damned_institute | Day 72: Breakfast

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Day 72: Breakfast

They had made it. It had required leaving Tsubaki behind to deal with her brainwashed roommate, but they'd gone all the way up the escalator, and this was it, the third floor--

Good morning, patients.

Sora shot up in bed, eyes wide, and let out a huff of surprise and aggravation. That wasn't fair! They'd made it all the way up, only for it to end like this? He fell back onto the bed and slammed his fists into the mattress to vent his frustration before he realized that Link was still asleep. Whoops.

It was hard to know what to do from this point on. He needed to go back to Farwell, but the third floor was important too. He could probably rely on his friends to handle things here while he traveled back to the rebel city, but he just didn't know.

He dragged his hand down his face and then slowly sat up again, as the door opened and his nurse came to get him. On the way to the cafeteria, Sora realized that the Head Doctor sounded kind of down. Was he upset because so many people were trying to go to the third floor now? Well, that was what he deserved after everything he'd done!

Sora stood in line for his plate of french toast and then peered around the cafeteria, looking for any sign of Tsubaki. He wanted to check in with her first.

[Tsubaki.]

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As disappointing as it was to wake before they made much headway, Landel's obvious irritation (discomfort?) was an excellent thing to wake up to. They were getting closer to a solution, and it was only a matter of time before they could get home.

...home. Did Scar and Lust even still have a safe place to go back to, there? The idea of leaving them behind made Al's stomach turn in knots, but it was a real possibility they just wouldn't be able to go home with Ed and Al--not without it being a death sentence.

He followed the nurse to the cafeteria as he pondered that, and poked at his breakfast without much gusto.

[Free!]

Castiel could have sworn he could still feel the aftereffects of that shock running through his body as he opened his eyes. It was possible that was all psychological, as the implication was that a few hours passed between the end of night and the start of day, but it did make him wonder...

He sat up, brushed himself off, and looked around. The key they'd found would be stored away in that box, and he chose not to risk checking for it. Last night would have been a waste if it hadn't been for finding those keys. While Castiel didn't know how they worked, he imagined the three of them would be able to figure it out when night came again.

With the third floor in their grasp now, it was even more tedious having to go through the monotony of the daytime. But Castiel followed after his nurse without any protest, though he focused more on Landel's words than hers.

Castiel wasn't the best judge of emotion, but even he could tell that Landel was not himself this morning. Or perhaps he was more himself, and less what he wanted them to believe he was when the sun was out. It was possible they were getting to him, and that, more than anything, assured Castiel that they were on the correct path.

He gathered a plate of food and then took a seat, cutting up the french toast quickly and methodically. He needed to keep his strength up.

[Skulduggery.]

_{[For Sasuke!]}

Breakfast found the vampire with his cheek on the cafeteria table.

Another night of wasted time and effort! His prison life had truly become deplorable. It was with some small satisfaction that he noted Landel seemed to be in an unhappy state of his own, but the bastard still had more going for him than the people he had pinned under his boot. Aidou's sadism couldn't quite overpower his own sense of indignity.

A stack of French toast sat an inch from his nose, but he couldn't be bothered to lift his head and eat. Maybe in a while, after he worked up the energy to file away his latest defeat.

By the time he woke up, most of the effects of the shock had worn off, but Kratos could still hear a faint, high-pitched ringing in his ears that unfortunately would only fade with time. It wasn't too frustrating, but it was certainly annoying.

He supposed that was the price one had to pay for making progress. They hadn't found the archive, no, but they had found some keys that would undoubtedly be useful in their continued search, and that was good enough for him. Now, he just had to make it through the rest of the day and hope that it didn't drag on for too long.

It was strange that there had been no mocking last words from Landel as the night had ended, and even stranger that his silence and apparent pensive mood had carried over into the morning. Perhaps their combined efforts were finally wearing away at him...hopefully, they would be able to keep up this level of pressure.

He took a plate of food and found a seat near the back of the cafeteria before beginning the process of cutting up his toast.

[for Gabriel]

Perhaps it was the unusually clipped tone of voice Landel used that brought the Once-ler to his full senses. The past day or so had seemed... groggy, really, as though he hadn't been awake for most of it. And he certainly hadn't been up for the last two nights. Which meant, he realized as his nurse escorted him to the cafeteria, that he hadn't shown up for the basement excursions twice.

Had Soma and the others spent the whole time waiting for him? Or had they written him off as a lost cause? The Once-ler didn't know which of the two was worse. Not that he was the most useful member of the team, of course. Moral support, maybe.

The Once-ler glared at the french toast before him, chin in his hands. There was no explanation for why he hadn't been awake; frankly, if anything he should have more trouble sleeping than staying awake.

Oh, this day was starting wonderfully.

[for his only frand Soma]

"He's what?"

The nurse's smile remained fixed on her face, but her eyes had widened slightly and the knuckles on the hand holding the clipboard had whitened. It was a little ridiculous, considering Soma was a full head shorter than she was, but then again, Soma didn't know what she looked right now. Didn't care.

