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

[forsworn]

Kratos breathed an inward sigh of relief as he watched Lloyd sit down - he and Lloyd were not on the best of terms, but at least the boy would still listen to him if asked properly - and then nodded as Ishida introduced his friend and classmate.

"Go ahead." Ishida was the more loquacious of the two of them, and frankly, Kratos had long since tired of giving newcomers the obligatory "welcoming" speech. It was almost mind-numbing to go over the particulars now, that they were trapped, powerless, and at the whims of a madman who on one hand cast them as insane and on the other subjected them to sufficient nighttime ordeals that they might as well all go insane.

Shortly after he'd agreed to Ishida's offer, though, out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ishida's friend - Inoue giving him...actually, he wasn't sure what she was doing, only that it was slightly unnerving and reminiscent of Raine's Ruin Mode (Oh. No.), and that it had only started after Lloyd had mentioned the twin worlds--speaking of which, of course, Lloyd had to continue on talking about things that, while not exactly top secret, Kratos had still been working incredibly hard to keep from public knowledge. Thankfully, though, Lloyd served to distract him, however momentarily, from Inoue's bobbing--nodding--whatever she was doing.

"I wonder why," he said mildly, raising an eyebrow. "Perhaps if I wasn't able to do as I wished, as in, perhaps I don't have access to that kind of power at the moment." He continued firmly focusing on the slight sense of frustration he felt, trying to let it build so that it could also overwhelm the ridiculous urge to just take Lloyd aside, abandon Ishida and his bizarre friend, and do something that would approximate to a confession. Control. He had to remain in control of himself and this situation, and maybe, just maybe he could come out relatively unscathed. "I'm sure you discovered that earlier, judging by--"

"Ishida-kun, don't you realize, you've befriended aliens!"

Never mind.

Kratos stiffened. The alien concept was not so foreign to him; he had even entertained that train of thought before. It was different, though, when someone directed so much attention to the fact in such a blatant manner, so much, in fact, that his unnerved feeling from earlier was swiftly evolving into full-blown discomfort.

He turned away from Lloyd to direct a flat, uncomprehending stare at Inoue. "...what?" That was about the best he could manage, giving the circumstances.

[redcladidealist]

Whatever Lloyd might have said to Kratos was derailed in a heartbeat by Inoue's remark. His head jerked up in startled confusion before he hesitated, sharing a look with Kratos. "...we're aliens?" He was completely oblivious to the way that, in that moment, he almost seemed to mirror the way that Kratos held his head, the slight widening of his eyes before his eyebrows pinched down just enough to furrow above the bridge of his nose.

Then he frowns and the moment is lost. "I'm not an alien. At least, I don't think." Unlike with Kratos, the concept wasn't one Lloyd was really familiar with. The idea of another world had been foreign to him when Sheena had first explained that she wasn't from Sylvarant. Even now, knowing that the elves had come from... somewhere else, it hadn't really occurred to him to pin a label of "alien" on anything that wasn't from his world. "I don't think Kratos is, either, unless being an angel counts."

Speaking of which...

He turned his frown back on the angel in question. "What do you mean, you can't use your power? Did something happen to your Exsphere?"

[repelling]

...Pop-star haircut?

His hand made a motion toward his hair, but he halted it before he could reach past his chin. Instead used it to wave off the offered napkin; he had his own and wouldn't use up one of hers. So he changes his hairstyle? That was less important than ascertaining just what Inoue-san had done to herself last night, but a last thought for the subject did pass: he hoped he got taller, too. That had to be a given, right? Even better if he was taller than Kurosaki...

It sounded as though Inoue-san had just slipped. She had an impressively hard skull. Still, he worried. A solid fall and impact on tile could crack the strongest bone - but, having already seen that she looked fine, only wrestled with a smile at the way she went on. Do you think we can sue? If only. Someday, he's resolved they'll have worse than that. It wasn't as difficult to resist the smile when her laughter sounded so off, when she said never mind and sat; his expression sobered as well. Once she sat, Uryuu followed, now taking and dabbing one of his napkins into his water glass.

"I've never heard of Tethe-alla or Sylvarant," he said, looking at Lloyd- no, Irving-san, then at Kratos-san, as he wiped at the stain on his shirt. He and Kratos-san had not exchanged much information about their worlds, not beyond the very minimum in regard to what they could do. "But, perhaps like that."

