knightspirit: (silence)
♞ tsurugi kyousuke ([personal profile] knightspirit) wrote in [community profile] damned_institute2013-04-10 02:45 pm
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Day 70: Bus 3

.... Day already. Kyousuke stared up at the ceiling, and in the absence of any people, he was unable to suppress a sigh. Night somehow seemed shorter than usual, with more time spent lingering in the hallways than accomplishing anything. But at least he had a bit more to go on, so he supposed it hadn't been a total waste. Between the Head Doctor's mention of the third floor, and something about a "surprise" at the end of the night, he had a good idea of where he should be looking, even if it was pretty obvious they were being baited.

It wasn't long before one of the institute's male nurses entered with a bright, "Rise and shine!" before shoving a little cardboard box of clothes into hands. "We're going into town today, so you don't have to put up with your uniform today. They're not anything anything special—just some donated items—but I bet you're pretty glad for a spot o' color, right?"

"...Not really," Kyousuke muttered. His real thought was whether or not they were worried anyone would try to make a break for it once they were outside the walls, until he bitterly remembered that they could pull them to and from worlds as they pleased, so a neighboring town was hardly any security threat. At least the clothes were decent; a purple jacket, ill-fitting black pants, and a pair of white boots. The jacket especially was something he might have worn normally. But then he discovered the shirt he was supposed to be wearing, which sported some kind of mascot and the words HUG ME in bold white lettering.

He turned back to the nurse. ".... You must be joking."

"Sorry, I'm not the one the one who picks," the nurse responded sympathetically. "I'll bet one of those old hens thought you could use some cheering up. Don't know how to deal with boys, the lot of them. It's just for one day, so try and bear with it, yeah?"

.... Great. At least the jacket seemed to cover it mostly, although the word HUG was still pretty clearly visible. He guessed as long as nobody took it as an invitation, it was fine for now, though knowing this place, he might not get so lucky. After the that, he was provided with a few items, which he shoved into pockets, and was herded onto a bus with a small breakfast. It looked like he was the first here, so he claimed himself a window seat and waited for the bus to fill up more.

[Lloyd!]
redcladidealist: (Huh...)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-10 07:27 pm (UTC)(link)
After the trauma and emotional strain of last night, Lloyd had really just wanted to stay in bed and sleep until he felt up to dealing with the world again. His nurse hadn't given him that option, though, had all but threatened to dress him herself if he didn't get out of bed. Yes, his female nurse. That had been enough to get Lloyd moving, flushing at the thought.

To his surprise, though, she'd handed him a different set of clothes than the normal drab shirt and pants with the yellow smiley face. They were plain, but still different from what he was used to. The pants were some kind of sturdy blue denim that were just roomy enough to need a belt to hold up (he would have preferred suspenders), and the shirt was a faded blue with white paint that might have been a picture at some point but was now flaking too badly to make anything out. The shoes were a dingy white with odd, rubbery soles, but comfortable enough. The prize of the bunch was a jacket. Sure, the elbows were nearly worn out, and it looked like there had been at least one mended tear, but he thoroughly approved of the colors and the buttons. It was almost as good as the news of what they were doing today.

Going into town? Lloyd had no idea where Doyleton was, but it was clearly outside of the Institute, which meant there might be opportunities and chances to escape, or find someone who'd be willing to help. Buoyed by this though, Lloyd let the nurse usher him out of his room and lead outside to where huge... covered wagons? were parked. He recognized the area from where he, Flora, and Lee had broken out a few nights back, though there was no sign of the damage they'd done to the door.

Some part in the back of his mind vaguely wondered where the horses were, but he didn't think to ask before he was nudged onto the bus. Absentmindedly rubbing his sore, bandaged hand, he made his way down the aisle between the seats until he spotted a familiar face. Not bothering to wait for an invitation, he dropped down next to the boy he was quickly starting to think of as a friend.

"Hey, Tsurugi."
Edited 2013-04-10 19:27 (UTC)
redcladidealist: (I'm sorry...)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-10 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Lloyd caught what he was doing when Tsurugi called him on it, and he pulled his hand away from the other with a grimace. It probably wasn't a good idea to mess with it, even if it hurt.

Not that messing with it could do much worse than it was already doing by itself. The thought made Lloyd sink a little more into the bus seat, and his stomach to sink even further. And what was he even supposed to say? He didn't want to say anything, would have preferred to ignore the false Key Crest's existence, at least until he could do something about it. But what if he started changing before he had that chance? It would be horrible if no one knew what was happening, if Tsurugi didn't know how much danger he was in.