It's not the nurse's fault, said Marie, but Soma's frown only deepened. She would have given anything for a weapon right now.

"Discharged!" said the nurse again. "Just before dinner last night. His mother and brother came to pick him up. I'm sorry you didn't have a chance to say goodbye, but maybe you'd like to write a letter--"

Soma threw her pillow at the nurse's head.

About ten minutes later, she was marched into the cafeteria between two orderlies, each easily three times her size, and unceremoniously deposited across from the Once-ler with a plate of french toast and a bowl of fruit. Soma, for her part, didn't appear to have noticed; instead, she sat staring down at her lap, slowly clenching and unclenching her fists.

The Once-ler had been hoping to see Soma soon, to at least attempt to explain why he hadn't shown up for the last two nights, but not like this. He started when Soma was sat down across from him. Two orderlies? What had Soma done to get that treatment?

She didn't look to be in a sunny mood by any degree, and truth be told, the Once-ler was a little wary of bringing up his failure to show for the basement team twice. Soma wasn't making any sign of noticing him, though whether or not that was a good thing was up in the air.

Then again, this could be the only chance he'd get to talk directly to Soma today.

The Once-ler prodded at his toast for a bit, then set his fork down. Eventually someone would have to say something, and the sooner, the better. He looked directly at Soma. "I'd say good morning, but it looks like neither of us are having one," he said drily. The man leaned forward. "What's up?"

Soma looked up at last, staring blankly for a moment before the Once-ler's face finally registered.

Had he waited for her last night? Had Link? Had she kept them all waiting, sleeping through the dark like that? Had Lawrence Laufson really been released before dinner or had he waited for her, too--waited for nobody to show up?

First Rapunzel and now him. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

"Lingormr's gone," she said quietly. "Did you see him last night?"

When morning came, Kyousuke found himself sitting up in mild irritation. They only been steps away from properly entering the floor, but now? Close wasn't there, so now they were back at square one. But he couldn't say he was surprised; nothing ever went smoothly here. At least now they knew exactly what to look for, so tomorrow night, they could probably expedite the process. ... Still, he'd probably have to apologize to Tsubaki. He'd taken the chance the she'd give him, but in the end, he hadn't been able to make full use of it. He just hoped she was okay. There was no telling what could have happened after they left her to reason with her roommate.

After the nurse came for him, he left a couple of notes on the bulletin, before grabbing a tray of breakfast and scanning the cafeteria for anyone he might need to talk to. None seemed to be here yet, though, so he took a seat close to the door where he'd be able to keep an eye out.

[ freeee as the wind ]

"Oh."

Lingormr? Gone? Just like that? He'd never particularly liked the man, despite working with him for several nights, and yet he couldn't help but feel a small pit form in his stomach. The same thing happened to Rapunzel, and his first roommate, Flynn, too.

"I'm... I'm sorry." What else was there to say? "About Lingormr."

The Once-ler forced himself to take a bite of the toast in front of him; having not eaten in the last day or so, he knew he would thank himself for it later. After a moment or so, he leaned forward. "That wouldn't have anything to do with the big guys escorting you here, would it?"

It wasn't as if it was exactly a restful night, given that Gabe hadn't slept, but the Archangel still felt better when he woke up than he had the previous evening. Somehow, talking to the sphinx had crystallised what he was meant to be doing here, whether he was there by choice or not.

In light of that, did it matter whether David was Lucifer or a construct? No, it did not. Within the limits of his perception, David deserved to be treated with dignity. That fact still didn't completely wipe away the little twist in Gabe's stomach when he wondered at the truth, but it did make it easier to bear and the Archangel was determined to do right by it.

It was only when Gabe opened his possessions box that he even remembered he'd gotten a note the night before. He'd been so distracted by the visit, and then by winning the artefact, that he had forgotten to ask Skulduggery about it. Maybe he could ask someone this morning.

So when Gabe got to the cafeteria and spotted Kratos alone, he made for the man's table. They'd only spoken once, a week ago, during Castiel's surgery, but Gabe's impression had been that Kratos had been at the Institute for a while and knew a good deal about what was happening. Moreover, Castiel obviously trusted him. In lieu of Castiel himself, Kratos was the next best thing to ask about details.

"Good morning," he said with a smile, setting his tray down. "May I sit here?"

Waking up felt like a monumental task, and Tsubaki had to fight to shake her grogginess off. Ugh, what a night... She waited as long as she could for Korra to wake on her own, taking an extra long time to dress and brush her hair, but Korra was still asleep by the the time the nurse became adamant that she hurry up and join the breakfast crowd.

Too bad. The last thing Korra needed was to wake up by herself after everything that had happened. She had to at least let Korra know that she was all right.

"Please, just give me a minute, I'll be there right away," she said to her nurse before grabbing a pen and a piece of paper out of her notebook.

Korra-san,

I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you this morning. I couldn't help you last night, either, and I'm sorry for that, too, but you should know that I'm all right. It wasn't your fault.

