damned_institute | Day 73: Breakfast

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Day 73: Breakfast

When Sora woke up, he was so worked up that he practically thrashed his way out of bed. He probably would have fallen straight out of it and onto the floor if he hadn't caught his foot against the ground and then forced himself upward into a sitting position.

But it didn't feel like he'd slept at all. His heart was pounding, his face flushed with worry. Tsurugi... It had been Tsurugi, but he'd looked different. And he'd barely even been able to talk, he'd been so out of it. What had this place done to him?

If Sora went out to the cafeteria, would he end up talking to a Tsurugi who had purple hair? And what would that mean? Would Tsurugi even show up for breakfast this morning?

There was just too much he didn't know, but sitting around in his room worrying about it wasn't going to do any good. Sora stood and let out a bracing breath, glancing over to Link's sleeping form in the opposite bed before he approached the door and anticipated his nurse.

She seemed to sense that he was worried, because she didn't chat with him too much on the way over to the cafeteria. Sora didn't even have the presence of mind to stop by the bulletin. He just went straight to the mess hall and got a tray of food while half-distracted, parking himself right near the entrance from the Sun Room. He barely ate his food, instead keeping an eye out for Tsurugi with two shades of hair in mind.

[For Tsurugi.]

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"Even so, there's other things going on," Kyousuke pointed out. Thanks to the influence of the rebels, they were getting closer and closer to Landel, and they had to act quickly before they missed their chance and had to start over. "You may have missed an opportunity coming after me."

Not that he was scolding Sora for it. To tell the truth, he probably would have done the same thing; how could they expect to save everyone if they couldn't even protect the people around them? A victory gained by abandoning someone wasn't a real victory at all. But though he understood, it was still frustrating knowing that he was weighing people down. Normal as it was here, that still wasn't a feeling he could get used to.

But he decided not to push the issue any further, and ended up giving a wry a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

The aftereffects would probably wear off eventually. The truth was, he wasn't sure where to even begin sorting through all these new memories, and part of him was avoiding thinking about them, solely because there were just so many, but that was just something he'd have to deal with. He was fine, and in no actual danger from everything.

"Oh, that's fine," Sora said, quickly waving Tsurugi off. "I sent Link to go check out the third floor in my place, so let's just hope he made it further than we did, right?"

That was something Sora would probably only find out when dinner came along, unless Link chose to write him a message over the bulletin board. He would be keeping a closer eye on that now that he knew Tsurugi was more or less okay.

The smile that Tsurugi offered seemed genuine enough, but it wasn't going to be that easy for Sora to set his concerns aside. Not after what he'd seen last night. And honestly, was anyone ever perfectly fine after going through something like that? He doubted it.

"You... you looked different when you came out of that room last night. Did you even realize?" Tsurugi had seemed like he was barely aware of what was going on, so he may have not even noticed that his appearance had changed along with whatever the scientists had done to him.

"... I see," Kyousuke responded. He wasn't sure if it was quite as simple as sending someone instead, but if Sora said it was fine, he wasn't going to insist otherwise. What was done was done, so it would be a waste of time thinking too hard on it.

The rest, though... This was the part he'd been wanting to avoid, if possible. The world felt different now, and while he didn't necessarily mind that in itself, he could do without remembering the process that made it come to be. But he guessed he owed at least some kind of explanation to the people who had come after him, instead of repaying them by dismissing their worries completely.

"That was..." he paused, trying to find a way to explain. "It's a certain ability I have; it's nothing they did to me. ... Not directly. But that power is probably what saved me. If I hadn't found it—"

—Then he may have died from all that pain. The boy went stiff, letting a heavy silence speak the words he didn't say for him. He realized that didn't explain much about what happened to him, but that was enough, wasn't it? He found something, it had saved him, and he was still here. Those were the important parts.

At least, they were to him. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to him that might not be enough to assuage Sora's worry after seeing him as such wreck.

An ability? Sora had never heard of it before. Maybe Tsurugi hadn't had a reason to mention it, but that still seemed kind of strange. It wasn't like they hadn't spent some pretty harrowing nights together, before all this.

