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

[dualistic]

That whole experience had been miserable, to say the least, and made no better by the fact that Harvey hadn't been able to talk through it. Seeing how it had all been based around having to convince each other to hand that damn heart over, giving up his voice had honestly been the worst possible choice.

Well, there wasn't much to do about it now. They'd succeeded in the end, and now he had his voice back and was no longer damp, all which were good things.

Except that he was still in this same bed in this same room, which was obviously not as good, but Harvey had to look at life a little differently since arriving here. In other words, ignoring the obviously terrible parts of his situation to focus on the small amounts of progress he actually did make. It was surprisingly optimistic, but he was able to fix that with his usual amount of cynicism.

"Just testing this out," he said aloud, because even though he was in a room occupied only by himself and someone who was sleeping, he needed to be sure that his voice was back in place. Nothing seemed off, and it was good to know that the skeleton wouldn't be running around sounding like him anymore. Harvey dragged his hand down his throat before he faced the door, waiting for his nurse to step in.

Once she arrived, it was a quick walk to the cafeteria, but Harvey quickly realized that pigs in blankets wasn't something he was likely to be able to eat easily. For that reason, he instead got a bowl of fruit before he took a seat toward the edge of the room. He could have left a bulletin message for Scott and Sangamon, but he was pretty sure they all knew what they were doing tonight. Where would the rabbit hole take them next? Did he even want to know?

[For Lana.]

[lighthearted]

Sora was dreaming -- or that was how it felt, at least. On the other hand, it was all too real to be a dream, wasn't it? Sometimes it was so hard to tell the difference, but dream or not, he was caught in complete darkness. And it wasn't just around him, but in him -- coming out of his eyes, clawing out through his mouth and making him choke. And while he tried to run, he didn't have the energy. Instead, he tripped, and fell, and before long he was just floating into what felt like an abyss.

Except eventually, a light showed itself, far above him, and he went grasping for it, pushing himself upward like he was caught underwater and working frantically to reach the surface before he ran out of air--

And then, he was awake.

Sora was so startled that he'd fumbled his way out of bed before his brain had really woken up. Breathing hard, he found that his hand was pressed tight against his chest, over his heart. He gave a panicked glance around the room, but only saw Link sleeping there. But somehow, that triggered his memory, and suddenly he remembered it all. Link taking off, the start of his transformation, and then running into Tsurugi...

If he'd been lucky, it would have ended there. He wouldn't have had any recollection of what came after that. But unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky, and he recalled almost every detail: his descent into darkness, the people he'd attacked (friends and strangers alike), and that undeniable need for those hearts. It was frightening, and he felt his own heart beat under his palm. How could he have done those things? No, more than that, how could he have turned into one of the things that he'd dedicated the past few years to fighting?

Sora found himself taking steps backward until he hit the edge of his bed, at which point he pushed himself up to sit on it, completely shellshocked. "Everyone... I hurt everyone." His voice sounded the same as always, but it was if something in him had changed. He was still the same person, but he had never done anything like that to a friend before. Even when he'd changed into the Anti-Form during battles in the past, he'd only ever targeted other Heartless. He'd never turned on Donald and Goofy, so why this time? What had Landel done to him?

That man had to be stopped, but Sora realized that he had to be stopped first. There was no way he was allowing himself to attack anyone else, and he knew that when darkness fell again he would turn. Which meant that he needed to get this taken care of before that could happen. Someone would need to stop him, even if it meant the unthinkable. He'd rather die than hurt his friends, and he knew that.

But first he would have to admit to what had happened and apologize. It didn't matter that while he was in his right mind, he would never even comprehend of doing such a thing. There was still blood on his hands, and the only upside in this whole mess was that he hadn't actually killed anyone. Sora didn't know what he would have done with himself if that had happened, and he didn't really want to think about it.

For once, he made no effort to be cheerful or kind around his nurse, instead walking in silence a few steps behind her until they reached the bulletin. It took a long time for him to find the words to explain what had happened, but eventually Sora drafted up a note. He didn't care that he was exposing himself to the whole institute. They all deserved to know.

It was only on the way into the cafeteria that he realized that he still felt sick. The symptoms didn't seem as bad as they had yesterday, and Sora honestly didn't know what to make of that. But it was clear that whatever was wrong with him, it wasn't over yet. With no appetite (not after he'd spent the whole night feeling a very different kind of hunger), Sora went to sit down, positioning himself near the entrance in case anyone wanted to confront him about last night. He'd take all their anger without complaint -- but the thing was, he wasn't sure they'd even be angry. That was the thing about friends -- they were just too good to him, and right now it didn't feel like he deserved it.

[For Tsurugi.]

