san looked to be tiring, he could slip away before she tried to push herself too hard.

Her admission of no appetite concerned him, though not to a tremendous degree as it was a natural reaction to this mess. The issue being as Irving-san said: energy. Uryuu felt a minutia of gratitude toward him, even if he did set an example without utensils. Perhaps they were finger food. Still, one should probably chew, and Uryuu looked askance at Inoue-san as she appeared to forget that.

On the other end of the conversation, Kratos-san made just the points Uryuu had considered, and with them introduced a barrier. The way Kratos-san spoke, it must have been tested by some with their abilities unfettered. Was it also responsible for dragging everyone back to bed come morning? Did it reach far into the forest and beyond? As he wondered, Irving-san favored optimism. At first, Uryuu felt skeptical, thinking he'd missed the mark--getting outside wasn't much of an accomplishment and the barrier must extend there as well.

As he went on, however, Uryuu knew he had a point. After all- "Most great endeavors have taken countless failures before success," he mused. "Edison and his lightbulbs. "Every wrong attempt is another step forward," and "I've not failed, only found 10,000 ways that won't work.""

Uryuu did not think of himself as either an optimist or inspired. Only as pragmatic. "It is counterproductive to begin with a defeatist attitude. Of course, it is no less destructive to rush into things or dismiss the magnitude of the task."

His fruit cup might have been lost to the floor (and he resisted the compulsion to pick it up and use some of his napkin scraps to clean any fallen syrup and fruit), but Uryuu still had his water, and he sipped it now. He swallowed as Inoue-san questioned him, and frowned, wishing that he did know so much. Unfortunately, though he could read a number of queries in her single question, he did not intuit the most important of them, having little affinity for aliens.

"I don't," he said, at first the words picked with slow care, "I've only been aware of being here a few days. The staff, of course, answer no questions, so everything I know I have been told by other "patients". Most of that can be gleaned from a day and night spent here. Very little is known. There are far more questions than answers."

Another sip of water, followed by a heavy, dramatic pause.

"Shall I explain, then? This institute of Landel's. The lie of the day, and the horror of the night."



[ ooc: can you tell he wants to make his Big Speech ]

[fourstonewalls]

"I don't know," Lana said, smiling a bit. It was a smile completely incongruous with the statement; she didn't like being uncertain any more than she expected Dent did, but there was a reason behind it. She gave him another second, and then put him out of his curiosity. "One of people I was with thought he knew what it meant, but he didn't have time to explain. We should have more time tonight."

It would mean not tracking down any new radio messages, but they needed to press through on the lead they had, not get distracted. "Besides, I doubt I'd make a very effective monster." Strong, she wasn't. And intelligence didn't seem to be high on Landel's list of desired traits. She could do terrible things -- and had -- but only in the right framework. Here she wouldn't be much of a threat.

[faeth]

Lloyd-san's considerate show of digging into his own breakfast was more than enough to persuade her, and she started to eat as they all talked. Little bites, but bites that would build up her energy nevertheless (and they were good now that she had the chance to actually chew them, better than she thought pigs-wrapped-in-quilts would otherwise be). Orihime caught Ishida-kun's careful, criticizing eye, and accompanied a thoughtful chew with a sip of milk to emphasize that it was okay -- that there was nothing to concern himself about. Her fruit cup, however, remained untouched.

"I'm both willing and able to heal you, Lloyd-san." Her voice was resolute by the time she finished her next bite, and when she looked at him, her smile didn't falter even if able was still very much in the unknown. "I'll take care of your injuries, and Ishida-kun's, too." It wasn't a topic for discussion, if the way she pointedly did not turn to her classmate as she spoke was of any indication. Her smile only widened into a toothy, silly looking thing when she continued, unabashed and bold. "After all, he keeps speaking so highly of my abilities. They mustn't be so incredible if he thinks I'm incapable of healing a simple bruise, don't you think?"

His bruise, and the wounds beneath those bandages under his shirt, too.

It occurred to her as she sat there, just what a diverse collection of people she was currently dining with. Kratos-san with his weary cynicism, with an attitude borne of harsh realities and lost causes, was as much of an unconventional angel as he was the devil's advocate. Lloyd-san with his enthusiasm, with his dedication found innate in all would-be heroes, smiled with a belief that could move masses to act and probably did on his alien planet -- or so Orihime had no trouble believing. And then there was Ishida-kun, with his rationality, his unquestioning honesty, his uncanny ability to bring everything together, even the optimism and the cynicism, together at the seams.

It was interesting, she thought, impressed and swayed by their respective extremes. Though optimism usually became her, she understood that it was imperative that they reviewed the entire picture before making any further assumptions -- and so she stopped herself.

She hoped, but dared no further.

"Yes." She was restless again, but she tried very hard to not fidget, to not scatter crumbs on the floor in the off-chance that there really were piglets running around the place, frightened and hungry. "If Ishida-kun doesn't mind telling the story, I-

"...it would be very much appreciated."

