damned_institute | Day 25: Intercom, Evening

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Day 25: Intercom, Evening

The intercom clicked on with its usual jingle, the Head Doctor's voice carrying with a bit more authoritative ease than it had earlier.

"Good evening, patients, and I'm pleased to announce that we've finally finished organizing when our new batch of patients will be introduced, and unfortunately, it'll have to be tonight while you're all in bed. Truly sad, that, as I'm sure all of you are eager to see our new faces as soon as possible!

"In any case, the dinner that will be brought to you tonight will be herb-marinated pork roast with buttery corn-on-the-cob and fluffy mashed potatoes. Of course, we have our usual vegetarian salad available to those who request it, along with our regular assortment of drinks."

He paused and sighed. After all, it had been a long day.

"Oh, of course--Some of you may be unhappy to hear that Dr. Crane and Dr. Jiyani will no longer be serving us here at Landel's Institute. For those of you who were scheduled to have sessions with them, we'll be providing a substitute group therapy session in upcoming days. More details on that tomorrow.

"I believe that's all for now. Enjoy your dinner!"

The intercom clicked off.

[ As always, post to this entry with separate threads for each set of roommates. Thanks! ]

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There were far too many things going on, or so Adelheid was certain. Doctors were being pulled in and dragged out, patients were being announced in ever-increasing amounts only to be ripped away, there were ever-more monsters and threats during the night shift... there was just too much activity to pin down any one thing. Not even someone like Adelheid, who prided himself on his perceptiveness, could find what he was looking for. It was a proverbial stampede of facts and information; trying to chase down one would prove impossible, so lost it would be in the swarm.

To say nothing of his problems with most of the patients he had once counted as friends. Maybe this new swarm would provide someone just as useful as what he'd lost. Of course, the problem with this was the simple matter that trying to form alliances was impossible when one couldn't predict who would be taken and who would be left behind. Absolutely impossible.

Perhaps that was why Adelheid flopped onto his bed, gazing up at the ceiling without touching his food for the moment. So many problems, and Adelheid was a solutions-person by instinct. To be presented with a situation that he couldn't solve with his own power was maddening.

Compared to the thoughts and ideas that were spinning ever so messily in Adel's head, Larsa's mind was surprisingly calm by the time he awoke from a well-deserved nap. The sun had already dipped into the horizon by the time his nurse came to escort him out of the Sun Room, absent-mindedly trying to rub the sleep out of his good eye as they walked down the hall. The icepack that he kept had now completely melted, so the woman kindly produced another for him when they reached the room.

His roommate's posture was what kept him quiet at first, allowing his nurse to examine his eye one more time before sighing.

"Honestly, Nick, playing with rowdy boys like that. You should be more careful." She chided him, in which the child returned with a wary smile. It only took a minute more for the nurse to give him his food before leaving the room, though Larsa found himself staring at it like it was a bowl of gruel.

"...It hardly makes any sense." He finally spoke and sighed.

"What doesn't make sense?" Adelheid glanced up at his room mate, then frowned when he noticed the black eye on Larsa's face. "For that matter, what happened to you? You seemed all right this morning."

More and more things seemed to be going wrong, in various ways. And yet Adelheid hadn't been touched by it. Was that the game? Some were focused on, while the others had to wait for their 'turn'? It just seemed... worrisome. The more Adelheid saw, the more he was reminded of just how little power he possessed. For someone like him, for someone who lived only because of his power, it was inexcusable.

"You think they ought least allow those newly admitted to gain warning of this Institute. Yet they are left to fend for themselves at night with no knowledge at all of their surroundings. 'Tis... quite cruel." 'Cruel' wasn't strong enough of a word to use for what the Head Doctor was doing, and he hoped the new patients would be wise to find aid as quickly and efficiently as they could.

But Larsa would rather not upset his roommate or his appetite, so the child quickly replaced his worried frown into a small smile when the man pointed out his eye. "Ah, a bit of clumsy footing over a simple game of catch is the culprit. Though I doubt it would hinder what plans I have for tonight."

He dug his fork into his mashed potatoes.

"But enough about me, how was your day, Adelheid?" He asked, rather curious since his roommate always seemed to get so much accomplished over the course of the day.

"They used to," Adelheid quietly said, "they used to send in people in only small batches, during the day. But now they send in more, and I noticed that there are even more patient blocks now. Putting aside how unsettling that might be, it's impossible to create two such structures without us knowing. All of the equipment would have to be transported in, all of the building would have to be made... it's not possible for all of it to be done in one night!"

How did they do it? How did the Head Doctor manage all of the things he did!? That shield had blocked Adelheid's attacks as though they had been nothing, the orderlies had absorbed all of Adelheid's blows and dragged him down in an instant... him, Adelheid Bernstein! It was inconceivable!

The tall boy's teeth gritted as he thought about that shameful, humiliating display, and it took a moment for him to calm back down. His accomplishments were rather meager, but still enough to be mentioned. "Not nearly as much as I'd hoped. Last night I learned how to do alchemy, so I should be able to make a weapon for you by myself, sooner or later. As for today... I simply alerted two men that their weapons would be ready tonight, and spoke with a man that I thought might have offered a glimmer of hope. I... rather doubt it, now. Ah, and once more this room will probably be quite busy; I again apologize for the inconvenience."