Irving-san looked to Kratos-san, his questions of strength and escape stalling Uryuu's explanation. Not that he could offer much in the way of sense, merely the observed and told. He looked down, as if dedicating his attention to the stain, while listening, a side-glance keeping their expressions in focus. Flying away, Irving-san said, and Uryuu remembered Kratos-san's shadow. Hadn't there been--

Inoue-san, on his periphery becoming more and more animated, even clutching at the table's edge, now burst into his thoughts with what may as well have been a stage whisper.

About aliens.

Uryuu startled, taken aback and blinking for it. "Er-"

The aliens at hand heard, of course, and Uryuu felt heat shooting up his neck as Kratos-san tensed and stared at Inoue-san, as Irving-san -- Uryuu blinked again, momentarily forgetting his fluster as his eyes moved from Kratos-san to Irving-san and found a striking similarity in their expressions. A similarity that went beyond a mirrored confusion. There was nothing definitive in it, and his attention jerked back to embarrassment when Irving-san denied his- er, his-

extraterrestiality.

"Of course not," he agreed weakly, looking between the not-aliens, and then to Inoue-san, waving his napkin at her. "Don't mind Inoue-san, she likes- I mean, technically, all of us are aliens if you really think about it, and- angel?"

His pounding head threatened to go on strike. Not that he paused; when Irving-san frowned back at Kratos-san, Uryuu turned to Inoue-san, wringing his napkin. Unfortunately, as it was paper, it tore in his hands.

"Inoue-san," he whispered, not all that quieter than her ill-volumed exclamation, "you can't just call people aliens! Besides-"

Too much to attend to, and his mind would not have him miss any of it. Despite his fluster, he kept an ear on what Irving-san said, and heard exsphere. Uryuu's focus shifted at that, his eyes seeking the hands of the other two. He had noticed it on Kratos-san's that night, and before, when Irving-san winced and his hands shook his tray, saw the same: an odd, spherical object that looked fused to the skin.

He'd wondered if it had anything to do with the man's abilities.

"Er- if I may," he interjected, setting the sad shreds of napkin back on the table in a neat pile.

"I believe Kratos-san had been about to observe" before Inoue-san's interruption, "that Irving-san looks as though he ran into some trouble last night. Of course, I know nothing of what you can do at your best, but I expect that your performance was notably subpar. Anyone with any ability beyond the norm finds it incredibly limited in the night, and-"

With a long look at Inoue-san, hoping to hold her eyes, and pointedly address one of the questions he felt sure troubled her.

"-completely absent during the day. There is no point asking the how, as no answer has been provided. Unless something of the like was revealed in the last two weeks."

[faeth]

It wasn't like she was new to the situation. People often stopped and stared (when she talked, when she drew, when she ate). But the fact of the matter was that regardless of how familiar Orihime was to the gawking, the matching expressions on both Kratos's and Lloyd's faces were more than a little disconcerting. But why? There was nothing stuck between her teeth -- she hadn't even eaten yet. Her hair was a mess, but if that had been a problem, then likely someone would've said something about it earlier.

Oh darn it, she concluded somewhat dismally, they've realized I'm onto them.

But no. That wasn't it. Or it was, but she had no one really to blame but herself. Because suddenly the aforementioned aliens were speaking to her, and Ishida-kun was turning so red, she was momentarily struck by the concern that steam would start hissing out of his ears. The fire alarm, thankfully, never went off. "I'm sor- I'm sorry! I-I, didn't mean it as an insult, aha I guess that was culturally, um galactically?- insensitive of me to say..." Orihime trailed off, half of it a whisper to Ishida-kun, and the latter part spoken more loudly for the other two members of their table to hear.

I really need to work on my indoor voice, she reflected, one plaintive sigh later.

The explanations continued on without another hitch once she'd opted to wait before speaking. Orihime begun to pick the breading apart from her breakfast sausages, arranging the crumbs into shapes on her tray. A rocket, an angel, and a pair of glasses all living happily in their sausage house. It was a shame. Had they been kidnapped under lighter circumstances, they might've had more time to share their stories.

Instead, it was one piece of bad news after another. Limits. Nighttime. She glanced up from her plate at Ishida-kun just in time to catch his glance and his intimation. No powers during the day. Which meant that the fact she couldn't feel anything, hear anything from her hairpins wasn't just a case of Ayame and Shun'o giving her the silent treatment. "Which means I can't heal your eye for you... Or Irving-san's injuries."

