井上 織姫 INOUE ORIHIME (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
faeth) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
damned_institute2012-10-04 12:57 am
faeth) wrote in damned_institute2012-10-04 12:57 am
Night 66: F1-F10 Hallway
[ F2 ]
True enough, the intercom sounded off like clockwork. The doctor spoke, all pretenses were shed, and Orihime sat in her bed feeling simultaneously refreshed and nauseated by it, by the fact that they were little more than caged animals scrutinized beneath an indifferent eye. After spending the better part of the day distrusting strangers (the nurse that had followed her, the infamous head doctor), it was both a relief and a dread to witness the reality of it for herself – to understand, with an uncharacteristic yet self-aware sort of bitterness, that she had more than enough reason to dislike these people straight off the bat.
Orihime listened, fingers pressing indents into her mattress and trembling as she kept her composure, as she refused to let the careless message (if you don’t die) get to her. It was, still is, a learning process: she learned how to worry without so much of the weeping and the unnecessary bemoaning wails, the prying when she figured that her presence would be more of a hindrance than a help. And so it occurred to her that she should say something, to try to reassure Flora-san before she headed out (a high-five, perhaps? thumbs up?), but there wasn’t very much she could – can – do.
There wasn’t very much to say, was the thing. How horrible and what a heartless person were on the tip of her tongue, but she had no confidence that her voice wouldn’t shake (stammerwhisperbreak) if it committed to such loaded statements. Instead, she jumped out of bed the moment the door unlocked, grabbing her flashlight from underneath her pillow and pulling open her closet for a pair of sneakers, swallowing down the uneasiness that had clumped in the middle of her throat. The cold sweat was unavoidable though, even as her sweatshirt served as some form of comfort, even as she pretended that it was OK to let herself get away with it – with the sense of new hero empowerment that came with the responsibility she had assigned herself for the night. Pretending she didn’t know better.
“I’m sorry I can’t stick around. There are some people waiting on me,” she said, keeping her tone perfectly neutral even as she wondered to herself when exactly she’d picked up such a nifty trick. “But we’ll meet back here later, right, Flora-san? We will, and then we’ll-“ We’ll have a slumber party, we’ll have a pillow fight, I’ll teach you the secret of playing Monopoly.
Because we’ll be alive and okay.
She smiled, facing her new roommate. “We’ll get to know each other even more.”
With her flashlight in hand and her pins tucked along the right side of her hair, she ventured forth, opening the door and heading out into the hallway without a faltered step, a hesitant look back, even as the darkness swallowed her whole.
[ to here. ]
True enough, the intercom sounded off like clockwork. The doctor spoke, all pretenses were shed, and Orihime sat in her bed feeling simultaneously refreshed and nauseated by it, by the fact that they were little more than caged animals scrutinized beneath an indifferent eye. After spending the better part of the day distrusting strangers (the nurse that had followed her, the infamous head doctor), it was both a relief and a dread to witness the reality of it for herself – to understand, with an uncharacteristic yet self-aware sort of bitterness, that she had more than enough reason to dislike these people straight off the bat.
Orihime listened, fingers pressing indents into her mattress and trembling as she kept her composure, as she refused to let the careless message (if you don’t die) get to her. It was, still is, a learning process: she learned how to worry without so much of the weeping and the unnecessary bemoaning wails, the prying when she figured that her presence would be more of a hindrance than a help. And so it occurred to her that she should say something, to try to reassure Flora-san before she headed out (a high-five, perhaps? thumbs up?), but there wasn’t very much she could – can – do.
There wasn’t very much to say, was the thing. How horrible and what a heartless person were on the tip of her tongue, but she had no confidence that her voice wouldn’t shake (stammerwhisperbreak) if it committed to such loaded statements. Instead, she jumped out of bed the moment the door unlocked, grabbing her flashlight from underneath her pillow and pulling open her closet for a pair of sneakers, swallowing down the uneasiness that had clumped in the middle of her throat. The cold sweat was unavoidable though, even as her sweatshirt served as some form of comfort, even as she pretended that it was OK to let herself get away with it – with the sense of new hero empowerment that came with the responsibility she had assigned herself for the night. Pretending she didn’t know better.
“I’m sorry I can’t stick around. There are some people waiting on me,” she said, keeping her tone perfectly neutral even as she wondered to herself when exactly she’d picked up such a nifty trick. “But we’ll meet back here later, right, Flora-san? We will, and then we’ll-“ We’ll have a slumber party, we’ll have a pillow fight, I’ll teach you the secret of playing Monopoly.
Because we’ll be alive and okay.
She smiled, facing her new roommate. “We’ll get to know each other even more.”
With her flashlight in hand and her pins tucked along the right side of her hair, she ventured forth, opening the door and heading out into the hallway without a faltered step, a hesitant look back, even as the darkness swallowed her whole.
[ to here. ]
Re: F9
"You don't need to apologize for anything," she told him, pulling the books into her lap. "Thank you for coming."
She glanced down: a volume of Shakespeare and a collection of Sherlock Holmes. They were both familiar to her--the lieutenant colonel had had both in his library--but she'd never had the opportunity to read either. If Rapunzel wasn't free tonight, maybe she'd get the chance to.
"I'm sure you have plans for tonight," she added, her smile fading slightly. "I've kept you from them for long enough. These will be more than enough to distract me tonight."
Re: F9
As for why he himself was here? Copying her map was a valid explanation. If Soma didn't plan on telling Lingormr what she actually meant to do, the Once-ler would not let on that he was involved in anything besides getting himself a map of the institute.
Re: F9
"I hadn't really," he said. "I thought to wander a bit, perhaps refresh my supplies in the medical wing. Have I interrupted something?"
Re: F9
"Not really," she said. "We were planning on checking on Rapunzel, though. I haven't seen her today and her room's not too far away."
And hopefully she could get them up and running again, but that probably went without saying.
Re: F9
When she had finished, the man added, "She might be able to help us out with our injuries. I actually tried to see her last night, but," he lifted the crutch up, "as you can see, that didn't pan out."
Belatedly he realized it might not have been the best idea to indicate his leg so openly. Lingormr had caused this problem, although he had been brainwashed at the time.
Re: F9
He smoothed down the front of his coat. "Well in that case, I shall let you get to it and not be in your way. I still must offer the lady an apology in person, but now would not be the most appropriate of times, it seems."
Re: F9
She contemplated offering to tell Rapunzel for him, but decided against it after a moment. It would probably look better for everyone involved if he apologized to her himself, as he said. Lingormr's apparent unpopularity, while not entirely surprising after his SC run, continued to frustrate her, and the more he succeeded at turning that around, the better.
"Have a good night, then," she offered, smiling a little. "Or as good a night as you can have in a place like this. Thank you again for the books, and stay safe."
Re: F9 Argh sorry I lost the tag in my email
He let himself out of the room.
Just as well. He had other tasks to accomplish with his night.
[To here]
Re: F9 No problem!
He was more than ready to be rid of the crutch. Even if he didn't intend to leave his room after being healed, he would at least be rid of that crutch.
Re: F9 No problem!
"Let's get going," she said, carefully maneuvering her way out into the hall. "The sooner we find Rapunzel, the better."
[to here]