Lloyd's voice dropped, not quite a whisper, but definitely an unhappy low tone. "It's... " How could he even explain? "It's not okay, but I don't think there's anything anyone can do to fix it. Not yet. I..." He swallowed. "I'm... It might not be safe to be around me."

...maybe he shouldn't have sat next to Tsurugi.
redcladidealist: (Kneeling)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-11 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
He clenches his hand, trying to resist the urge to rub at the bandages again. He can feel his skin stretching, pulling at the healing cuts and cauterized flesh. It doesn't hurt as much as it did the night before, but he still winces, just a little. For a moment, he can see the light over his head again, and the face he couldn't quite see, hands wielding a scalpel in quick, neat slices. He shudders, looking down at his hand.

"Last night..." He stopped, started, tried again. "It's... hard to explain. They did something to me last night that- It has to do with stuff from my world. But they didn't do it right. They... He... gave me something that won't work. Not forever. I don't know how long it'll last, though, before I... before I..." He had to force the final awkward words out. "Before I turn into a monster."
redcladidealist: (Oh man...)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-11 12:04 pm (UTC)(link)
For some reason, he'd halfway expected Tsurugi to shrink back, afraid of him. It would have hurt, but he would have understood. Lloyd was a bomb just waiting to go off, and no one knew how much time he had left. Instead, though... Anger. Tsurugi was angry for him. Angry, determined. How Lloyd would have felt if the tables had been turned. Maybe it didn't make the situation any better, but something loosened inside of him. He let out a slightly shaky breath.

"I'd need my Key Crest back. Or a new one, but I'm not sure if we can find one here. If I had a forge, I'd say maybe I could use inhibitor ore, too, but I don't, and even the doctor said they couldn't get inhibitor ore." Wait. Tsurugi probably wouldn't know what a Key Crest even was. Key Crests, Exspheres, Exbelua... It still felt so surreal to be in a world where people didn't know any of that. Not everyone in his world knew about them, either, but he'd been around the people who did for so long now that it had been easy to take it for granted.

"Do you remember the thing I wear on my hand?" He held up his bandaged hand. He had no idea how much attention Tsurugi might have even given to it. "The... the stone and the metal plate around it?" If Tsurugi didn't... Could he get away with taking the bandage off here? His nurse had scolded him for picking at it before.
redcladidealist: (Alone)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-12 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
"I need the metal plate. The stone, too, if you see it, but the plate's more important for me." He wanted his Exsphere back, of course. Hated the thought of his mother's Exsphere in the hands of the doctors here. But the Key Crest was what he needed to make sure his mana didn't go completely out of control. "There might be two of them. My..." His tongue tripped and stuck on the word 'father,' but he floundered on how else to fill it in. "I... Someone I... I'm not the only one they did this to. Kratos..." He shook his head. That name probably wouldn't mean anything to Tsurugi, either. "They did it to another man from my world, so his Key Crest is missing, too."

The thought of what they'd done to Kratos made Lloyd's stomach turn. They hadn't even given him a false Key Crest to temper his Exsphere's power. If Lloyd was a bomb that could go off at any moment, what did that make him?

"I have no idea where they're keeping them, though."

Where did he even start to look?
redcladidealist: (What?)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-13 03:49 am (UTC)(link)
Lloyd blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected a reaction to Kratos's name. "You know Kratos?" It didn't even cross his mind that there might be two Kratoses. Kratos was Kratos. Who else would have that name?

He shook his head. Tsurugi was right, of course. It wasn't going to be easy, but... But he was right. Lloyd couldn't give up. Not that he'd considered doing that, but having someone else voice the same thought, with the same grim determination, made it feel somehow more possible. More important, Tsurugi's words made him feel not so alone in this. We. We don't know. We'll have to check. We. Him and Tsurugi - and Kratos.

It still unsettled him to think about Kratos too much, still made something inside him curl at the thought of who Kratos really was, but thinking about Kratos as an ally was familiar and easier to deal with.

"We can do anything if we try," he murmured, more to himself than anything he'd meant to voice out loud. It gave him something solid to latch onto, to pull his thoughts back into focus and into the present again. "Damn, I wish I'd been able to see when I got out of the room they had me in. I have no idea where I was, except I think it was on the second floor." There'd been stairs next to him when Kratos had found him, providing some light to see by. "It might not be there, either, if the doctor's keeping it somewhere else, but... it's a place to start?"
redcladidealist: (Discouraged)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-14 02:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Saved his life. Some part of Lloyd felt uncomfortable at those words, caught somewhere between indebted and frustrated, because how many times could he say that Kratos had done the same for him? Probably more times than he wanted to admit, but the man had never said anything, never hinted at their relationship, never gave the real reason why he did the things he did. Had he bothered giving Tsurugi any reasons either? How true were they?

Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to ask. Tsurugi didn't need to hear Lloyd's bitterness and doubts.

"Thanks," he said quietly, focusing on the other boy's offer to help. And he was grateful, he really was. The other boy had listened patiently to Lloyd's disjointed explanation, and despite the danger he was still willing to do everything he could. The offer to keep a lid on it, though... Was that really the best thing to do? "Shouldn't you be warning other people, though? I mean, at any minute, Kratos or I could turn into a monster. We could hurt someone."
redcladidealist: (Not so sure)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-14 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Isolation. Avoidance. That was what he had been proposing, and the idea of it had made him want to shrink back down, his spirit sinking even lower. But the idea of sitting next to someone and possibly endangering them was even more horrifying. He didn't want to cut himself off, but what other choice was there?

"But wouldn't it protect them if they didn't get close?" Except for cases like the bus they were on, where there wasn't anywhere else people could go to avoid being close to him. Maybe a few seats away, but that wouldn't do much if he turned into an Exbelua.
redcladidealist: (Up at the stars)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-15 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
That was true, wasn't it. Even outside this bus, they were all usually inside a building where there wasn't any place to go. No place to run, no way to protect everyone...

...but no reason to cut himself off. It was a more pessimistic way of looking on the bright side than Lloyd was used to, but oddly, it... helped. Lloyd leaned back, feeling... maybe not better, but at least not quite as discouraged as before.

"Even if it's not my fault, I still have to deal with it. I'd feel better knowing that someone knew that something might happen, someone who could go and get help." Technically, Tsurugi already knew.

But did he want that responsibility?

redcladidealist: (Quiet)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-15 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
The knot inside Lloyd's gut loosened a little more, enough he thought he might be able to eat now. Maybe. He wasn't really feeling hungry yet, which was odd for him, but maybe not surprising if his body was still in shock from last night. He decided to leave the muffin and the... whatever the small, wrapped package was, in the pocket of his jacket. He could eat them when they got off.

"Thanks," he said solemnly, meaning every bit of it.

With that deal with as much as it could be, his eyes drifted to the passing scenery. "So, this place we're going. Have you ever been to it?"
Edited 2013-04-15 15:29 (UTC)
redcladidealist: (Oh man...)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-17 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
Even though the terrain looked inhospitable even in the light of day, that didn't keep Lloyd's thoughts from drifting to the possibility of making an escape. He'd traveled through what he was sure was worse territory, even adding in the monster he, Flora, and Lee had run into the night they'd tried to break out. The only reason he'd had better luck in Gaoracchia Forest, he felt, was the fact that he'd been in a larger group and they'd all been fairly well armed.

"If they're not worried about it, maybe this would be our best chance." The biggest problem with that plan, though, was the fact that he'd be abandoning both his Exsphere and his Key Crest, and who knew if he'd find anything that he could replace them with? He bit his lip, indecisive. "Maybe we can get someone in the town to help."
redcladidealist: (Huh...)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-18 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Even if they can do something like that, nobody's perfect. We have to at least try things, even if they might not work. There's always the chance that they will." Conviction filled his words, but it felt more rote than firmly rooted. It was hard to feel strongly about even his own plan when he was already doubting if he shouldn't plan something else. Still, the point needed to be made. They couldn't give up just because it didn't seem like it would work, no matter what it was they did.

But this talk of a device that was limiting their powers... Lloyd's interest stirred, and he quickly glanced around to make sure none of the nurses were listening before leaning closer to Tsurugi. "I'm pretty good at busting things up. Did you hear anything about where on the third floor it is? Or anything about what it looks like?" Maybe they could just break anything that looked like... well, like a machine.

...that could be an awful lot of things.
redcladidealist: (Just having a really good day)

[personal profile] redcladidealist 2013-04-19 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
"Damn." Lloyd muttered the expletive, but the feeling behind it was halfhearted at best. He couldn't say he was surprised that Tsurugi didn't know much. If people knew where that device was, they probably would have already busted it up.

He couldn't help but offer Tsurugi a crooked smile, though, a shared moment of camaraderie between two teenage boys. "If it comes to that, what do you say? Wanna team up to go break some things?"
voiceofthanatos: (Thinking)

[personal profile] voiceofthanatos 2013-04-10 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Being woken up by a nurse as usual, Yuri didn't expect for a change of pace. It was always the same mindless day by day trite that bored him to pieces with little variation. But today he was given an outfit consisting of simple dark blue jeans, a white shirt and a black windbreaker for today. The clothing looked a bit faded and had to be a few years old at least, but he bit his lips and changed into him. He would be more at ease in a crisp suit.