Tsurugi definitely didn't need to finish that sentence, and Sora's gaze dropped to his food as he let out a sigh. The institute didn't usually go so far as to directly kill someone -- Sora had never heard of anyone dying while they were experimented on, anyway. It was usually the monsters that did that -- either that, or people just disappeared.

He was thankful, though, that it wasn't any worse.

"What kind of ability is it?" he asked after a lengthy pause. "You never mentioned it before."

"... I didn't know it was there. It was—"

Kyousuke shook his head. He was saying a little more than he wanted to. Not that he had any reason to hide anything, but things were ... complicated, and he didn't have a chance to sort through any of it yet. Part of him was avoiding doing so.

"It's called Mixi-Max. It fuses two people's spiritual auras together, so that a vessel can take in the other person's aura, adding their power to their own. But it can't be just anyone. The vessel has to be strong enough to hold it; you can't take in a aura that's too big for you. More than that, you have to compatible. The effect is stronger if it's used between two people who understand each other. ... The reason I looked different is because I was borrowing Okita-san's power."

It felt incredibly odd to be talking about this. Just yesterday, he hadn't even known that kind of a power existed, yet now, he was able to talk about it with month's worth of experience. ... He wondered if that contradiction was ever going to get any easier. But still, of all the things Sora could have asked about, this was probably what he was most comfortable with. It was a warm ability, created from a certain connection and holding its own special meaning, not just something used for the sake of power. It was a reminder to never waver, and brought about with a promise to protect what was most important. It seemed fitting, then, that it had ended up saving him this time. Almost like it had been trying to remind him that he can't lose here. He knew that was stupid, and probably just the delirium that had been talking, but that's what it felt like.

That was the sort of power that Sora liked the sound of, seeing how it involved combining your own strength with a friend's. Sora related it most closely to summoning, or linking up with friends of his for a special attack, though he knew it wasn't quite the same. It was something that he did side-by-side with them, rather than taking their power into himself and then changing as a result. But it was close enough that he got the idea behind it.

After all, that was how he got by most of the time. By relying on his friends for his strength. Sora wouldn't have gotten very far without that kind of support. That was the whole reason why he'd gone after Tsurugi, rather than trying to head up to the third floor again.

"Okita-san? Who's that?" The name sounded kind of familiar, but it wasn't anyone Sora knew that well, if Tsurugi was talking about someone in the institute.

That had to be it, though, didn't it? How could Tsurugi take power from someone who was all the way back home?

"... Okita Souji," Kyousuke responded. In another situation, he might be more hesitant to use that name, but in a place like this, where they were all from different worlds to begin with, he didn't see any reason to restrain this kind of talk. It wouldn't put him in any immediate danger, or lead to anybody thinking he was insane. Of course, Sora probably didn't understand the significance of the name, so that alone wasn't going to explain.

"Where I come from, he was one of the captains of the Shinsengumi, a squad devoted to protecting the capital. He was a genius swordsman, but later in life he fell ill with tuberculosis. ... But he still didn't give up. Even though he was dying, he still had the will and the drive to fight for what he believed in. I guess you could say I was drawn to that in him. That's why we were able to understand each other, even though we're not from the same eras."

In other words, his power had come from the past, and in that sense, a totally different world. It would almost sound crazy, if it weren't the fact there were stranger things that happened here.

Wait, so this power came from someone that Tsurugi had never even met? From the sound of it, this Okita guy was some famous soldier that Tsurugi had heard about or read about, and he'd been so inspired that it had allowed him to gain a whole new level of power. That was pretty impressive!

Sora knew what it was like to have your heart connect with someone else's, but he didn't know if he'd ever managed that with a person he only knew through stories and books.

"That's pretty cool..." Sora broke into a smile, hoping that this might lighten the mood for Tsurugi at least a little bit. "So does that mean you'll be even stronger from now on?" In a way, it was a good thing, because they were going to need all the power they could get if they were going to be searching the third floor and eventually taking on Landel. Not that Sora was glad that Tsurugi had been experimented on against his will, but... at least something good had come of it.