It was -- disappointing, to say the least. Nerve-wracking, too. Orihime wasn't afraid of the darkness, but understanding that the same intimidating nighttime had somehow been the cause of Irving-san's and Ishida-kun's injuries was just --

Her heart sank a little in her chest. At the realization she should've caught on from the very beginning. "I guessed that the guy with the bat had been an accident, but an accident wouldn't explain all of... that." She glanced at Lloyd, and then cast another pointed look at her classmate's arm and shoulder. After all, he had been handling his side gingerly since the moment he'd sprung up from his seat to greet her. "Unless all of the floors were wet at the time."

[forsworn]

[after an eternity--]

Kratos smiled thinly at Inoue, although it was clearly one of those smiles that people used only when they were trying to gradually change the subject. "It's fine. We were caught off-guard, that's all." Meanwhile, he debated whether attempting to knock Lloyd out was worth sedation. It was starting to look like an appealing decision; already, a part of him did not think it a poor choice at all to spend the rest of the day in a drug-induced stupor after this whole debacle. The part that still wanted to retain some shred of dignity, though, objected vehemently enough to win out, and in the end, Kratos settled for the next-best option: feigning temporary, selective deafness.

Thus, when Ishida seemed to be asking for clarification about what Lloyd had meant by 'being an angel' counting or not, Kratos pointedly ignored him, choosing instead to focus on Lloyd's question.

"Ishida is correct: my power has been dramatically reduced, but not because of any tampering with the Exsphere; I would be able to tell if that were the case." Namely, there would be some kind of physiological imbalance, since he'd worn the thing for so damn long, and so far, nothing had happened... "Rather, it has to do with a certain 'device' that Landel has in his possession; we were able to determine this when it was abruptly disabled one night." Unfortunately, that was about all he could say on the subject, but better to talk about this than his angelic nature.

Or he could just change the subject again; that seemed to be working splendidly. It was Kratos's turn to fix Lloyd with a frown as he attempted to divert attention. "I digress. When did you even get here? Last night?" And what was the last thing he remembered? That question would have to be saved for later, though; he was sure that Lloyd's answer would be chock-full of more things that were better left unsaid. "How did you even manage to acquire all of" - he motioned toward Lloyd's arm - "this?"

[redcladidealist]

Lloyd might have explained his comment to Ishida, but everyone was talking and the subject was shifting away from it. It was easy to lose track of what he'd said and take for granted that people knew what he meant, especially with much more important things to focus on instead.

Like this limit on their powers.

"I got in a fight with a monster last night," he explained, and because Ishida had commented on it, too, the words didn't come out quite as grudgingly as they could have. "I got here yesterday, I think around lunch - or at least that's when I woke up. But I thought it was something Yuan did to me - this guy from my world," he added for Ishida's and Inoue's benefit. "When I tried to break out with a couple people I met, the technique I used on the door drained all my mana. I didn't have any left when the monster attacked, and I didn't have my swords, just a knife." He let out a frustrated breath. He didn't think he needed to finish the story. It was easy enough just looking at him to figure out what happened next.

Instead, he looked at Inoue and shook his head. "It's all right," he tried to reassure her. "It's not as bad as it looks." Which might have been a little white lie, since his injuries were bandaged up, but she didn't need to feel bad for something that wasn't her fault. "I just need to eat and rest and heal up a bit. I'll be okay in no time." Then, as an afterthought, he tilted his head. "And my name's Lloyd. Irving's the name of my family."

That said, he zeroed his attention back on Kratos, narrowing his eyes at something he'd said. "So this thing Landel has. We just have to get our hands on it and destroy it, right?" That sounded simple enough, and more than right up his alley. He didn't know that much about technology, but he was good at busting it up. "Any idea where it is?"

[repelling]

Though curious, had an explanation actually been offered, Uryuu might have refused it. He had more echoed than asked angel?, the surprise of the unexpected term -- ascribed to Kratos-san no less -- putting a sudden stop to his alien babble. Thus, he barely noticed that nothing further followed on that topic, as he wasn't seeking it.

What he did notice: Inoue-san's fingers moving on her plate, and he bit back a comment; it wasn't his place to tell her not to play with her food. He thought he recognized glasses in the shapes, and tried not to let that distract him. That Inoue-san would fidget so, rather than eat, said a fair amount about her mental status.