Yuri wasn't as hopeful that he could find an escape during the trip. He knew they would probably be closely monitored throughout the outing to prevent any slips. What institution would let their patients roam free anyway?

And so he sat down near the back of the bus, looking tired as always no matter how much sleep he endured. He kept everything to himself, but would that invite somebody to bother him anyway?

[free]
rebonding: (The Regal Pout)

[personal profile] rebonding 2013-04-12 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
Korra didn't know what the nurse was talking about when she'd said "cold weather." Clearly none of these people had never taken a trip to the South Pole. She opted for a blue tee shirt and neutral sweatpants, frowning at the weird little card she'd been handed. Coupons, though! Free food was good!

She shuffled her way onto one of the buses they had lined up. It sure didn't look like any Satomobile she'd ever seen.

Not that anything here made sense, anyway.

Korra shot the nurses a skeptical glare as she took her seat. A little trip, huh? Apparently this was a normal thing. It was just a matter of figuring out if this would even be worth her while. She did hope, though, that they would be allowed some level of freedom. She was going insane cooped up in the Institute.

[Nina!]
mirrorimage: (pic#3241922)

[personal profile] mirrorimage 2013-04-15 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
Nina had never considered herself a vain person, and as long as she was clean and healthy, her appearance was never the first thing on her list of priorities. Nevertheless, it was hard not to be dismayed by the clothes she'd been given to wear. The jeans were horribly out of date, acid washed monstrosities that were just a half size too snug. Paired with scuffed boots and an itchy, unseasonable Christmas sweatshirt, Nina couldn't help feeling self-conscious, but at least the nurses wouldn't have to worry about her getting chilled.

Nina was one of the last patients to board the bus, and seats were already filling up. Not wanting to hold anyone else up, and hence without needing to be prompted by a nurse, Nina chose to dive into the first empty space she saw, beside another young woman who looked less than thrilled with the situation. Her irritation provided Nina with some internal amusement, but Nina tried not to show it. Instead she offered the other girl an apologetic, sheepish, "Hi."
rebonding: (I don't know the rules to this gaaame)

[personal profile] rebonding 2013-04-15 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
Korra looked up from her brooding, managing a friendly enough smile for Nina.

"Hey! ...Any idea where they're taking us?" Doyleton, they all told her. That was hardly a good description. And how was Korra supposed to believe them, anyway?
mirrorimage: (pic#3239710)

[personal profile] mirrorimage 2013-04-17 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
Nina felt relief flood through her when Korra didn't seem irritated by her presence. In fact, Korra seemed downright perky and friendly! It set Nina at ease.

But to Korra's question, Nina could only shake her head. "Not really. Some town, I think." At least, she had heard the nurses mentioning 'going into town', in reference to Doyleton. "That's really all I know."
rebonding: (Use your words Korra.)

[personal profile] rebonding 2013-04-17 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
Korra sighed, pouting and glancing out the window.

"They don't tell us anything. I'm Korra, by the way." She managed a smile for Nina. She didn't seem as comfortable with the whole situation as Korra.
mirrorimage: (pic#3241922)

[personal profile] mirrorimage 2013-04-17 04:18 am (UTC)(link)
Korra's assessment was accurate. Nina hated not knowing things. It made her uneasy and unsure. But she tried to keep up a friendly face for Korra. It wasn't Korra's fault they were being packed onto a bus like sardines and shipped off somewhere with no say in the matter. Besides, you could never have too many friends.

"Hi, Korra. I'm Nina. It's nice to meet you." She extended a hand for Korra to shake if she wanted.
rebonding: (I can do that!)

[personal profile] rebonding 2013-04-17 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Korra returned the handshake with a firm, vigorous grip. At least she'd picked up some manners in Republic City. She wasn't even going to bother asking if Nina knew what a bender was.

"So uh... How long've you been in the Institute?" Because really, what else was there to talk about?
mirrorimage: (pic#3252256)

[personal profile] mirrorimage 2013-04-26 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Whoa! Nina was impressed. Korra was strong! When she withdrew her hand, she smiled.

Conversational topics were indeed sparse. "A few weeks now," Nina said. She admittedly, a little solemnly, "It feels longer and shorter at the same time, though. What about you?"
rebonding: (This is boring.)

[personal profile] rebonding 2013-04-27 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
"Just a couple days. Two or three..." maybe four? It was bizarre, how she could barely remember. Bizarre and saddening and frustrating. These had been the longest days she could remember, trapped in this strange place without her bending to even properly protect herself.

"Yeah, three, I think. It's hard to remember." She huffed, glancing out the bus window again to see the trees flying by.