If we don't see each other today, we'll talk at dinner! Try not to be too bothered, okay?

- Tsubaki

Once she had scribbled down a message, she left the paper on Korra's desk and hurried into the hall under her nurse's watchful eye. The sudden movement twinged sore muscles, but they were the least of her worries. A few bumps and bruises were hardly worth a thought, and she'd gotten off lucky, considering. Thankfully, neither she nor Korra had done too damage before the coming dawn whisked them back to bed. On the other hand, she had no idea how Sora and Tsurugi had fared...

For all she knew, they could've been in even greater danger.

Tsubaki hardly noticed when she found herself in the cafeteria and her nurse stepped away to leave her to her business. Would Korra even wake in time for breakfast...? She looked back at the doors uncertainly for a few moments, before slowing scanning the room.

Edited 2013-08-03 07:42 (UTC)

Landel's brief message rang in Lana's ears; the intercom switching off lacked the gravitas of the gavel coming down, but something sounded final about it. Like he'd made a choice, and something had ended. There was nothing particular about the words, but still, her stomach was tying itself in knots. Had someone managed to accomplish what she and Ryuuzaki had been talking about, and the notes had suggested? She didn't think so; he didn't sound either smug nor harried enough.

Perhaps he was just dropping the last of the pretense. Which also meant the game was afoot for real; there would be no mercy if he was no longer amused by granting it. Lana turned down the French toast in favor of some fruit and water, and picked a table with one occupant. It was a kid, though a good look put him older than her first assumption -- about Ema's age, maybe older, or maybe just too serious for his age.

"Morning," she said, not attempting to call it a good one. She slipped into the seat across from him. "Is everything alright?"

Al glanced up when the young woman sat down, nodding in greeting as she took a seat. He poked at his toast a bit more before finally starting to actually cut it up to eat. "By some definitions, I guess. I'm just thinking about some friends, and where they're gonna go after all this."

With both of them scanning the area, it wasn't a surprise when Sora and Tsubaki found each other through the crowd. While it looked like Tsubaki had just arrived -- she didn't even have a tray of food with her yet -- Sora didn't let that stop him from marching over to her.

She didn't look to be badly injured, at least from what Sora could see. The fact that she didn't have crutches and wasn't in a wheelchair was a good sign, and Sora couldn't find any sign of her having been burned, either. So maybe she'd just had to handle those wind attacks until the night had ended.

Either way, it was a huge relief. Sora hadn't felt right, leaving her like that. While he and Tsurugi had confirmed that the passage was really there, it didn't feel like it had been enough to justify running off without Tsubaki.

"You're all right," he breathed out once he reached her. "Is Korra okay, too?" Sora didn't see her around, but she and Tsubaki were roommates, so if anyone was going to know, it would be her.

Lana blinked. It wasn't the boys' fault -- but that had been exactly what she'd been talking about with Ryuuzaki when night had ended, and she hadn't expected it to be the first thing out of someone else's mouth.

"Did one of them visit? Or are you talking about people who are still here?" She knew where Gant and von Karma were going, after all -- and Byrne. He was out there, brainwashed and, if what Ryuuzaki had seen in Lunge was universal, somehow less than he'd been. "You're not Sora, are you? I, ah, know that's an odd question, but he said he'd met one of my friends somewhere outside of here."

He'd managed to cut most of his toast into his usual uniform bite-sized squares when company arrived: Kratos looked up at the sound of a tray being set down to find himself face to face with--Gabriel. Although they had only interacted once, the occasion had been significant, so he could more easily remember the man's name and the impression he'd made.

"Of course," he said by instinct, not wanting to seem impolite. He couldn't think of a single reason why Gabriel would wish to peak with him apart from perhaps greeting a familiar face, but today of all days would be all right for small talk: Kratos had things to share. "What can I do for you?"

Oh! Sora. Just another of the people she'd been hoping to find! As soon as her eyes found his, she quickly forgot about the rest of the room and she lifted her hand in greeting.

As he approached, she did her own appraisal. Sora seemed to be in good health on his part, which set her mind at ease about what had happened to them once they'd separated in the Sun Room.

"Yes, we're okay, the both of us. She was still asleep when I left, but night time ended before too long. I think she'll be okay." She nodded, smiling brightly. She'd never thought about what it would mean not to touch someone before; she had to remind herself she could reassure Sora by putting a hand on him. "What about you guys? What happened to you, were you safe after you left?"

Al shook his head quickly. "No, my name is Alphonse. My friends, they're people stuck here with us--Brother and I haven't gotten any visitors yet." And he hoped they never did--he couldn't stomach the thought of seeing his family and friends trotted out like that.

He bit his lip, "It's just that back home they're...well, dead. And one of them would be hunted by the government if they found out he was still alive." Lust probably would be hunted, too, but that was a much more complicated situation. "I don't want to be separated from them, but I don't know how they could go home with us and stay safe."