[knightspirit]

Night cut out, and Kyousuke once again found himself in bed. It had happened a few times already, but he still wasn't used to it, and nearly jolted upright, except that the sudden stab of pain in the motion caused him slump right back into the pillow. Right... This place, and he was injured, he remembered. He sat up more cautiously this time, and pulled up the shirt that wasn't supposed to be there to see how bad it was. But there was nothing to see, since it had been bandaged up properly now. The parts of his chest not covered in gauze were bruised and swollen, but while it still hurt just to get a breath in, it didn't seem quite as bad as it had during the night. He wondered if whoever had cleaned him up had given him something for the pain, too.

The nurse arrived to collect him while he was still staring down at his wound, and assured him that it was only a cracked rib and he'd be fine if it took it easy. She offered him some ice to place on his chest and began to escort him out. Privately, he wondered if he shouldn't be resting to heal faster, but she didn't seem to be giving him a choice, and he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to protest. The monsters, that clue... He did ask to see the bulletin on the way, but unfortunately, the board was still blank. He stared at it for a moment, debating if he should say anything, but ended up shaking his head and leaving it. He'd just have to check back later.

Once in the cafeteria, he had to frown down at his tray as he got his food. With everything happening, he wasn't hungry at all, but he knew he had to eat something so he'd have the strength to recover. He turned to glance over the room, to find a place to eat in silence, but then he caught sight of spiked brown hair. Was that....?

Before he knew it, his tray had slipped out his grip, and he was making his way across the room. He could hear staff yelling at him behind him, but he completely ignored them and settled into the seat across from Sora.

From here, he paused for a moment, struggling to find something to say. 'Are you okay?' would be completely stupid; of course he wasn't okay. 'What happened?' was ... better, but probably too loaded right now.

"... You're still here," he settled on eventually. That was obvious, but he was still having trouble comprehending it.

[complicatedliar]

It had been a stressful night, but Loki had high hopes for it, particularly for the results with Soma. He could only wait to see how she seemed to be doing, though. Would she have been appropriately patched up by the staff after they'd all been rendered unconscious? Would the staff have done so without implanting another of those devices in her?

Patience should not have seemed so difficult, he scolded himself.

Better to think of the other part of his night. That had been exceedingly pleasant.

Almost bemused, he allowed the nurse to herd him to the cafeteria, and acquired a bowl of fruit. The main course didn't seem all that appealing. He seated himself where he could keep an eye out for Soma.

[Flora.]

[freewill]

When Castiel woke up, pain was the only thing that he was truly aware of. The actual surgery had been bad enough, and his hope was that the aftermath wouldn't be as grueling, but he couldn't say that was the case.

Feverish and covered in sweat despite the fact that he'd been sleeping, for a while after waking all Castiel could do was stare at the ceiling. But even though the slightest movement sent another shock of pain through his middle, he had to focus on the fact that he was still here, breathing. Not that he'd thought himself capable of dying from blood loss or any other physical complication (weak as he was, that still seemed impossible), but there was still a small amount of shock at realizing that it was morning and he was still here.

The only true movement he could make was to lift up his arm, the one with the rash, and it was clear just from a glance that the redness was starting to fade. He let his arm fall back to his side and let out a pained, but relieved breath. It had worked. Reckless though it had been, he hadn't wasted the time of those three people whose help he'd enlisted.

Remaining in the room to recover would have been the logical thing to do, but Castiel didn't like the idea of bedrest, and apparently neither did his nurse, seeing how she showed up soon after with a wheelchair. And he thought his dignity couldn't be dragged down any further. Still, he knew it was necessary, as the thought of standing on his own sounded like suicide at the moment.

Speaking of suicide, that was exactly what his nurse cited as the reason for his wound. Or rather, an attempt at suicide. In a way, that's exactly what it was, as he'd asked for Kratos to cut him open -- but dying had never been part of the plan.

With the help of orderlies, he was pulled up out of bed and moved into the wheelchair, and even that small amount of movement made the pain worse. The nurse noticed from the way he was tensing and the sweat that continued to dot at his forehead, and offered him a cup of water and some pain pills.

In this instance, there was no way he could refuse, and so Castiel swallowed them down as ordered.

But as the wheelchair was pushed down the halls toward the cafeteria, he realized that he was feeling worse as time went on. Now he could tell that he was nauseous, a sensation that was relatively new to him and yet familiar. It felt worse than it had in past days, and when he told the nurse, she offered him a basin in case he had to vomit.

While it was encouraged for him to eat at least a small amount of food, the idea seemed impossible to him, and so eventually the nurse gave up and situated his wheelchair at an empty table. Castiel was exhausted just from that small trip, and the idea of speaking with anyone was an effort all its own.

He needed to let the rest of the institute know that it was possible to undo the sickness through surgical means under the right conditions, but right now he could barely see straight, so it was clearly going to have to wait. Maybe he could get someone to put the note up for him, but even that would require a conversation.

But as horrible as he felt, he knew that eventually he would heal, and the pain and symptoms would pass. And then he could be properly cured, and he would maintain his sense of self. That was what mattered most, and that was what he tried to focus on, sick as he felt.