"... What? Out of thin air? But how...!" It was then that Larsa forcibly reminded himself that he did not want the conversation to spiral down to that, so he bit his tongue and stuffed his mouth with a spoonful of mashed potatoes. The child chewed numbly at the food while he listened to Adelheid explain his day, tilting his head when the blond mentioned learning about 'alchemy' but refrained himself from asking right away.

"No, it is fine. With all that you've offered I feel somewhat embarrassed that I can only offer this room as payment for the moment." Larsa commented with another smile. "Once they release us I will wait at the door for Gabranth to arrive so you will have full access. From what you say, it seems like you are in need of every bit of space."

Neither of them truly knew, that was the problem. It wasn't possible for such things to happen, and yet they were created, just the same. Once more Adelheid was reminded that the NESTs Cartel would have killed to make an institute like this; despite himself, the boy also knew that he wanted to get his answers as well. So much power was here, so much potential, how could he not want to obtain it for himself? And if he could just learn how to nullify powers, the way that his own had been, then all of the plans that were set against him would be defeated.

The German nodded a little, offering a slight smile of his own. It was a good thing that he'd have all of that room to get everything situated... assuming, naturally, that nothing went horribly, horribly wrong. To keep his thoughts from further going down that path, Adelheid walked over to his desk, pulling out four senbon needles and carefully putting them to rest in open sight. "I thank you. You're... much more obliging, than I would have thought for one of your station."

The child eyed his roommate curiously as Adelheid meandered to his desk, smiling wide when the latter pointed out his action out of surprise.

"Frankly, I must confess that I am incapable of showing hostility towards my friends." He paused when he realized his mistake, looking away. "Or... would you rather I call this a mere acquaintance between two very different people...?" Larsa's expression saddened somewhat, shifting his gaze downward to his food. Gabranth would, no doubt, be angered if he knew that he hardly took a bite, but his appetite had waned and he feared that forcing anything more down would lead to an undesired consequence.

"My apologies, that was uncalled for..." Straightening his posture, Larsa did his best to renew his smile and began to idly stir his spoon into his plate.

"...you may call it what you wish," Adelheid answered, just a little bit awkwardly. His crimson eyes weren't glancing at Larsa any longer; instead, he was glancing at the senbon needles, pondering how he could handle everything all in one night. But the more he could get done, the better for all concerned. Hopefully. It would just be a matter of timing and organization.

Then he realized that could be construed as tremendously rude, and he hastened to amend himself. "That is to say, I'm... very bad with friendship. Nor do I think that your guardian would approve of friendship with someone like me in the first place. So I wouldn't want to presume on any terms... if that makes any sense?"

"You need not explain yourself, Adelheid." Larsa remarked with a light laugh. "As I doubt that Gabranth would disapprove of this, I am simply humbled to know that you offer your own bit of kindness despite our paths. I know not of your desires, but it would be a dreadful thing to room with someone I was not comfortable with."

He gave a soft sigh, setting his plate on his desk.

"Though this may very well be the ramblings of an ignorant child Emperor, only fate truly knows." Surprisingly enough, Larsa's mood had lightened in the course of a mere minute. The Night was still young and he knew he had much to do once the doors unlocked, but he remained hopeful that some good would come by the end of this evening. The child crossed his legs and let his elbows rest on top of the bed, leaning his head into his palm as he continued to watch Adelheid busy himself with his work.

It would be a bad thing, to be forced into proximity with someone he wasn't comfortable with. And while Adelheid still believed that their paths were never going to cross in a more friendly manner than they were at the moment, at the same time, the course of the day had sharply reminded him that he was not nearly so wise and powerful as he might wish to be. With that, it was hard to keep his mind in the way it should be.

"My desires? To be free from this place and return to my dear sister; that's my first concern. If I can return everyone else to their homes in the process, so much the better." He twirled one of the needles in his fingers, idly checking the weight and at the same time trying to remember Rose. Her voice, her drive, her ambition... living without her made life a very terrifying prospect, indeed.

It was because of that line of thought that Adelheid finally glanced at Larsa again. "Prayte- pardon, what do you think about that? If we do succeed and everyone is returned to their proper worlds and times, what would you think? When you're not running your empire, naturally."

Larsa sighed quietly to himself for what felt like the umpteenth time that day, blowing a stray strand of hair from his face while he listened intently to Adelheid's words.

"I would like to think that desire is more or less the universal standard, to return home to their loved ones." The child found himself answering. But he had to refrain himself from weakening at the thought of returning to his beloved country of Archadia. Larsa knew that he must prevail from this obstacle if he were ever to rule successfully, and bouts of homesickness would only continue to bog him down.

"There ought be no doubt that I want everyone to return safely…" Larsa stopped, thinking deeply about his answer before continuing. "There will be sacrifices, yes. As the technology of Ivalice is not refined enough to travel across different worlds I will lose contact of all my friends. And if I were to return to my own time then some of those whom I care for will forever be swallowed up by the clutches of death once more."

He drew a shaky breath.

"But these sacrifices are expendable, as I must care more for the future of my people as any ruler should. Selfishness is a weakness I cannot afford to gamble."

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Day 25: Intercom, Evening

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