Dammit, they'd made it so far last night, and yet it still wasn't far enough. It was frustrating, especially with the thought that they'd have to start over again tonight. On the other hand, Lloyd had a sword now, not just a dagger, and they'd gotten hold of those keys. Would they still have them when they got into their possessions tonight? He could only cross his fingers and hope.

The thought of his possessions box brought up another thought, though. He still didn't know what Lee's clothes had been doing in his closet last night. As he forced bites of tasteless French toast into his mouth, the teen scanned the cafeteria for his friend. He hadn't spotted him yet, but maybe he was just sleeping late. I'll put a note on the bulletin after breakfast, he decided. Just in case we don't cross paths.

That decided, he pulled out a pencil and his journal that he'd brought with him from his room. Between bites, he started sketching, penciling out everything he could remember about the path he, Kratos, and Castiel had taken on the third floor last night.

[Free.]

Edited 2013-08-04 23:14 (UTC)

Brother. Ema's absence was a constant hole in her life -- even if it was better that she'd been sent home, Lana missed her. And refused to contemplate her being here-but-brainwashed; she'd done Ema a terrible wrong by trying to protect her at home, and she wasn't going to do it here. Even just by hoping for it.

"That's very much like what happened to my friend. He's been dead for years, back home; in fact, we'd never met until we came here. I knew him only by reputation." That it was a good reputation went unsaid by anything other than the smile on her face; she wasn't going to get into the other people who'd arrived here from either a life sentence or Death Row. "Sora saw him somewhere outside here -- and not brainwashed. I don't know if that's true for everyone, but there might be another option."

Alphonse nodded reluctantly and looked down. "I guess if it comes to it they can find a new place or...world to live in. It might be better for them, really." It would hurt to lose them again, but if it was for their own happiness, who was he to stop that for his own wants?

He looked up again at her, raising an eyebrow. "This Sora--you said he's gotten out of here before?"

"Thank you." Gabe sat and kicked off his shoes, then tucked his feet up under his chair as he unrolled his cutlery from his napkin. "It's really just been a while since we spoke, but I actually also had something to ask, since I get the impression you've been here for a while."

He looked earnestly at Kratos. "Did you get a note last night? About the third floor? Who might have given them to us? If the third floor is so important, what's in the basement?"

Sora wasn't all that surprised that the night hadn't gone on too much longer for Tsubaki after they'd left. He and Tsurugi had only had the time to find that book and then ride the escalator up to the top, which really wasn't all that much time when you thought about it. He was just thankful that there hadn't been much of a chance for Korra to do any real damage...

Then again, there had been those scorch marks which they'd seen when first entering the Sun Room. That might mean that another group had fought her before them.

Sora did what he could not to worry about it. Everyone seemed to be okay, and that was what mattered. He returned Tsubaki's smile and then started to lead them to an empty table as he explained. "We were safe, yeah! Everything was pretty quiet, but we got far enough to make sure that the switch really worked. And it did! As soon as Tsurugi pulled that book out, a secret door slid open." He could still barely believe it. Secret passages were always cool in his book.

That was quite a lot for "something to ask", and Kratos had to take a moment to sort out where he wanted to start. It was probably best to address each of Gabriel's questions one at a time in the order that they'd been presented, just so he could keep things straight.

"I did," he said with a nod. "I presume the notes were from the rebels--their goal is to overthrow Landel." Their plans regarding the patients being held in the institute were less clear, but his note had mentioned finding a way home, a hint to their intentions. "The one I received spoke of a records archive somewhere on the third floor that would be necessary for those desiring to return to their respective homes, and detailed how one might reach that archive."

The expression on Kratos's face deepened into a light frown as he reached the question about the basement. "I wouldn't know what's in the basement. I've been there several times, but never made much progress regarding its secrets. Apparently, there's something down there worth investigating, though." Even if it left people physically unable to speak of it...

"What did your note say?" If the contents were different from his or Lloyd's or Castiel's, it could be helpful.

A blonde girl snapped upright out of bed, wide-eyed and strangely composed in breathing, even if she breathed in and out in long intervals. It was easy to see that she was not herself though, her eyes dilated and an apparent detachment from reality, not responding to the person next to her.

What... what was that...

Ciel closed her eyes. She gave no attention to her surroundings while her brain tried to catch up with what she... dreamt? It had to be. She woke up in the dead of night within a strange place, void of life, left to fend for herself. And then, when she explored the barren, seemingly abandoned area, she encountered odd noises, bare glimpses of bizzare things, and...

"... can you hear me?" a voice asked next to her, snapping her out of her daze. Ciel's head jolted with awareness, and she barely turned her head to the source of the voice.

The attempt at a cheerful face from the nurse was betrayed by the firmness in her tone, once she realized that the girl still in bed registered a response. "It's time to go to breakfast, Celia." she explained.

Ciel tilted her head in a mixture of puzzlement and worry. "I'm... I am sorry, madame, but what was that?" This was a human being she was talking to, and the way she was addressed was odd. If this wasn't Neo Arcadia she was in, then she had no idea where else she could be. Then again, the woman's attire...

That woman sighed and shaked her head with rolled eyes while she quipped with mild annoyance, "Come along, breakfast is waiting."