"My eye's fine," he assured her, "and Inoue-san might be able to help Irving-san tonight. Unfortunately, wet floors had nothing to do with the rest of my injuries--or his, I'm sure."

And Irving-san confirmed it, outright saying: monster. Uryuu watched Inoue-san, not even bothering to keep his gaze limited to the corners of his eyes. It shouldn't be too difficult for her to swallow. Imagination aside, even without the yet-to-be-defined time that had aged her, she'd been steeped in Hollows and the rest of that chaotic world for months. Feasbility, however, did not guarantee an easy or happy acceptance.

Kratos-san elaborated on his own condition; Uryuu listened to more talk of Exspheres and shifted, his eyes narrowing with interest, at the mention of a device used by Landel. It was something that could have been assumed beore, as there was obviously something behind their depleted powers. Yet, there had been a night when it was disabled, thus confirming its existence? If so, how had the entire institute not fallen? Not having heard of this before, he assumed it occured in the last two weeks.

The man (or angel?) changed the topic before he could inquire further, and here Uryuu noticed another thing: the odd discrepancy returned. That sense of uneven ground between Irving-san and Kratos-san. Uryuu wondered if Irving-san noticed. For all that he clearly knew more of Kratos-san's background, for all that he was familiar with his abilities and power, did he also know his personality? Perhaps he knew, yet was too dense to analyze. The puzzle was this: though Irving-san had charged over in a furious fit, though (after his queer disturbance) Kratos-san first reacted with cold condescension, he now asked after Irving-san. There were plenty of other subjects to focus on if limiting devices and angels were unpalatable.

Yet-- Kratos-san asked. When, how. Still relatively cold, yet that the questions came at all evinced interest. To make a larger leap: he might even care. Perhaps Uryuu would not have made such a leap if not for that night. Caught up in his own shadow and disinclined to eavesdrop, he could little help that he had overheard fragments despite. This Lloyd was important enough to have merited mention, whatever the significance.

Uryuu looked between them, his expression impassive. It wasn't his business. Yuan, he noted, and wondered how it took Irving-san so long to realize it had not been that guy's machinations.

"If it is as bad as it looks, Irving-san," he said dryly, and persisting with his family name, "then there's no need to put on a show for Inoue-san." Never mind that he had already done precisely that, and was ignoring her look at his own shoulder. Not to promise her time or energy, but-- "Her ability's incredible. Whatever her limits, Inoue-san will probably be able to help."

Irving-san refocused on Kratos-san, and his questions weren't bad, if too simple. That should obviously be a focus, yet as obvious must be this: that many others have had the same thought, and tried, and thus the question: what stopped them? He let Kratos-san handle that, deprived for the moment of explaining the basics. He considered, for a moment, beginning to tell Inoue-san and choosing to believe that Irving-san had picked up something since lunch yesterday, but given the way he approached their table this morning, it seemed unlikely.

Still. Keeping an ear and a fragment of his attention on Kratos-san, he turned to Inoue-san.

"I don't think I've ever seen Inoue-san eat so little." With a tentative smile. So much for his place.


[ ooc: FLIPS TABLES GIVES UP ON EVER BEING SHORT AHHHH SORRY ]

[faeth]

There was no room for doubt, to dream that it was all just a dream after all. An angel, an alien, and the student council president were all sitting at a dining table together in the middle of an asylum. If it was a very elaborate joke, then she'd yet to see the punchline, or she missed it and she should've laughed at the very beginning when they offered live pigs wrapped in blankets for breakfast and piled sausages onto their plates instead. Maybe she should've been laughing now -- about the wingless angel, about the fact Ishida-kun smelled awfully tropical, about the monsters Lloyd encountered last night like haha, oh yes we have a lot of those back home, too, who'd have thought.

"Ah," she replied somewhat lamely instead, and resisted the urge to make a fuss when she was dismissed by both Ishida-kun and Lloyd (-san, because even if he was from an alien planet, it didn't feel quite right for her to remove the suffix). And maybe she didn't understand what was so difficult to understand, that she'd seen worse and that she understood and was concerned after their health regardless. It was getting to be a trend, she noticed -- back home and not long ago, too, Ishida-kun had refused her offer to heal him, and she wondered if it was really so concerning that others would concern her.