Sora didn't seem all that surprised by this. It was almost impressive; Kyousuke might have some trouble swallowing all that in his position. Not that he wouldn't trust it, but he had to admit, it was a pretty unbelievable story, almost even for him, who had lived through it. Maybe Sora was just good at taking things at face value.

"... Probably," Kyousuke agreed tentatively. "It doesn't feel like it's being blocked out like my other abilities, but I didn't really get to use it, so it's hard to tell." It certainly worked here, since it had been powerful enough to save him, but other than that, it was hard to say much. He couldn't tell how much he'd actually gained when at the time, he'd had new memories to contend with, with the feeling of his own body destroying itself under the stress of them. Unconsciously, the boy cringed, the pain of all that still too fresh in his mind.

But that power was there. Would the same be true of everything else he'd learned in those few months that had been forced into him? Would the results of all the training show, or would he still be on the same level? And there was Lancelot... He hadn't been able to use his Avatar properly since he got here, but in his memories, it was even stronger now. Maybe it might be able to break through now. Though it wasn't necessarily the power itself he was concerned about, not directly. ... He just couldn't figure out how all this new time fit together. To tell the truth, he didn't even understand if everything he remember had happened, or if he'd already lived through part of his future.

But his head hurt too much to be thinking about all of this. With the fever pressing down on him, he didn't have much choice but to put it aside for now.

"But maybe we can find out. Are you trying to get upstairs again? I can come with you, if you want," he offered. Kyousuke had to go either way, so he might as well with a friend.

This place was tricky with what it blocked and what it actually allowed them to do, but Sora figured that Tsurugi would be capable of using that ability again, seeing how he'd already done it once. That might have been during a really stressful moment, but there were lots of stressful moments here.

Which meant that it would be better if he didn't have to use it at all, but Sora wasn't that naive about Landel's and how it worked. There was going to come a time when Tsurugi would need to pull on that power.

"... Are you sure you're ready for that?" he asked when Tsurugi offered to come along with him tonight. Sora didn't mean to baby him, but he'd just been through a rough situation, so did he really want to jump back into things so soon?

Tsurugi was stubborn, though. Sora got the feeling that no matter what he said, he wouldn't be able to change his mind on this.

Kyousuke simply shrugged. He could understand Sora's concern, since Kyousuke had certainly had better days, but by now, all that was left was a fever, which wasn't much at all in the long run. "... I've dealt with worse. Besides, we don't have time to be wasting. If we stop over every little thing, nobody's ever going to get anything done."

It was hard to worry too much about just that; it would be a lot more manageable with the cuts and broken rib he'd been sporting days prior, for instance. Of course, he couldn't say that out loud, and especially not to Sora. Either way, there was too much to contend with for him to be resting right now. Which reminded him...

"There was another note last—... before I was taken." Last night, he remembered belatedly, though it was still tough to place. His sense of time was too thrown off to reconcile right now. "Did you get one?" He kept his voice as low as he could manage; this was not something they wanted a nurse to overhear.

Tsurugi made a good point. Sora didn't know if they were on some kind of time limit, but Landel was going to figure out what the rebels were planning eventually, and they needed to stop him before that happened. He had zero regrets about tossing last night aside to go find Tsurugi, but they had to get back to business now. And if Tsurugi wanted to be a part of that, Sora couldn't stop him. It wouldn't be fair.

He'd just have to watch him extra close and work to keep him safe. Not that Sora didn't always keep those things in mind, but he was going to be doubly careful with Tsurugi, at least for tonight.

"Oh!" Sora exclaimed as soon as Tsurugi brought up the note, nodding. "Well, I didn't get one, but Link did. It said something about an item that could stop Landel, and also about taking down the security. I just wish there had been some more details..." Maybe Tsurugi had heard more? Sora shoveled some more food into his mouth as he waited for Tsurugi to explain about his note.