She was wearing a nurse's outfit, wasn't she? For the longest time, Ciel had only seen that sort of attire from the Cyber-Elves that she looked after while Zero was out on his missions. That must have meant she was in some sort of hospital. After a pause, she voiced her curiosity, still in disbelief, "Why am I here?" She shouldn't be here. Why was she here? It was bad enough that her dream didn't make sense.

"Now, young lady."

That was enough to cow her into agreement, and so after another brief pause she slowly got out of her bed despite her apprehension. She was about to walk out of the room, when the nurse in front of her stopped and turned around, which made Ciel stop just before she clumsily bumped into her. The nurse checked her over and questioned her choice, a flattened expression. "Do you really intend on walking out barefoot, Celia? It's been chilly lately, wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Of course, her head was too busy thinking about other things to really consider the idea. More important, pressing matters clouded her mind ever since she woke up, with more only piling on the more the circumstances of her situation unfolded. Like following orders lest something bad happened. She noticed the eyes of the nurse looking behind her, which made her turn around to see the closet behind her. When she finally turned around, the nurse's eyes were right back on her, arms crossed. Without a word, Ciel went over to the closet and gingerly opened it, revealing something strangely familiar, like some sort of déjà vu. She put on some socks, and was about to put the shoes on before she was berated again, "No, Celia, no shoes. Wear your slippers if you must."

Like that name she kept being called. She put on those slippers and walked out with the nurse, but not without staring at the closet through the transition. As they walked down the blank halls, long white lights throughout, she frowned and spoke to the nurse, asking, "Madame, why do you keep calling me that? That is not my name... it is Ciel."

"It's "miss". This isn't France, and while your family has a history of French blood, you were born in Pennsylvania as an American, Celia Giroux. You'll be late for breakfast, at this rate, come on now."

Most of that went unheard however, as they neared the Sun Room. Staring blankly, and focusing on what she recognized then, was all she could do to keep from freaking out right then and there, her jaw loosed and dropped. It was difficult to notice due to the difference of time, but that bizarre feeling was finally understood.

No... this can't be right...!

She was here before. Last night. That dream... was reality. She began to back up, away from the room that should have been charred black, the air smelling as clean as could be and without the scorched wood and flooring's scent.

"Celia? What are you doing? Oh, no..." The nurse immediately knew what was going to happen when she turned around to see Ciel react as she did; she attempted to grab at the girl's wrist.

Ciel realized full well now where exactly she was, and even though she couldn't quite recall how the dream ended, this was where something really bad happened, and almost happened to her. "No! Let go of me!" She turned around and pleaded with the nurse, wrenching free of her before the hold could become firm, running towards the double doors that would lead to the Entry Room.

Edited 2013-08-07 22:45 (UTC)

Zero awoke feeling quite refreshed - a pleasant change to the usual Institute morning routine. Although he, Sechs, and Aigis hadn't explored the basement in its entirety, they had covered quite a bit of ground for one night, and Zero had even gotten the chance to use a beam saber again, brief as it had been. In short, it had been progress. Real, tangible progress. The thought alone inspired confidence in him, so much so that the nurse even commented on how much of a better mood he seemed to be in this morning.

The only thing that seemed to be off so far was Landel's morning announcement, which sounded less...annoying happy than usual. Hmm. Zero had been waiting for days to hear Landel like this, but now that he was actually hearing it, it didn't seem...right. Made him wonder if something had happened overnight. Not that he could remember an end of the night broadcast or anything... Maybe it wasn't--

No! Let go of me!

...Zero's thoughts and feet stopped instantly when he heard that voice call out from the crowd of breakfast-bound prisoners. That voice...! It had almost sounded like...

No...it couldn't possibly be...?

He turned, looking back in the direction of the Institute's entrance. At first, he saw nothing unusual in the crowd; seconds passed without confirmation, and he started to convince himself that he was just imagining what he wanted to hear, nothing more. But then, as the crowd began to die away, Zero suddenly spotted a head of blond hair, belonging to a girl in prisoner garb who was fighting with her nurse. She broke free of her nurse's grip and ran for the Institute's front doors--

And her face was unmistakable.

Zero's eyes widened; his heart rate spiked; he felt his stomach tighten, and a cold feeling hit his veins.

And before his nurse could stop him, he was walking - no, running - after the blond-haired girl, part of him wishing that he was wrong about the face he just recognized.

Breakfast was the last thing on her mind. She didn't give a thought to the cafeteria line and instead followed Sora.

Switch? Hold on a minute, what would one of those... "You mean that was what was in the library? The switch to make the path to the third floor open?" she questioned, giving his back a quizzical look.

There'd been no time to ask about the library, not between them discussing the notes and then finding Korra in the Sun Room. How the library had a connection to the third floor, Tsubaki still didn't know; it had seemed odd when Sora had mentioned it, and doubly so now.