[Free!]

[his_legacy]

The night's end had come quickly and without a word from the Boss. Link's eyes snapped open, immediately turning to the empty bed beside him. His heart sank, the empty sheets a stark reminder of his failure. If he had only been fast enough, or strong enough...

It was with a lackluster attitude (and slightly droopy ears) that he heeded the words of his nurse, shuffling into the cafeteria.

But- there was Sora! Great goddesses, he was okay!! The weariness eased from his face and was quickly replaced by a smile of relief. He was talking to a boy Link didn't recognize, and the Hylian decided to give him some space. He could speak with him at dinner, offer his owed apology then. The guilt still weighed on Link's shoulders, but at least Sora was okay.

He sat down with the strange food they had been served, alone but alright. He wanted to think. If they were going to beat this place, they would need a map. Depending on what happened with the sick patients tonight, Link could spend his time drawing one. There was some paper in his room, from what he could remember.

[For Flynn!]

[madeinthehrl]

As much as the anesthetic had taken the edge off of last night's surgery, Soma had still been in considerable pain when she'd finally manage to drift off, Lingormr still at her side. It was the pain that woke her, too, though it had thankfully receded somewhat.

But her head was clear for the first time in days, and as far as she could tell, her fever was gone. The soreness in her muscles seemed to have relocated itself almost entirely to her abdominal region, but that was only to be expected after what had happened. Hesitantly, she raised her arm, and she couldn't help but exhale slowly when she saw the rash had faded significantly.

It worked, she thought, and it was stupid, but the sudden wave of relief, magnified in part by Marie's own emotions, brought tears to her eyes. It was a moment before she could swallow the lump in her throat and wipe her face with her sheet.

Sitting up immediately seemed like a bad idea. Instead she had to wait until her nurse arrived, and not even her explanation for what had happened (some kind of suicide attempt? Really?) could dampen the joy she felt. Maybe it was a little early to consider herself out of the woods, but she couldn't really bring herself to care. Instead she kept quiet as the nurse assisted her into a wheelchair and escorted her to the cafeteria.

Lingormr's face was the first she looked for as she entered. The cafeteria was still mostly empty, and he was easy to find. Still, when she told her nurse she'd like to sit with him, all she got in response was a frown and a faint shake of her head. She'd been spending too much time with Lawrence, the nurse said as she filled Soma's tray with fruit and water. Evidently they thought he'd had something to do with her so-called suicide attempt, as if he'd encouraged her to do it or something equally stupid.

Soma could see trying to argue the point would have been a waste of breath, and even breathing held a certain kind of ache to it. She didn't quite feel up to calling across the room to him, but she managed a wave and a wan smile as the nurse wheeled her past.

Left at an empty table with her breakfast and an admonishment to make more friends, she stuck her fork in a chunk of cantaloupe and frowned slightly. She might be feeling better, but her appetite hadn't entirely returned yet.

[for Nina!]

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar awoke in something of a fog. Last night had been the first real chance he'd taken for some sleep, but it clearly had not helped clear his aching head. He was disappointed to find that his stomach was still bothering him so, and that the rash had not yet begun to recede.

But at least he was still himself. He had made it one more day.

The Ishbalan sat up, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his palms. Too many thoughts were swirling around his head. The confusions he had thought he had cast aside in Lior were once again becoming prominent and impossible to push aside as he did with everything else.

The shock of his brother's revival had yet to fade. Had it truly been only 6 days? How was that even possible...

Shaking his foggy head, Scar shuffled into the cafeteria. The wounds in his legs still ached slightly as he moved, but were improving at an alarming rate. His back was another story, but it had not been subjected to Rapunzel's magic. (There really wasn't anything else he could think to call it.) He was one of few patients already in the cafeteria. Scar recognized all of them, shooting Lingormr a glare that was reserved just for him before getting food and taking a seat.

What a strange breakfast.

[Free as he could be in such a lovely hospital~]

[lighthearted]

The clattering of a tray caught Sora's attention, but not for very long. It was the sort of thing that usually happened at least once every time the patients gathered in here for a meal, either because someone was picking a fight or out of shock at seeing an unexpected friend. So he didn't pay it much notice, until --

Until Tsurugi sat down right in front of him.

Sora's eyes widened as he looked from the boy he'd attacked just the night before over to a mess about twenty feet away, where his tray had been dropped. He'd been that shocked to see him? Well, that wasn't much of a surprise...

He didn't know what to say, but he wasn't going to let the conversation die before it even started, either. The fact that Tsurugi was so surprised made it clear that he hadn't seen his bulletin message, which meant Sora was going to have to try and come up with those words again. Maybe it would be easier in person.