[scarefaux]

The Scarecrow's brow furrowed as he took in Scar's words, trying to process what he was being told through the hazy fog that had settled between his ears. Until that point, he'd been so sure Sangamon was right, that he'd be fine if he simply gave his body time to right itself. After all, it had done so when the Burning Man got a hold of his arm, and again when the birds outside had cut him. The human body was a marvelous thing, something simultaneously fragile and sturdy: though he couldn't handle being torn apart like his straw body had, it could repair itself when damaged. He'd seen that with his own two eyes, and therefore had no reason not to believe what Sangamon had told him.

Still, he had to admit that what Scar was saying had been a concern on his mind, that what Wizard Landel had said on the intercom was true and that people really were becoming monsters and turning on their friends. He shook his head, a streak of defiance rising in him, pushing through the sickness that held the rest of him prisoner.

"I think he knows what he's talking about, Scar," he insisted, not knowing the truth. "And besides that, this body has recovered from worse than this. I'm going to be fine. You'll see."

[dualistic]

Lana was trying to pass it off as if she wasn't that concerned. Harvey didn't buy it. He couldn't imagine anyone could face the possibility of turning into something monstrous, of losing their sense of self, without being scared out of their wits. Then again, Lana probably realized that fear wouldn't get her anywhere. She was just going to have to press forward.

He could have asked Lana about the lead that she was working on, but that would just force her to explain something that Harvey didn't really need to know about. It would just be pointless conversation, and he knew neither of them were fans of that.

"Just because you don't seem like you'd be an effective monster now doesn't mean that you won't change into something that is," he pointed out. Maybe Lana had just said it to make herself feel better, or to lighten up the conversation, but Harvey didn't think there was much point in that. Not when the reality of the situation was so serious.

[longlivetheking]

Oh, and Scar didn't know? Nonetheless, his warnings were easily waved off with feeble excuses. This insolent fool, how dare he not listen when the former lion had gone out of his way to offer a genuine warning?!

"Well, if you insist on being an idiot, who am I to stop you?" he said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. A shrug. "Yes, you just wait for the situation to fix itself. I'm sure your future victims wouldn't mind being shred to pieces because of your ignorance."

As long as that was not going to be him, Scar could not care any less. All the more reason to find a meat shield and leave the patient blocks as early as possible tonight, it would seem. For all he knew, the Scarecrow wasn't the only deadly combination of 'infected' and 'dimwitted'.

The king's annoyance made place for an air of indifference. "Just don't say I didn't warn you..."

[fourstonewalls]

She arched her eyebrows. "Was that meant to be reassuring? If it was, you might want to work on your delivery." Her delivery, on the other hand, was flawless. No hesitation, no tremor in her voice, no sign that she had been looking for, if not a friendly ear, certainly not an argument.

"That won't happen." That was as much bluff as the idea that they couldn't turn her into an effective monster; if Dent wanted to call her on it, he was welcome to. She was done picking at breakfast, and she doubted they'd stop her if she got up and switched tables. "Theorize all you like, but I won't let it happen."

[dualistic]

"It wasn't a reassurance. Right now, that isn't going to do you much good. I'm trying to be realistic." Would she really have preferred it, if he'd agreed that everything would be okay, that somehow things would just work themselves out? Harvey wasn't that kind of person. He remembered when he'd tried to tell Rachel that everything would be fine, while knowing deep down that it was a huge lie. He wasn't going to do that again.

"But if you're sure that you can stop it, then by all means." It wasn't his problem. He kept repeating that to himself, and he shrugged to show his distance from the situation. In reality, he didn't like to imagine what Lana might turn into, or what it would do to her psyche if she did. But what could he do? It's not like he had some magical cure on hand.

[fourstonewalls]

Her lips quirked at his sally, but it wasn't a smile. She preferred the truth, at least for herself; but she had to find it first. And believing the best was a remarkably pleasant change from doing the opposite; she wasn't going to give up on the tactic yet.

Even if it led to a rather bleak corollary. "Dead monsters aren't much of a danger, after all." She meant it. "I'll be traveling with people well aware of the necessity.

Although -- and half of her couldn't believe the other half was thinking this -- were zombies alive? Though that wasn't what the one person willing to testify to their experience had described. So it would be enough.

[dualistic]

That was a morbid thought. Lana had already asked her friends (if they counted as friends -- he didn't know how close she'd gotten to people here) to kill her off if she changed? That couldn't have been an easy decision to make, and he doubted that he would have done the same in her shoes.

Honestly, he didn't know what he would have done. But chances were that one of the reasons he hadn't been picked for this little stunt was because he looked monstrous enough already. And it wasn't just skin-deep.

Harvey sighed and stared down at his food, forcing a few more bites before the intercom chimed on. "Well, I hope it doesn't come to that," he said finally as he stood from his seat. He gave Lana one last lingering look. "Good luck."