Whoops. He was getting ahead of himself, wasn't he? Sora paused in the middle of a bite of french toast when he realized that Tsubaki had never been given all of the information to begin with. It was hard to keep track sometimes, especially with a night as hectic as that one.

"Right, sorry!" he said once he'd swallowed his food. "I forgot that you weren't there when Tsurugi explained it to me. Basically, there's this one book. It's called... the Oxford Book of Prose, or something?" That might not be the exact name, but it was probably close enough that Tsubaki would be able to find it if she went looking around on her own.

"If you go at night and try to pull out that book, it'll open up a secret passage at the back of the library. That's how you get to the third floor." They hadn't even encountered any guards, though Sora got the feeling that was because they'd gone pretty late in the night.

Generally, patients would have outbursts by their rooms, and so this was a change in routine. In a way, though, it was a relief to have something different, even if any hysterical patient was a problem. If it had to happen, though, at least it wasn't the exact same pattern that the entire staff had gotten used to.

Celia's efforts would be for naught, though. The entry room was always guarded, and so as soon as a whistle was blown to indicate that a patient was on the run, two orderlies stepped out of the entry room doors to anticipate her.

They hadn't expected yet another patient to follow her, though, and a longstanding one at that. At this rate, they might need reinforcements.

She nodded slightly, her expression tightly drawn. There was something about Lingormr's disappearance that tore at her even worse than Rapunzel's had--something that now, after the initial burst of anger, had left her feeling more drained than angry. She was sure his saving her life had something to do with it, but it wasn't everything.

"I got angry. I just--" She paused, looked down, took a deep breath. "I'm tired of losing people."

Edited 2013-08-14 19:05 (UTC)

Rebels. If he searched his memory, Gabe thought he might remember hearing something about an adversary to Landel--maybe way back when he spoke to Barnaby. But he couldn't remember exactly what was said, or if it had to do with their homeworlds or Landel himself.

"Home," Gabe said wistfully, and some unpleasant emotion tugged at his stomach. He shook his head. "Mine said the same. That there was an archive there leading home. And something about teleporters." He couldn't help the note of amusement. He'd been an angel, capable of moving from one side of Earth to another in a second. Either dealing with these teleporters would be spectacularly easy for him, or correspondingly difficult due to Landel's sense of irony.

"What can you tell me about these rebels? I haven't heard anything about them before. At least, not enough that I can remember details."

"I see." No new information there, then. That was disappointing, but then, with what little they'd had to go on last night, his group hadn't done too shabbily for itself. "I attempted to reach the archive last night, and I can at least verify that there are teleporters."

Kratos ate another bite of his breakfast before continuing. "I don't know much about the rebels, only that they are against Landel. What motivates them, their numbers, capabilities...none of that is very clear. They have tried to be helpful in the past, though, and did manage to infiltrate the institute before.

"A friend of mine also recently told me about a city that the rebels are using as a base, which he recently stumbled upon. It's close by, just over the mountains."

"It's all right, I didn't want to slow you down by asking," she said, carefully tucking in her chair under her. She'd be happy to finally hop in the shower and wash away the evidence of the night. "I figured there must be some way to reach the third floor, but I didn't think it would be something like that."

Knowing the key had been on the first floor made her wonder how long it'd been there. The whole time? And did it lead to... Landel's office?

She refrained from frowning at the thought, and instead voiced another question. "How did anyone figure that out? It seems so... random."

"You got there?" Gabe leaned in almost unconsciously. "What did you find?" If anything--maybe they weren't there long enough to find anything new. It would be just like Landel to end things for them just as they got somewhere. Then again, the night hadn't ended until after Gabe and Skulduggery had succeeded in winning the shield.

He wasn't expecting Kratos's explanation of the rebels. Gabe couldn't even be sure why, except that it never occurred to him that people from the outside might have actually broken in with the intent to help the patients. "What do we know about their motives, even vaguely? What did they want when they infiltrated?" he asked almost anxiously, and then stopped with a blink. "Just over the mountains?"

The basement went underground. Did it go under the mountain? Is that what the basement led to? If it did, what was the point of the tests? They had to be put there by Landel, and yet if the end result was escape ... No, that didn't make sense. Maybe the rebels had appropriated it. Or maybe it didn't lead under the mountain at all. He didn't have enough information to tell for sure either way.

"Dr. Landel isn't too cheerful this morning," were Skulduggery's first words to Stephanie when she came to collect him that morning.

"You're right," she agreed. Same smile as always, though there was a touch of genuine worry tugging at her mouth. Or at least, it appeared genuine. Whatever her worries were, though, she didn't elaborate. "Did you sleep well?"

Skulduggery shrugged as he followed her out. "Well enough."

Better than usual, actually. He hadn't had a chance to go through his closet, but he knew the shield the Sphinx gave them would be there. It was possible the iron bar belonging to Gabe's roommate would be, as well. It finally felt like they were making some progress, even if that progress was all within the realm of Landel's game. And outside the realm of Landel's game, Gabe's attempts to befriend the creature weren't being quite as stonewalled as Skulduggery might have assumed they would be. He didn't know how Gabe planned to bring cans of paint down into the basement, but it was worth a shot.