"Yeah, somehow..." He let out a breath and looked Tsurugi straight in the eye, well aware that he couldn't hide from this. "I'm so sorry, Tsurugi. You never should have gotten involved in any of that. You were just trying to help, and then I..." His chest tightened and he was forced to stare down at the table. "Are you feeling okay? Did they stitch you up?" He didn't know how bad the wounds had been, with how fast it had all happened, but he hoped they weren't too painful for Tsurugi.

[knightspirit]

As Sora spoke, Kyousuke was just... stunned. Was he honestly blaming himself for what happened? ... Unbelievable. It made him angry just listening to it. Someone had to be, if Sora wouldn't, even though he wanted it to be him. He wanted to him to be mad at what had been done to him, not moping around in guilt he shouldn't have. Kyousuke was overcome with the urge to cut the apology off completely, and the only reason he didn't was because Sora seemed to think it needed to be said.

... Still. Kyousuke listened, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Sorry for what?" he said pointedly, fixing the other boy with a stare. They did this, not Sora. He didn't ask to be turned into a monster, and there was no way to face something like this alone. "And just so you know, I'm not. I did that because I wanted to, not because I got dragged into it." ... And he'd do it again, if he had to.

But he did soften a little, when asked about his wounds, easing up on the hands he hadn't noticed tightening the whole time he spoke. "... It's fine. It's bandaged, and they gave me some ice for it. It'll heal eventually."

[ninelivesonce]

Last night hadn't gone anywhere remotely according to plan. The plan had been, quite possibly, not even in the same system. How had she missed Goku getting sick until it was too late? And then dragged him on a mission that had turned up nothing.

This was why one didn't rely on kids for soldiers. Not because they couldn't be trusted, or because they weren't fanatically loyal, but because the worry got into everything. Taura hadn't had many chances to be older.

And she wasn't going to get any more if she didn't find out what had happened to the boy. She grabbed a plate of food, not even paying attention to what was being piled on there, and after a quick look around, took a position at the edge of the cafeteria, where she could see everyone coming in.

[Goku]

[fourstonewalls]

Night ended in a whirl of static and exhaustion; when the intercom came on, Lana jerked upright. Had she passed out on her companions? Or had the night just cut off mid-stride, without so much as a jibe to haunt her dreams.

She felt a little better, though; not well, but at least a little more rested. A few aspirin and a cup of coffee and she might even be able to fake normal. Possibly to herself, as well. Well, if it weren't for the rash still spreading over her left wrist. She stood up, and the world swam for a minute. Hmmm. Maybe not. Breakfast still sounded like it wasn't the worst idea she'd ever had, though, so she brushed out her hair and let herself be led down to the cafeteria. A stern expression and well-honed patience got her some blankets sans pigs, plus a bowl of fruit. She turned back to the cafeteria, looked around, and spotted Dent.

"You look well," she said, as she took the seat opposite.

I'M SORRY THIS IS LONG AND HORRIBLE

[showmeyourwreath]

"Lee! Lloyd!" Flora's eyes snapped open to meet the daylight. She started, a pain shooting through her arm. She looked down at it, and blinked at the bandages. That wasn't--well, it was apparently possible, but it was just night a moment ago--she'd been fighting a moment ago! She hadn't been knocked out! Were they okay? What happened? These shifts were incredibly off-putting, and she didn't know she got back here, but the important thing was that if her wounds were suddenly taken care of, maybe the same could be said of Lloyd and Lee. She'd couldn't say either way, and would feel better about it when she saw it or knew it for herself, but she had to believe in it. Her hands laced themselves on top of the blankets. They had to be okay.

She got up out of bed, when someone, a nurse, she supposed, walked in with a smile that did nothing to soothe her worries for all that it was incredibly bright. Almost too much for even her liking, but denying someone their cheer just seemed really mean-spirited. “Good morning, Valencia! And how are you, today? I hope that you slept well.”


Flora tilted her head. Valencia? It was a very lovely name but it most certainly wasn't hers. She suddenly found herself thinking about the incident in first year, though this case of mistaken identity probably wouldn't turn out as well. She gestured to her chest with her good arm. “I'm sorry, madam, but my name is Flora. I think you have me mistaken with someone else.”

The nurse looked at her with such pity, Flora wondered if she should begin to feel sorry for herself, without even knowing why. "No, I'm afraid I do not, but we'll help you remember that here, my dear. Come along, now! Wouldn't want you to miss breakfast on your first day." She was immediately all smiles again at a speed that left the fairy blinking, but she got up to follow her out. The nurses couldn't have been on this, could they have?

The scene in the cafeteria was incredibly surprising, to say the least. This was all unfamiliar to her, she'd never been in a place like this before, but there was a calm sense of order here that you could find just about anywhere. People knew and understood where they were supposed to go, what they were supposed to do...it was all part of the day-to-day.

It all looked so...normal.

Seeing it did nothing to comfort her, though, it just made it worse. Her good arm drifted to her bandaged wound. She knew what had happened to her, and to Lee and Lloyd. This was all pretty convincing, but it was still a lie.

