damned_institute | Day 71: Arts and Crafts (4th Shift)

When Kratos's nurse led him out of the Arts and Crafts room, Lloyd decided to hang back and stay in his seat. The conversation they'd had had left him feeling strung out and he didn't feel like seeking anyone out to talk about anything. Poking through the craft supplies appealed more to him now that his mind wasn't snarled in shock and denial over what the nurse had tried to tell him. Oh, his mind was still a mess of turmoil, but as aggravating as Kratos could be, the conversation had helped.

So did the fact that tonight they had a plan. Shoving everything else aside, Lloyd tried to focus on that. He'd need to move fast tonight, to find enough metal for Al to make into a sword, then meet back up with Kratos. As his hands absentmindedly played with the crafts, he let his mind work through the best places he could look for metal. Maybe that room where Tsurugi had found that crowbar...

At one point while Lloyd worked, someone came into the room and handed him a list of radio numbers, which Lloyd was more than happy to add his own name and number to. He passed it on to someone else after that, then went back to his plans.

[Free.]

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Ed debates if he really wants to answer that. "For me, through touching something so I can 'read' what it's made of. Makes my transmutations a lot faster and easier. And given that I often need to transmute on the fly during fights, that's a good thing.

"Anyway, there's chemistry involved for most normal people."

"So you couldn't figure it out unless we found some inhibitor ore first." At which point the problem would already be solved. He blew out a breath, scrubbing his face. "Damn."

He picked up the crayon, nearly dropping it again. Ugh, it was just as well he didn't really care about what he was drawing, or this would be really, really frustrating. "I don't know enough about chemistry to figure out anything like that. I'm..." He grimaced. "I'm not really good at science."

"Yeah. Which... yeah. Would provide something useful for me to know sometime in the future but the issue would have been solved. I'd still be useful for transmuting it into the proper shape if I knew what it was supposed to look like, though."

He rubbed at the back of his neck and looked down at the array that he started drawing but forgot about partway through. "Sounds like something you need to work on."

"Does it change anything when you, uh, read stuff like that?" It sounded weird to say it like that. Was it like reading a book for Ed? "I mean, if I found my Key Crest and let you look at it, you know, just in case, would it do any damage to it?" If it had been taken from him once, it could be taken again. It wouldn't hurt to have a backup plan.

He made a face at the suggestion, though. "You want me to study? Here?"

Ed shook his head. "Nah. It doesn't do anything to what I'm touching. Just as well, since it's something that's on all the time. Except for during the day here, obviously."

Now he raised an eyebrow at him. "What's wrong with studying?"

"Wait, so you're saying you know what everything's made of?" Lloyd gave him a startled look. "I mean, everything you've touched during the night or back in your own world?" He couldn't imagine knowing all that. Just the thought of it made his brain feel too full and he didn't actually know that stuff.

And speaking of knowing more stuff than he wanted... "Don't we have more important things to do? Besides, studying is boring."

Ed shrugged. "Kinda." Then he gave Lloyd a gimlet stare. "Guess how much use as an alchemist I'd be without studying?"

'Cause while the Gate stuffing a ton of stuff in his head helped a hell of a lot, he wouldn't have gotten to where he gave the Gate the chance without studying.

Somehow, in that moment, Lloyd felt like he was being glared at by his teacher. Cheeks turning slightly pink, he ducked his head defensively. "H-hey, it's not like I don't study at all. I just don't see what the point is to study here. I bet they don't give us any useful books anyway." Not that he'd actually set foot in the library even once since he'd been here.

Ed grimaced a bit. "I've been told that was the case, but I haven't had a chance to check for myself yet."

If there are useful books, he'll be all over them. But he intended to expect the worst.

That must have been the right thing to say, or at least not the wrong thing to say. But it looked like Ed was letting him off the hook. Lloyd released a silent sigh of relief.

"You could always ask, I guess," he said. "I can't think of any reason why the nurses wouldn't let you read."

"Yeah." He glanced back at where theirs was and looked back down at his forgotten drawing and starting working on it again. "I guess I'll do that tomorrow then, if nothing comes up."

"It's always good to expand your knowledge," Lloyd's nurse said, choosing that moment to approach the table. She smiled benignly, putting her hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Just don't let it keep you boys from socializing with other people. Part of healing and overcoming your illness is having a healthy, balanced life.

"Now," she went on, "it's about time for dinner. I'm sure you two must be hungry! Why don't you start cleaning up your table so you'll be ready when it's time to go?"

Lloyd frowned, a mix of emotions rising up in response to the nurse's comment. On the one hand, he was just as glad no one was trying to push him into studying. On the other, her reasoning grated on him. He wasn't sick, and neither was Ed, he was sure about that. He didn't feel like arguing with the nurse right now, though. With a sigh, he started cleaning up his work.

"See you tomorrow, I guess?" He wanted to add that maybe he'd see Ed tonight, too, if he found enough metal for Al to work with, but it probably wasn't a good idea to say something like that in front of their nurses.

"Assuming we're even given the chance," Ed said as he tossed the crayon back in the direction of the bucket it came from and got the papers he drew on.

He was rather relieved that the nurse for him hadn't come over to touch him. He hated being touched by random strangers at the best of times, which this wasn't.

There was that. Lloyd glanced at the nurses, but neither one of them seemed inclined to reveal tomorrow's schedule. With a light shrug, he found a place to set his "house" aside to let it dry.

Then, even as his nurse started to usher him away, he lifted a hand toward Ed. "Good luck," he called out, figuring that was safe enough. The nurses didn't need to know that he was talking about the coming night.

"Yeah. You too," he said as he stood up and stretched. He's been sitting in one spot a tad bit too long.

Day 71: Arts and Crafts (4th Shift)

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