Despite her wandering train of thought, Orihime had no trouble following the conversation, keeping in mind the important details. The alien gadgetry-- um, Exspheres were of noted interest; Landel's machine, too (Landel -- such a harmless name for a dangerous place); there were monsters and power restrictions and it was all a very serious matter. And although she'd been through worse, been through purgatory and back, she was still the girl who had once wished for normal if it meant that all of her friends would stay out of harm's way.

Orihime closed her eyes, brows furrowing as she accepted, and that was the end of that. Ishida-kun commented on her abilities, and she lifted her face, eyes widening.

"Oh, I'm really not-" She started, even if it was a half-hearted attempt to humble herself. After all, ever since she'd been told about the fact, Orihime had already settled on the fact that, once night fell, whatever limits Landel had placed on her powers would not prevent her from healing Lloyd-san's and Ishida-kun's injuries, both.

So, instead of lying, she settled on the next best thing: "Ishida-kun," she said, with absolute severity if not for the way her eyes seemed to crinkle at the edges with a hidden smile. "If you're not going to practice what you preach, I'm not going to give you my fruit cup."

Which then begged the question of why she wasn't eating very much of anything, either.

"... I guess I'm not really hungry," she admitted, abruptly dropping the piece of breading that she was currently worrying between her fingers. And though it was not entirely true, the smell of syrup was a sickening kind of sweet when it mixed with the persistent bandaid smell that stuck to the air -- a constant reminder of where they were. She tried though, popping one of the hotdogs into her mouth, holding her breath as she swallowed and somehow managing not to choke.

"Ishida-kun," she began, firm-toned despite herself, "why do you know so much?" And how, and when did you arrive, and why did you style your hair differently, and--

She never voiced the multitude of questions at once -- how could she? -- but condensed in her worried expression was the most troublesome question of all.

Did the aliens do something to you?

[forsworn]

Amusingly enough, Kratos was totally unaware of the disconnect, the bizarre way in which his conversation with Lloyd was carrying out. That strange amalgamation of coldness and warmth was just how things were, the result of their tumultuous relationship that would otherwise be cordial were it not rife with betrayal--that part was entirely his fault, though.

It was also the result of denial. Even though he had accepted that Lloyd was his son, he was trying very hard to act as if that was not the case. Unfortunately, the relation that he had long since accepted still leaked unknowingly into his behavior, and tinged everything he said and did around Lloyd with a note of buried affection.

If he were thinking coherently, Kratos might have noticed and corrected what was otherwise a very noticeable flaw in his facade, but alas: thinking coherently and Lloyd were rarely compatible.

"Easier said than done," he said with just a hint of exasperation. "Do you think no one has ever considered and attempted doing that before? Besides, an impenetrable barrier surrounds the entire building; even if everyone in the building were to regain their former abilities, they would still be trapped within the grounds of the institute."

He sincerely hoped that Lloyd would listen to what he was intending to be reason and not a bout of cynicism. It was bad enough that the boy had run into nasty trouble the night before; better for him to actually take a step back and comprehend the situation he was in before plunging headfirst into accomplishing whatever goal he'd set his mind to--which would be totally uncharacteristic of Lloyd and probably required more maturity than he possessed at the moment. But, he could dream.

...that sounded stupid even as he thought of it.

Kratos allowed himself to focus on things other than Lloyd as Ishida attempted to convince his son (and still used his family name, he noticed) that he could trouble Inoue to heal him. He noted the boast about her power, and briefly recalled another girl present with incredible healing ability. That seemed to be a thing here, but he could hardly object to it. Healers were rarities and desperately needed.

In turn, Inoue scolded Ishida about not taking his own advice, and that gave him the opportunity to really, actually look at Ishida's face and see the spectacular black eye he was sporting. He had seen it earlier, when they'd first (re)met, but it had only registered fleetingly; he had in fact meant to comment on it, but a louder, more pressing matter had presented itself at that moment and completely devoured all of his attention. Now that he could appreciate the severity, it also begged the question of just what had happened to Ishida as well--gotten on the bad side of something, clearly, but how exactly...well, Inoue had already asked, to some effect, and it wasn't as if the answer was pressing. He could always ask at a later date, when they both weren't otherwise occupied with the arrival of old acquaintances.

[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 ]

[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."