"Winx Believix." She muttered to herself.

"Did you say something, Valencia?"

Hmm? Oh, right, her fake name. "Oh no, nothing!" She tried not to sigh. Nothing, indeed. Her magic was limited she knew that much, but some of her spells worked last night. Transforming did, even if it didn't last long at all. It's a good thing she found that out sooner than later. The thought of her being so high up only to suddenly lose her wings and fall, all without knowing if she could or couldn't stop it or protect herself. It made her blood run cold, and she shuddered "Just looking forward to breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day, after all." She tried to smile, and wasn't sure that she'd be able to eat a thing. She lined up and quickly got something anyway. She'd need her strength.

"That's the spirit! Here, why don't you sit with Lawrence there and keep him company."

Not having much choice in the matter it seemed, and seeing no point in fighting it, Flora carefully sat down with her tray and took a breath and the nurse turned to leave. Her posture was perfect, but she paid it no mind; she had more important things on it. Do you know where my friends are? Can you help me find them? What is going on here? All things she wanted to ask her new tablemate, but instead she said, "I'm sorry about this, I didn't mean to intrude. Good morning." and smiled apologetically, trying not to look so despondent. Yes, of course she had her questions, but she didn't know the man and unloading all of that at once seemed pretty rude and inconsiderate! She didn't want to be either at all, ever.

[dualistic]

Lana had managed to get some plain pancakes, but Harvey hadn't really felt like arguing with the lunch lady this early in the morning.

Still, when she sat down, he realized he was relieved to see her. Not that he had been looking out for her, but it was good to be reminded that not everyone who showed up here ended up disappearing without a trace. On the other hand, there was a large chance that Lana's time (and his own, for that matter) just hadn't come yet. There was that trademark cynicism showing itself again.

Her comment almost seemed pointed, since Harvey could see the weariness on Lana's own face. He hadn't forgotten the way she'd been coughing on that night when the buses had been overrun.

"You, not so much," he said in response. "Are you infected?" He didn't see much point in beating around the bush.

[survives]

So much for that. In a place like this, Leanne should have expected that things wouldn't go quite how they wanted, no matter how carefully they planned. The night hadn't been a total loss, of course, she couldn't allow herself to think otherwise, no matter what, but they'd still managed to hit a snag early on. And...

--Tsubaki! Of course. She had much more important things to worry about than how much they'd accomplished. She needed to make sure her friend was all right.

Sporting quite a few more scratches than the day before, Leanne made her way to breakfast, as quickly as she could for once. The combination of her injuries and current illness worked to slow her down, but the very moment she had a tray of food in her hands, she headed toward the tables, scanning the area.

Tsubaki had to be around there somewhere...

[Tsubaki!]

[skeletonenigma]

Waking up here for the first time had been disorienting. Each subsequent morning had been just as bad, if not worse. But this time... this time couldn't even really be considered waking up. There was no in-between darkness, no peace, and no being jolted awake. One moment, Skulduggery was back in that library-turned-Sanctuary his subconscious had created for him with Valkyrie and his family; the next, he was back on the same bed, blinking up at the same whitewashed ceiling as the static of the intercom announcement was fading away.

To say that he wasn't in a good mood when his nurse came to get him would have been a bit of an understatement.

They were just hallucinations; they should have been easy to shake off. Keeping anger at bay was too important to let something so minor bother him so much. Maybe Skulduggery's lack of food and sleep was finally starting to catch up with him; he felt weak with hunger, and his eyes were much too heavy. Another headache was pounding away at his skull. It was all Skulduggery could do to make sure Rita hadn't been 'discharged' from his nurse, and leave a note for the teenager on the way to the cafeteria.

His theory from last night, it seemed, was also correct. It had happened to Sora, according to the bulletin. Skulduggery took another moment to make sure the boy was alright for the time being, and didn't so much as argue when a plate of pigs in blankets was presented to him minutes later.

Skulduggery had no way of knowing, but as he took a seat by himself and watched everyone else, his face was showing a hint of rare emotion. It was a mixture between longing and melancholy, though it was briefly replaced by the usual blank expression as he looked down at the food.

Skulduggery's stomach was doing a funny sort of somersault as he remembered the fingernail from the day before. It didn't matter how hungry he was; the detective couldn't bring himself to try eating again.

[For a certain mother-hen Archangel!]

[thecamellia]

Tsubaki’s heart was still thundering when she woke up, the only remnant left of the night. Besides the wounds, at least.

“Oh!” she gasped, bolting upright. The sudden movement jarred her injuries, but she barely spared the twinge of pain any mind. Oh gosh, Sora! And Leanne! Everyone… Are they all right? They have to be!

She tried to hurry through as much of the morning routine as she could get away with, her eyes roving constantly for any familiar faces in the halls; by the time she was ready to head down to the Sun Room to check the bulletin, she was almost at the point of running ahead of her nurse. It was only the need to stay on the staff’s good side that stopped her.