Which made Landel's attitude that morning all the more interesting. The Head Doctor's attention hadn't been focused on the basement, but on the third floor. And judging by the note Skulduggery received in his room before the night started, someone managed to get through.

Skulduggery barely paid attention to what food was on the tray he brought over to Castiel. If anyone would know what happened, it would be the angel who had been making attempts to reach the third floor himself. "Good morning," Skulduggery greeted that angel as he sat down. "Is it my imagination, or was Landel taken down a peg last night?"

At least all of the information had been shared between them now. Hopefully that would mean that they could all make a try at getting to the third floor, and eventually someone had to find that archive, right? Sora had no idea what would be waiting for them there, but it was clearly important.

"I'm not sure," he said in response to Tsubaki's question, shaking his head as he took another bite of his food. "Kratos told Tsurugi and Tsurugi told me, but I don't know who told Kratos." It was possible someone had just noticed there being something weird about the book during the day and then had decided to check it out at night, but even then, it was impressive that someone had noticed something so small.

"Either way, we know for sure now that it works! So that's some kind of progress, right?" He smiled at her and then realized that she didn't have any food with her. Without really thinking about it, Sora slid his plate toward Tsubaki so she could try a few bites of his french toast.

Having Skulduggery join him for breakfast was hardly a surprise. Castiel was deep in thought when he arrived, chewing idly on a bite of his toast. It was honestly a bit too sweet for his liking, but Castiel had come to realize how necessary food was after his post-operative days had made it almost impossible to eat.

He glanced over and nodded to Skulduggery. It seemed that his assessment of Landel's demeanor hadn't been off the mark, if someone else had noticed.

"It's not your imagination," he said with a shake of his head. "It could be that he's starting to realize that the rebels are gaining ground, and that he can't ignore them any longer."

Which might mean he'd start taking more direct action against them, but Castiel was prepared for that eventuality.

"Not to the archive, just to the third floor proper," Kratos clarified. Hopefully, they would be able to reach the archive tonight. "Obviously, there was some machinery up there that none of us recognized" - which, now that he thought about it, was a little odd: wasn't Castiel from this world? Then again, the angel hadn't known much about batteries when they'd met at the electronics store in Doyleton the other day... "Otherwise, nothing else of too much interest." He would withhold judgment until he figured out what those keys were for.

"I only know what I've managed to tell you, sadly." Castiel had given him a note a while ago regarding the rebels' role in driving out Aguilar at the height of the military takeover, but the details of the contents were difficult to recall. "And yes, just over the mountains. I've never been, but my friend has, and that's how he described it."

And Sora intended to go back, didn't he? He made a mental note to ask about that later.

Unaware of the other patient that was noticed by the orderlies, Ciel ran through the hall, desperate to leave. Her heart was going a mile a minute, still not knowing much of anything. Where she was, what she was doing there.

"Hah, hah, ha—Aaaah!" was what came from her lips, and her legs fumbled forward into the men guarding the doors.

Though her mind quickly reminded her why her left leg was in pain, and why she couldn't move so well as she had the other day.

Now under their mercy, all that was left was talking her way out hysterically. A plea of, "Please! I don't want to stay here! Something bad will happen!" spilled out of her. "I have somewhere else I need to be. Let me go!"

Deep in her heart, Ciel wished for a miracle, that someone or something would save her. She tried hard this time, for probably over 24 hours now, to for once be a savior, to fight despite her letting others do the saving in the past. Now, disoriented, injured, and fearing for the fate of the world, all that she could do was hope, for it was all she had left.

Her face...her voice...! It had to be...but why?!

It didn't take long at all for Zero to catch up to the action, just in time to see the familiar blond-haired prisoner be captured by the staff. She was clearly panicking and confused, just as anyone first waking up here should be... And it could just be Zero's own paranoia, but it almost seemed like the girl wasn't moving as well as she could. But maybe he was reading too much into the situation, and it might simply be due to her panic...at least, that's what he was hoping.

Either way, Zero wasn't about to stand by and just watch this happen. Especially not when that girl looked like, sounded like, and practically was...

"Ciel!" He called out to her as he approached, hoping his voice would reach her in this state. Whether it did or didn't wasn't completely important, though, as he was also going to physically reach out to her, attempting to place his hands on her shoulders and pull her away from the orderlies in front of her. Contrary to what it probably appeared to the staff, he wasn't planning on fighting to give her a chance to escape. No...sadly, he already knew from experience that neither of them had a chance like this. Instead, he wanted to calm her down personally, while at the same time protect her from receiving any punishment for her disobedience.

...And after all was said and done, he wanted--no, needed answers.

As much as Celia might beg and plead, there was nothing that the orderlies could do for her. The very reason she'd been placed here was because she was a danger either to herself or others, and it wouldn't be right to let someone like that leave, no matter how scared she might be.

It wasn't easy to face, but the two men remained where they were, blocking the door. One of them was about to speak up to explain, but that was when the other patient raced up to Celia and caught her by the shoulder.

"Can you explain to her that we can't let her leave?" the orderly asked. Unless both of them were planning some kind of ill-advised escape attempt, but the concern in the young man's eyes made that seem unlikely.

"Rebels?" The word caught Skulduggery's attention, and he leaned in over his food with his eyes unconsciously narrowed. It was a strange turn of phrase to use if Castiel was referring to the patients, and although Skulduggery hadn't heard about anyone outside the Institute fighting Landel, he also couldn't otherwise explain the note he found last night. "Do these rebels like to leave messages?"

Messages saying to aim for the third floor, if he remembered correctly. Someone really must have done well last night if they were finally throwing Landel off his game. But if outside 'rebels' existed, and they were capable of leaving notes in patients' bedrooms without detection, what stopped them from reaching the third floor themselves?

Skulduggery didn't know anything about the rebels? Castiel frowned, as it was something he'd come to take for granted. Anyone who had been here during the military's time controlling this place should have been well aware of the rebel's involvement, but it was possible that Skulduggery had arrived after that point. Or that he hadn't been paying as much attention, though thus far Castiel could tell that Skulduggery had a penchant for detail. He was the one who'd originally told him about the library, after all.

"Yes, that would be them," he said after a pause. "They're taking more risks now. They also somehow took control of the intercom last night." Castiel didn't know if anyone had followed that trail, as he hadn't taken a close look at the bulletin board so far, but at this point he was far more focused on the third floor itself.

"We made further progress last night," he added. Castiel owed Skulduggery the information after how open he'd been with him during their first conversation.

... Which would explain Landel's curtness with the intercom that morning. Narcissistic psychopaths didn't usually like their things being fiddled with. Particularly not by people they considered enemies.

But it also implied that the rebels were only able to take control at night. Whatever their methods, they'd failed by the time the sun rose. Either Landel had absolute power during the day - which Skulduggery doubted, or the Head Doctor could easily skip over the following nights and rob them of the opportunity for rebelling - or the amount of time between their blacking out and their waking up in bed was longer than Skulduggery had originally thought. Long enough for Landel to wrest back control of the intercom, perhaps?

Either way, the third floor was important. Skulduggery rested his chin in his hands, breakfast all but forgotten. "Really? Do tell."

Castiel hadn't forgotten his meal, on the other hand.

While french toast might not be his favorite of the different breakfast options, he couldn't ignore the hunger he was feeling, and so Skulduggery had no choice but to wait as Castiel finished the bite he'd taken.

After swallowing, he cleared his throat and nodded. "We made it up the escalator and found ourselves in a room, having stepped off of a... teleportation pad of some kind." Castiel had no idea if Skulduggery would be familiar with the concept. Kratos and Lloyd definitely had been, but he doubted they were all from the same world.

"We exited out into the hallway above the Sun Room, and then found another room with a pad, which took us to yet another. We found some keys in the last room, but night ended before we could find out what they were for." Which would be the plan tonight, naturally.

"Did you find out what the machinery did?" It could have been anything. Maybe it was the teleporters. Maybe the archive was electronic. Or maybe it was something else Gabriel couldn't concieve without proper context. "Would you be willing to let me know what you find tonight?"

So it was possible to actually escape the Institute. Gabe's mortal heart beat faster. How much did the rebels know? Would they be able to tell him more about the visitors--whether they were constructs or reality? "What else did he tell you about them? Did he say how to get there?"

Belatedly the Archangel realised how eager he must sound, and shook his head, sitting back a little and smiling ruefully. "I'm sorry; I'm asking a lot of questions. No one has been able to tell me so much before. Then again, maybe I just wasn't asking the right questions."

"It was a gate, and it shocked anyone who tried to pass through it. We tried to find some kind of switch or way to disable it, but we didn't turn up anything." Kratos was fairly sure it was just something Landel had put up there to make their lives harder, but maybe Gabriel would know something more about it. "And I'd be willing to do that. We're aiming for the same goal, after all."

He fielded another question: "No, not really." It struck him that he ought to have asked that. Unfortunately, his mind had been mostly preoccupied with the fact that Sora was even alive--and the unpleasant lingering guilt of having been the one to kill him.

Kratos shook his head. "It's not a problem. I'm more than happy to let others know about what I've found out." After all, he was probably one of the oldest patients, in terms of both length of stay and actual age, in the institute; the amount of knowledge he'd amassed probably outstripped many others'.

It didn't sound like modern technology. It could have been magic posing, but there was no way Gabe could tell from down here, and he already had plans for tonight. "Thank you."

Although Kratos didn't quite know as much as Gabe could have liked, it was still far more than Gabe had known beforehand. "Is there anything else you can tell me about the Institute? Or maybe Landel? Who is he?"

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Day 72: Breakfast

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[ugh I am not getting notifs]

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[noooo worries!]

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And now that I am off my mini-hiatus, here you are.

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<3! AS LONG AS YOU FORGIVE ME FOR BEING FOREVER SLOW.

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