damned_institute | Day 66: Game Room (Fourth Shift)

The game room, huh... In normal, everyday life, it wouldn't have sounded too terrible, but as things were, it seemed like more of an annoyance. Games were fine, but priorities.... On the other hand, Kyousuke seemed to have hit a block in figuring out the clues to the the illness, and just thinking without getting anywhere wasn't very productive, either. At this point, it may have been best to push it aside and come back to it fresh. He had his reservations about it, especially since the end of the day was rapidly approaching, but... Frustration wasn't going to get him any closer.

He poked around what games were there with resignation, still half wondering what he was even doing and trying not feel guilty for needing a break. After a while he came across an electronic device marked "Game Boy Color" and picked it up out of curiosity. He'd heard of those before... If he was right, this thing was older than he was, by quite a bit. Flicking it on confirmed his suspicions; the sound and graphics from it spoke for themselves.

Shrugging, he took it a random seat, wincing at the pain in his ribs as he sat down. He guessed it wouldn't kill him to mess around with this thing for a little while.

[Lloyd!]

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Loki had to do a bit of searching to find Kratos, since the man wasn't in the Sun Room as expected. Thankfully, he was able to talk a nurse into showing him around.

He really needed to start writing down the false names. It would be a much better way to find people during the day.

He saw Kratos immediately and walked to the table the man occupied, sitting after giving the man a polite nod.

Ah, perhaps he would be saved, although Kratos wasn't sure if he could really attribute such a word to Lingormr's arrival--not that he disliked talking to the man, just that...if he were honest, he would have preferred some other company. As it was, though, Lingormr had asked to speak with him earlier on the board. Now was convenient, and it wasn't as if he had anything else to do other than flip cards mindlessly.

He nodded back as Lingormr approached. "I see you found me." Now, to see what the man wanted with him.

Loki nodded, even as he gave the cards in Kratos' hands a curious look. "I've a bit of information to impart. I told Sora as well, but I saw that you were to be in charge of Arts and Crafts for the time being so thought it best you know as well."

He crossed his legs neatly, hands clasped over one knee. "I undertook an operation upon Soma at her own request. She seems to be recovering, though I think you ought not expect her to be able to work for a few days. But the sickness seems to have abated as a result."

Catching Lingormr's look, Kratos set the deck down on the table and pushed it carefully to the side. He wasn't in the mood for games, and the cards had not been taken by choice; hopefully, some of that would be made clear.

"I see. Thank you for telling me." He hadn't been aware that Soma was one of the ones affected by the virus, although he'd had his suspicions thanks to her bulletin posts. It was good to hear that she had been able to deal with it on time, a second spot of pleasant news in the midst of an otherwise frustrating day. "Castiel is in the same boat. He underwent an operation last night as well, although I use the term 'operation' loosely." More like a purposefully botched execution.

"Is the device still in your possession? I assume it was much the same as the one I extracted: a metallic butterfly of sorts, with the wings tucked in."

So much for that notion. All business, then. Probably for the best.

He nodded. "Hopefully he is doing as well as Soma, then." He ought to be annoyed that Castiel had been cured, but he found he still rather had hopes for the man. He'd rather see to the death of those he had no care for.

"I'm... uncertain. I hid it in my closet last night, but did not have the chance to check this morning before breakfast. I don't know if it's the sort of thing they'd let us keep hold of." He nodded. "But yes, that was precisely what I extracted from her."

"Hopefully," Kratos agreed. He had not spoken to Castiel in person today at all, only briefly heard from him over the board, so it was difficult to say if the angel was actually doing well, particularly since he'd mentioned being in considerable pain. One had to start somewhere, though, and pain was to be expected...

"If they do, that would be useful. I hardly consider myself an expert on things like that, but there are certainly minds present capable of picking up the slack for the rest of us." He did not name him specifically, but Kratos was confident that Lingormr, if he discovered the device in his closet come dinner, would investigate its workings without fail, even if simply for his own curiosity.

He tilted his head to the side. "Anyway, is that all you wished to bring to my attention?"

Loki nodded. "I will be certain to let you know on the morrow."

He looked down at his hands. "The other matter is something much more strange. I spoke with Soma about it last night before..." his lips twisted as if with remembered sickness, "business was conducted. Something strange has happened. When I awoke after... Special Counseling... my magics were not entirely shut off from me any longer. Just the smallest of things, but I've found I can make illusions again, if very limited ones."

His gaze returned to Kratos. "I do not trust it."

Kratos's eyebrow rose in the perfect picture of (very polite) suspicion. How exactly had Lingormr managed this? Or had it even been by his power? That in turn begged the question of why Landel would even want to grant someone who obviously had great magical powers a sliver more of his original strength. Either he had some purpose of allowing Lingormr to regain his illusory power, or some kind of...reward...

He was loath to suspect any patient of actually allying in some fashion with Landel, but there was always a slight chance; the military had offered incentives for patients' cooperation, so it did not seem too far-fetched for Landel do something to that effect as well.

"Interesting," he said slowly, eyebrow still raised. "I've never heard of such a circumstance. Can you think of any reason for you to have received a gift like that?"

Loki shook his head. "Soma told me it was unheard of as well, and I had thought so much myself. I find it... intensely disturbing."

He frowned, looking as if he wasn't certain if he should feel insulted or not. "None at all, unless he," such disgust in his tone, and entirely unfeigned since he found the man quite loathsome, "found me particularly entertaining as a victim of his mind control."

Loki shook his head, sitting back in his chair. "I find it suspicious. I do not know what his game is in this. Perhaps to sow more paranoia between us all. Perhaps to make me the goat for some plot. Those are the two ideas that spring most quickly to my mind. Soma thought perhaps it was the doing of the other people, those on the radios. I know too little to even begin to guess in that direction."

"Hm." Kratos frowned. It was possible, too, that the rebels were behind this strange development; actually, he had forgotten to consider them. If that was so, though, it was unfortunate that they could not have bothered to extend their generosity to the rest of the patient population as well. "That may well be the case. With things as they are now, it wouldn't take much at all for Landel to provoke some kind of extreme reaction toward any of us. Whatever the case, though, all we can do is guess at the motive, and I would prefer to have more information before attempting that in earnest.

"I'm curious as to why you felt I needed to be warned of this," he added mildly. There were many potential reasons that came to mind, but he disliked, as he had made clear only seconds before, speculation. To be honest, Kratos did not really bother to keep tabs on who was capable of what unless their abilities were curative, and if Lingormr had ever demonstrated his illusions, would have simply assumed that he was always capable of that, albeit to a limited degree.

Loki shrugged. "I found it a strange occurrence and thought it best to share that information with a few people in case there was use for it." He smiled tightly. "Particularly as I have received censorious remarks for not having been forthcoming about my abilities as a magician when I could not even utilize any of them. If you feel I have wasted your time in this regard, I do apologize."

Day 66: Game Room (Fourth Shift)

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