Leanne… and Rapunzel and Scar… All people she had to check on after what had happened, but it was Sora’s state that most worried her. Sora, who’d been consumed by blackness, disfigured almost beyond recognition. Sora, who’d attacked without even a flicker of self-awareness. So like a kishin. It frightened her to think there was a chance he might still be like that, even after nightshift had passed. Would sunrise have washed that blackness out of his soul? It had to have, right?

Seeing the note on the bulletin, written in Sora’s hand, was a huge relief, no matter the questions it raised.

He was back! Himself. It wasn’t the same as seeing Sora in the flesh, but as she read and re-read the note again, she felt she could breathe a little easier than before. That was all that mattered, knowing he’d been brought back from that… dark place he’d gone.

And he can again. They all can, they have to.

Although her appetite was nonexistent, her nurse was quick to remind her that there was still breakfast to contend with, and reluctantly Tsubaki let herself be led into the cafeteria. It was worth it, though--she reminded herself that out of all the activity shifts, breakfast gave her the best chance to catch a glimpse of everyone. At the very last second, Tsubaki made sure that her bandages were hidden out of view before stepping inside, gaze flitting to and fro.

Almost at once she noticed the blonde girl standing at the end of the room. Her feet moved before her brain could catch up, and before she realized it she was hurrying over to Leanne. “Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay?”

[repelling]

With his shoulder and upper back bleeding through his layers of shirts, and with his vision spotted and starred and his head feeling cracked clean in half (amazing: not good fortune, as good fortune would have been not being whacked in the head with a baseball bat by his partner, but something: his glasses had not broken), Uryuu wouldn't have been surprised if he'd blacked out. He had not--he did not think so, but after dispatching the creature, the brunt of his injuries staggered him, and things became fuzzy. Coinciding nicely with the crackle that did not reach the field outside.

Then it was day. His eyes opened as they had before: without his remembering closing them. It was still disorienting, and it took a moment for him to situate himself in the time, to fully wake. His still pounding head, a throb originating now in his left eye, did not help clarity. Always a morning person, even here, his body resisted sleeping in and stirred before the first announcement. Not long before it, not even a minute; he hadn't fully shaken the last dregs of drowsiness, that uncharacteristic sticking grogginess. Thus as the Head Doctor's voice filled the room, Uryuu still laid prone, staring blearily into the dark room, not even having put on his glasses. He did as much as the intercom silenced (his glasses coming to rest over a bandage high on his nose), and climbed out of bed. The sharp pains as he moved and skin and muscle shifted on his back chased away any lingering tiredness. As with before, his pillow has no casing. The room was as empty and devoid of another person's touch as it had been the night before.. He moved to the closed, opening the door to find a discouraging absence.

There sat, as expected, the makeshift bag, bulging with what he'd packed into it the night before. Yet: no bat. No other things if he took it. Had it been a waste of time, had the Institute cracked down on items discovered during the night? How much time would be wasted each night, then, and what of those with swords? That would be especially unfortunate for Poole-san. Not that he felt particularly generous toward the man at the moment. Pressing his lips thin, he bid back the frustration and kept to task. Bending, he unwound and unpacked the case, so to hang back up the sweatshirts and retrieve his journal. The flashlight and radio he left there. Shutting the door, he set the journal on his desk as he slid on his slippers, and his door not yet having opened to a nurse, made the bed.

As he finished tucking the sheets and blanket beneath the mattress, the door clicked and swung. His same nurse, Uryuu noted, with that same smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Way! Gosh, ready to go, aren't you? You know, you don't have to do all that; you'll put a custodian out of work!" That same annoying chirping. Now with no acknowledgement of his wounds, no look or word. It struck him that he hadn't bothered to learn her name yet; a rude oversight, but he had not been very concerned with showing deference to the staff. Gerard Way, however... he glanced at her tag while taking hold of his journal and a pen.

"Good morning, Susan-sa-- Miss Susan. If I may, have I been- that is, I'm a little muddled this morning," his best go at a sheepish smile; not a very good one, "I feel like I've lost time. As far as I can remember, just yesterday I was all wrapped up," lifting his free hand, wiggling his fingers, "but today-"

The nurse, who had to this moment cycled through a smile (at her name) that turned distinctly vacant, now interrupted with a laugh. "Oh, Mr. Way. Don't be ridiculous. Off to breakfast, let's go!"

She swept him out the door, and Uryuu struggled to prevent his mouth from twisting sour. Why had he ever thought it might be worth even trying to ask them anything? She did allow him his stop to wash up at the bathroom (he grimaced at the giant bruise over his eye, an ugly and violent purple so dark it was nearly black, at the swelling high in the bridge of his nose, wrapped just under his glasses, at the bandages he could see just creeping past his collar and feel over his shoulder, down his back), and another at the bulletin board, before depositing him on line at the cafeteria.

