damned_institute | Day 66: Breakfast

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He'd assumed the nurse was taking him to a doctor, but she was just escorting him to the cafeteria, as it turned out. Ryusei had just turned to ask her about that, but something about the room bothered him for some reason, and when he'd finished looking uneasily around the room, the nurse had left.

Okay, he'd ask someone else. Ryusei stuffed his hands into his pockets, and it was at that moment his stomach decided to complain at him, so he grudgingly got on the food line.

He figured it out when he sat down. There had been a ceiling window in the room previous, but this room didn't have any windows at all. Who was the genius who designed this place? Were they just cheap? he thought, derisively looking around at the walls again.

It was in the midst of this glance that he spotted someone nearby. Should he go for it? He hesitated a moment, then got up. "Excuse me?" he said tentatively as he approached. "Is this seat taken?"

Scar glanced up at the unfamiliar man who had just spoken to him. He wasn't particularly in the mood for speaking with anyone, but the Ishbalan had never seen this other patient before. That meant that he could very well be new.

In which case, he had some explaining to do.

"No, it is not." Scar took a bite of his breakfast, his demeanor stony but not entirely closed off. "Have you only arrived recently?" He spent most of the time eyeing his breakfast, occasionally glancing up at the other patient. The Scarred Man's social skills were far from stellar.

"Thanks..." Ryusei answered after a moment's hesitation. He slid into the seat a bit too earnestly, but that was deliberate. He wanted to portray himself as harmless to this scary-looking man but not so much as to be an easy target. 'I'm only a teenager but I'm not going to be obnoxious or overly ingratiating,' as it were.

An inquiry about the doctors' schedules was on his tongue, but Ryusei thought better of it when the other man got his question in first. Was it obvious that Ryusei had only just arrived? ... How did people act in a place like this, anyway? There was his first blunder; he should have observed the situation better. Too hasty, he admonished himself. It wouldn't matter much in the long run; if he refuted everything the doctor (whoever he or she was) claimed Ryusei had said, he'd likely be able to get out quickly. But it bothered Ryusei that he couldn't remember being admitted or what, in fact, he had said that had landed him here.

"—Can you tell?" he answered with a smile that came out uneasy despite his attempt to control it. "What gave me away?"

Scar only shrugged.

"I have never seen you before." And the boy had the disoriented look about him. Although Scar was never one to intentionally reach out to others, if a kid sat across from him, he wasn't going to ignore. It was sick, all the young people that showed up here. That was what bothered him the most about this hell, really.

"The nurses tell you lies. Do not listen to them, but do not retaliate against them. They are more powerful than any one of us. When night falls... there are monsters in the halls."

That was it, in a nutshell. Scar waited for the inevitable further questions.

Did people keep track of others here? That didn't bode well. In that case, Ryusei didn't know how to combat it, short of insisting he really had been here a while and they just hadn't noticed, which he was hesitant to do because who knew what sort of things long-time residents here would know.

For instance, Ryusei wouldn't know if the lying nurses thing was something generally accepted by the patient body or if it was something particular to this one guy. Ryusei should have expected it, though. Well, this conversation's a bust. He quickly looked down so his face didn't betray him, and stuffed some food into his mouth so it didn't look like he was deliberating over how to respond.

When he looked up, the uncertain smile was back. "Is that so...?" Would asking what kind of monsters provoke the guy? Ryusei didn't want to chance it, so he changed the subject. "Thank you for telling me. Uh, about these uniforms...."

Scar frowned, watching the boy almost curiously for a moment. Despite his slightly confused air, he hardly seemed to be reacting to the situation at all. Scar had just mentioned monsters roaming the halls and he'd just changed the subject like it was nothing.

It was honestly making Scar slightly suspicious.

"The clothing is ridiculous, yes. Some have mentioned finding their own clothes in their closets. If that happens, you can wear them at night." He took another bite of his breakfast. It was surprisingly good.

'Ridiculous,' yes. The smiley-face just seemed so artificial that Ryusei had a hard time imagining anyone could interpret it as anything but sarcastic. Maybe it's just me? It did make him a little uncomfortable to be wearing it, but he'd seen similar shirts worn casually by others. But if the staff here was going to return their clothes, why would they be restricted to being worn at night?

"That's weird. Is it a tradition?" Oh, another thing. "Does that mean you didn't find yours?"

No, that was weird, too. But everything so far had been weird. Windows-weird, even. Oh, he should ask about that, too. The scary man didn't seem to be getting annoyed.

"This whole place is strange, and I have yet to speak with someone who understands the logic behind their actions. We do not even know why we have been taken here, yet." Or how they got their unsettling about of power...

"And no, I have not found my own clothing, yet." Scar didn't particularly care, either way.

It was pretty obvious why they were here, though.... The nurse had explained it when Ryusei had woken up, even if she hadn't been very specific about it. After a moment's hesitation, Ryusei decided to voice it. "How long have you been here, Mr....?"

Maybe the guy was new, too; Ryusei had no way of knowing. Alternatively, he'd been here so long he'd forgotten, which explained why he would know a newcomer just by looking. Ryusei couldn't bank on the latter option, though, and even if the hospital wasn't dangerous in the sense that a prison was dangerous (Ryusei assumed), he still didn't want to be attracting unwanted attention. He just wanted to straighten out this mistake and get out as soon as possible, but, frustratingly, he didn't know how much time it would take—that had been one of things the nurse hadn't told him. So he had to ask. "And how long do people usually stay here...?"

"From what I have been told by others, no one has escaped. This is my sixth day here." It felt like longer, though. The days dragged on and the nights flew by in a dangerous rush. "People die. Others vanish. As far as I know those are the only ways of leaving." There was no point in sugar-coating the situation. (Scar never did, anyway.)

..."You may call me Scar."

Day 66: Breakfast

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject