Day 72: Sun Room (3rd Shift)

[dividedby]

Finally, it was lunchtime. Second shift had gone by way too slowly for Zero's liking, although spending his time sitting and waiting impatiently for the shift to be over didn't help him any. Having a staring contest with his nurse probably helped even less...but it did give him something to do that wasn't sitting or staring at the board, at least.

But that was then, this was now. Another awkward intercom broadcast aside, Zero was very much ready for the next shift to start - and he was welcoming it by standing from the couch he'd been restlessly sitting on for who knew how long and staring at the prisoners leaving the Arts and Crafts room. Ciel had to be one of them. He hadn't seen her come out of the showers at all, and the nurse had prevented him from going into that room for a reason, right? So she had to be there. Had to be.

She better be...

[Ciel-chaaaans]

Comments

[idolism]

It was unlike him, very unlike him, but for once the vampire found the hot water more seductive than the desire to flee from the public eye, and he spent most of his second shift in the shower with the other males. He'd surprised himself with how badly he needed to relax and soak his muscles. Constant failure had done wonders to make him tense like a bow string wound too tight.

As second shift led to third, he retreated to the Sun Room, blond locks still dripping with water. There was a nice, unoccupied couch sitting out of the way of the midday sun; Aidou fell into and it and reclined, tossing his lunch somewhere on the table.

Perhaps if he could keep himself relaxed, he wouldn't be so damn cranky later in the day when he'd have to spend his night jumping through Landel's hoops...

Unlikely, but one could dream.

[asteroidbelt]

Another intercom change again. That was beginning to be strange, but for the moment Ryusei ignored it and opened his lunch. He should take advantage of the option to scout the other rooms, he knew, but they sounded—and looked, from the glimpse he'd had of them the first day—so mundane that he didn't quite want to bother. And anyway those rooms weren't places in which strange things happened—but on the other hand, he wouldn't know, would he? He never made it into here at night, if he were ever even inclined to come here.

Irate, he got up, sandwich in one hand and bag in other, and strolled restlessly around the room until he stopped in front of the bulletin board.

[Korra!]

[toujoursalarecherche]

What sort of bond can be created between two people within the span of two years?

Indeed, the head of long blonde hair could be seen easily, framing Ciel's short stature, when she left the Arts and Crafts room with her nurse in tow. Her downcast expression signified her current state, dejected with her— no, their situation, if "Zero" was truly who he said he was.

And for what reason could she doubt him for his attempts to appease who otherwise would have been just another patient? ...Several, actually. After being "reminded" by the nurse (though, this is clearly the first time she heard of it) during Arts and Craft, she came to know that this is a mental institution, and that everyone here "have a reason to be here". She caught the meaning easily: Everyone here was "sick". Everything she knew of the Resistance, of Neo Arcadia, and of the Reploids were all simply a fantasy of hers. Yet, what kind of crazy coincidence would it be for that person to be "sick" about being someone she knew before? There were other, more painful reasons to be apprehensive, but...

"Good afternoon.. Yūdai, was it?" said the voice behind her, whose feet came to a stop a second before. The girl didn't notice her nurse stop, but the prompt paused her own steps immediately. Her eyes trailed the ground to find the feet of the person the nurse spoke of, his own nurse off to the side.

Her face followed her eyes and rose up to see the posture that spoke of determination. The hardened stare she came to know so well within that span of time before. The blond man who called himself Zero, despite now being of flesh and blood.

Her body suppressed itself, almost in reaction, to the emotions that swarmed within her. She had already embarrassed herself by breaking down and crying in public, something she never liked doing. Now though, she thought she could control herself. A mixture of hurt and happiness, closed eyes holding back the tears with a bittersweet smile, was all that she allowed to show on her face, and even then briefly, before she took a deep breath and relaxed into a more neutral, though melancholy feeling.

The nurse continued while Ciel readied herself, continuing on her cheerful-yet-firm mood, more talking to the man than her. "I understand that you two have some history." She continued without allowing a response from either of them. "If you can agree to behave, both with each other and with us, you can talk with one another." It sounded like she was done with that sentence, but quickly added another one after trading glances with the other nurse some more. "With our supervision, of course."

They were exchanging glances the entire time, but Ciel couldn't have noticed, her attention fixated on the person who claimed the identity of the hero of her world, and of her life.

[armoredsoul]

Al settled himself at one of the tables with his lunch, munching idly and looking around. He'd finally found a note for him from the person he was to transmute that gun for, and they had wanted to talk about a few things. Probably how quickly it would be made, and how reliable. It might cut into how much exploring he and Edward could do once all the materials were together, but with how things seemed to be going equipping everyone seemed to be a good thing to prioritize.

[Skullduggery!]

[ever_loyal_dog]

Soushi was groggy when he finally woke. It was odd for him to sleep more than four or five hours a night, and as he pushed himself up out of bed, the stiffness in his muscles told him it had been much longer than that. Was it night? The next day perhaps? Everything after Ririchiyo's visit was a blur. Even now, after hours had passed, he still felt raw. His eyes felt slightly puffy, a result of yesterday's tears no doubt. He tried to push them away, but it was no easier than trying not to think of her.

Almost like clockwork, a nurse arrived to check on him, tutting concern shaking her head as she listed off the things he'd already missed by sleeping so late. She seemed a bit unsure of how stable he might be and suggested the Sun Room, likely because it was close and there were always plenty of staff members to keep watch on the patients. Soushi followed obediently.

She handed him a paper sack filled with what was slowly becoming the usual, and left him to his seat on one of the nearby couches. Kittens wandered nearby, rubbing against a leg or testing new claws on the sides of furniture. He pushed his food aside and was content to watch the baby animals for a few moments, glad for the distraction.

[Free]