There were a few patients already here. The "Head Doctor" had called the choice this morning pigs in a blanket, a turn of phrase Uryuu had not yet heard in relation to food. It must be an American thing, he thought, and began to humor the thought of what Inoue-san might imagine if she could hear it, until he saw the stuff. It looked and smelled like beef in bread. Still no rice, and a bit too much to experiment with first thing. Thus, he turned to the provided, staple alternatives. A glass of water and a fruit cup would do. Though in fact having no appetite (his head groaned at it), the importance of breakfast was too ingrained in him to shun it entirely. Plus... free food. With his meager portion gathered, along with a fork and napkin, he sat down at a table near to but not directly in front. He faced the door so to watch the others file in. Not directly staring; the fruit cup helped with that.

His right side bearing the brunt of the talons, Uryuu held the cup in his right hand and managed to move with little evidence of stiffness; being left-handed a boon in this instance.

[ for Kratos, then eventually the derps ]

Re: I'M SORRY THIS IS LONG AND HORRIBLE

[complicatedliar]

Well, he supposed it was his own fault for sitting by himself, but he hadn't seen anyone he wanted to share a table with in particular. Still, it was a well-worn routine. And, he reminded himself, another opportunity to make a potentially useful "friend."

Loki smiled pleasantly. "Quite all right. They do this sort of thing all the time. No one civilized takes offense at it."

The implication being, of course, that there were uncivilized people around as well.

"I don't believe I've seen you here before."

[showmeyourwreath]

"Thank you, you're too kind." Flora returned the smile, relieved that she wasn't a bother, though it faded slightly at his last statement, an implied question. She moved to fold her hands in her lap, wincing at the pain in her arm caused by the motion, looked down at her food for a moment and breathed.

"That would be because I'm...new here. I guess." Her voice was soft, but clear. Admitting it was like admitting to a loss. It was a reminder of what felt like a failure, of the things that were beyond her control. They'd had a plan, but it hadn't worked. She wasn't even supposed to be here, right now, much less introducing herself.

It was disheartening, but she wasn't about to give up. Far, far from it. The mission didn't go as planned, but maybe she could turn this around. She'd just have to keep her chin up and eyes open. "I just got here last night. My name is Flora, it's very nice to meet you." She smiled, honestly.

[complicatedliar]

"Ah, as I thought." Loki smiled. "My name is Lingormr. A pleasure to meet you, Flora." He bowed his head politely. That was all the routine, really.

"I haven't really been in this prison all that long myself, but if you've any questions I can do my best to answer them." He went back to carefully picking through his dish of fruit.

[thisisyourgod]

For most people, finding themselves in a strange bed would be weird enough, but most people were actually used to sleeping in beds. However, Karkat was a troll. As such, the sensation of being covered in blankets when he woke up wasn't a pleasant one for him. He felt trapped, wrapped up. Of course, his flailing around the moment he woke up didn't help with that either, as he just got himself tangled up further. By the time the nurse came in to bring him to breakfast, he was a solid mass of boy and blanket rolling around on the floor as he attempted to literally chew his way free.

The sight of the adult human was surprising enough that he froze in placed and stared, allowing her to start prying him loose as she made quiet 'tsk'ing noises with her tongue. He was used to seeing strange things in the dream bubbles, but this was new. The location was one he didn't recognize either, but he was used to that. It was probably just someone else's memory.

It wasn't until he was standing and she was adjusting his clothes that he started to realize what else was off. The clothes weren't his, and that was odd enough, but the oddity of that paled in comparison to the fact that the hands he held in front of himself weren't his either. They were human hands. Since when had dream bubbles caused someone to change species? (He might have guessed he was currently "being" someone else, but that was just a load of pretend hoofbeast shit some of the others had fun with.)

The first thing to do while he was this baffled was, obviously, to pin all blame on the only other person in the room. "What the fuck did you do??"

He was instantly hushed, the nurse sticking a finger over his lips in a way that was far too pale for his liking, but he was still too confused to yell anything further. "Language," she warned him, which seemed utterly ridiculous. "I know Landel's will take some adjusting to, but let's not get off on the wrong foot with the others right away. You'll feel better after you've eaten breakfast."

And still, the woman continued to make no sense. Baffling Karkat into silence wasn't easily done, but she'd accomplished it on their first meeting. He didn't have much choice but to follow her out of the room. Any moment now he expected to have a familiar face pop up and explain things to him, but while they passed many other people in the halls along the way, none of them were familiar and all of them were human.

She said he would be eating with other patients like himself. That, then, would be the time to drill them for answers. However, once his plate was full with who knew what and he was ready to take a seat, she sat him right down in front of what was possibly the most despondent man in the entire room. He tried to stand back up again, but was almost immediately shoved back down as the nurse gave him a far too friendly smile.