"... Yeah," Kyousuke agreed. If they were going to go out of their way to leave them notes, it seemed stupid to leave what was actually happening so vague. Maybe it was out fear that they'd be found by the wrong hands, but in that case, they weren't vague enough. They were basically only just a step above being totally useless, which meant Kyousuke couldn't really explain much more to Sora.

"That was what mine said, too," he explained. "There was something about two teams—one dealing with security, and the the other dealing with Landel. Apparently, I'm supposed to be on the second." Which meant that he'd likely be in the thick of it all, which would be dangerous. He couldn't be certain why they'd asked that of him in particular, but he didn't care much. It was something that had to be done, so he'd just have to do it. And with what he knew now, the path to their freedom wasn't the only reason to take Landel out of power.

"I can't be sure, but... I think going after him might help us with the people he's brainwashed," he mentioned quietly. At least, it would if the kind of brainwashing he now remembered and the kind that was happening here were built on the same principles. That, he honestly couldn't say.

It sounded like Tsurugi had gotten the same note that Link did, or at least one that was very similar. Splitting up into different teams made sense. They were only going to make it through this if they combined their efforts, right? "And I think I'm supposed to be looking for the archive," he added. That was the one they had the most information about for now, so it seemed like the safe thing to focus on.

Talking about all of this just made Sora more eager to get back to it tonight, so it was good that Tsurugi didn't seem to be in such bad shape. It could have been a lot worse, at least. Maybe they could see about getting him healed, though, just to be sure. "You know, you should ask Kratos if he can heal you! That way you'll be at full strength from now on."

As for Landel and the brainwashed patients, Sora got the feeling that Tsurugi was right about that. It reminded him of the darkness and the way that it could spread out from one person to another. If they cut off the head of the hydra, then everything else would fix itself too, right? "I hope you're right," he said with a firm nod as he finished off his meal.

The archive... Right, he'd gotten that note too, which meant there were three separate focuses right now. Was that such a good idea, considering their numbers? Multitasking wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but if they got too ambitious and tried to take care of everything at once, that wouldn't end up actually accomplishing anything. Maybe he'd just have to focus on Landel for now; they probably wouldn't get many chances with him, but the archive would likely still be waiting for them.

The mention of Kratos, however, made him he look up in surprise. "That's not—" he began, and paused to start over. "... I can't. He already did that for me once. Besides, I'm sure he has his own things to deal with."

... Was what he said, but it ran a little deeper than that. He didn't care how many times someone helped him; he'd just have to pay them back in his own way. But with Kratos... Kyousuke already owed too much. He couldn't possibly try to add onto that. Of course, he couldn't quite say it that way; Sora understood just as well as Kyousuke what had happened that night, and that wasn't something he should be talking about. It would make things easier for both of them if he didn't.

Edited 2013-09-27 22:24 (UTC)

Sora didn't think Kratos would refuse if Tsurugi asked, but he also realized that it wasn't that easy to go to someone for help sometimes. As much as he wanted to push the subject, he realized it wouldn't do any good. He'd just keep Tsurugi safe himself.

"In that case, try to get at least a little bit of rest during dinner, okay? The stronger you are by tonight, the better." But if Tsurugi wasn't a hundred percent, then Sora would just pick up his slack, and he'd do it without saying anything about it. Maybe then Tsurugi wouldn't have to be guilty about it.

The intercom went off then, causing Sora to straighten in his seat. "So we'll just meet out in the hall, right?" It was lucky, the way that their rooms were so close to each other. Tonight, things would go the way they were supposed to, he was convinced of it. With a small smile, Sora stood up and nodded to Tsurugi. They were going to be fine.

"... I know how to take care of myself, you know," Kyousuke pointed out. He knew Sora meant well with these kinds of suggestions, but even still. "You're worrying too much. I've fought with a lot worse than just this." Not that he intended on waving his remaining fever off, but it was a little frustrating being fretted over even after he said he was fine.

"Yeah," he agreed with nod, when Sora confirmed their usual meeting spot. "I'll see you then." The nurses began to round them up after that, so they wouldn't be able to talk any more for now.

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Day 73: Breakfast

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