Karkat could be obnoxious most of the time, but even he had his limits on who he'd start immediately yelling at. Getting angry at the man in front of him would be like kicking a young wounded barkbeast. But of course it was also impossible for the troll to stay silent for any length of time.

"So, uh. Are you like some dream guide or what?"

[impudentsongbird]

Weariness was an unwelcome, and very strange, feeling. At least, Gabriel was pretty sure it was weariness. It was a bit difficult to tell when he hadn't really felt it before, and especially because it wasn't all just a physical sensation. Gabe was finding it hard to gather his thoughts, like his mind had been stretched.

The sensation unnerved him. It seemed as if everything in this place was geared to remind him of how he'd almost Fallen--just one more thing Gabe couldn't help but take as proof that Lucifer was behind it, alternate universes or no. It was too coincidental.

Still. The operation had gone ... well. If anything like that could ever go well under those kinds of circumstances. Castiel had suffered despite everything Gabe and Rapunzel had tried to do for him, that much was clear, but the device had been removed successfully. Gabe fully intended on seeking his brother out today--just to make sure he was still at least somewhat okay, and see whether the operation had worked. With the images of that poor patient-turned-monster in the corridors still swimming in his head, Gabe very much did not want to have to fight Castiel should the same happen to him.

In any case, Gabriel managed to find a smile for Rachel when she came for him. She beamed back and led him out to the cafeteria, chastising him gently about his habit of removing his shoes the previous day. Neatly Gabriel turned the conversation on her and managed to get her talking about her own family and her job. To all intents and purposes she seemed like an ordinary woman who genuinely believed in what she was doing.

It put into Gabe's mind what Zero had said, the night before, about the nurses changing; and when Rachel allowed him to stop and check the bulletin board, the Archangel found Sora's apology; and so by the time he actually reached the cafeteria, Gabe was sorely in need of a distraction. That distraction, luckily or unluckily, came when Gabe spotted the man with which he'd made rosaries the day before--Skulduggery. He was just in time to catch the expression on the Irishman's face before he looked down.

Well. Gabe didn't see Castiel around yet (or maybe Cas had already left), he couldn't help Sora until he knew more about the outcome of the operation, and he couldn't start on Leanne's Shield Knot without the proper materials. But he might just be able to do something for Skulduggery. The Archangel made his way over, setting his tray down and taking the seat opposite with a small smile.

"Good morning," he said, and then paused. "At least, I hope it's not a bad one, if not an actively good one. How was your evening?"

[showmeyourwreath]

Flora blinked in pleasant surprise. How polite, Lingormr seemed like quite the gentleman. "I might have one or two." She gave him a small smile that was slightly sheepish. She knew exactly where to start with them, though. "Thanks for offering, I appreciate it."

"Firstly, is there a way for people to communicate in here? I'm looking for some friends that I met, but I don't know where they are and if they're okay, and I don't think getting up and walking around to find them will be as simple as that." Flora glanced to the entrance, in case one or both of them would show up if she simply willed it hard enough, and then to the orderlies when that didn't work. It looked like getting on any one of their bad sides without her powers was a bad idea. Her first priority didn't change, though. She needed to find out how to contact Lee and Lloyd and make sure that they were okay.

Watching him go back to his food prompted her to look at her own. She wasn't sure that she liked the idea of being fed by the same people that kept her and other innocent people here captive like this, but she'd need her strength. Flora picked up her fork with her left hand took a few careful bites of fruit.

[forsworn]

It took him a few seconds to register that he was once again lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, such was the intensity with which he'd approached the task of keeping Castiel alive by any means possible. The operation had been successful, at least, or so he'd last thought.

Kratos pushed himself upright in bed with more ease than the morning before; his injuries from previous days were healing, and last night had hardly been strenuous, at least, not physically. This was a good sign, since he was beginning to have that horrible feeling that he would be needing every ounce of his strength tonight for another bloody task. He stared down at his hands for a few seconds, contemplating the possibility, before throwing the blankets aside and standing up. Speculation was toxic if improperly grounded, and he had not even faced the entire day yet. Better to use the time given to him wisely and determine his course of action later.

The cafeteria was not quite bustling with activity when he arrived, and Kratos cast a cursory glance around as he got into the line for breakfast, not quite yet earnestly looking for either of the two people he needed to check up on. He was still (and would always be) in the habit of eating only because he had to, and this translated into mindlessly accepting whatever the nurses bothered to serve him; in the end, he acquired what seemed to be a little bit of everything. Now, to find a seat where he could also watch the entrance to the cafeteria and thereby catch either Sora's or Castiel's arrival...

Ah, there was one, facing the door but not directly pointed at it. Someone was already sitting in the seat next to it, but Kratos was quite capable at avoiding conversation, and he was more than willing to employ his skills for the sake of remaining undisturbed. He sat down, eyes on the cafeteria entrance, and began picking at some of the fruit on his plate, all the while careful to not make accidental eye contact with the person next to him, lest he give them some reason to draw him into small talk.