damned_institute | Day 26: Cafeteria, Lunch

Scar felt cold and sick, though more the latter than the former. As he rose from his bed, he didn't quite know which way was up, and the artificial light coming from overhead seemed as hot and as blinding as the Ishbal sun.

His head hurt, but that was nothing new. After all, the last thing he remembered from the night before was fighting a homunculus off of Lust and then having a conversation about events best left forgotten. The man hadn't been his brother. He just hadn't. And if what Lust had said they'd done to her was true...

Scar stood with shakiness that he wanted to attribute more to a bizarrely weakened physical state than a mental one. Had he been knocked out by some kind of lurking monster before the morning had come? He felt as if he had been out for days, being a veteran of such circumstances, though as he took the practiced role of being an obedient follower behind the nurse and orderlies that came for him, it didn't seem as if much had changed.

This place was probably just playing tricks on him again, and he was tired of being the man left out of the loop. He grabbed some food he didn't really care for and sat down, not seeing anyone he knew already seated. On one hand, he wished he had someone to talk to, and on the other, it scared him that he was no longer used to being alone.

He dug his fork into his food and tried to block out any related thought.

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Cliff wasn't expecting that reaction, and more than anything it told him he'd stepped on a touchy subject. Asking Albel if he was alright seemed like it would only be playing against his pride. He speared some noodles and began twisting them around his fork.

"It's not as far off as you might think. We know how to find that bastard," He nodded at the intercom. "It's the getting there that's gonna be a problem."

He didn't know if Albel or Nel knew that much about the arts and crafts group. He couldn't remember if he'd mentioned it to Nel, but he was sure he hadn't told Albel yet. It was still strange. He'd met Nel once, but he felt like he could trust her. Albel..he never knew what to think.

Albel interrupted his glare at the spaghetti, only to look at Cliff instead. Where did the lummox get that kind of information? The maggot from the intercom wasn't stupid enough to leave it lying around. Unless he was overestimating the fool...that would mean that he was dumber than the Elicoorian thought he was.

"Hmph, then where is that maggot hiding?" he demanded, more than willing to try and find that worm and make sure that he would pay. No one imprisoned Albel the Wicked and removed a limp without getting away with it. Especially not cowardly head-doctors.

Cliff swallowed his forkful off noodles. "Slow down. I said we know how to find him, not where he is. And going after him just like that will screw everyone over about a hundred times." He leveled Albel with a look, uncommonly serious. "So you'd better be willing to put your revenge aside until we can actually kill him if you want me to keep talking."

Some part of his mind balked. He was just going to trust Albel's word? Whether he deserved to know or not, what would happen if he decided to try seeking revenge on his own? What if his ego really was that bad?

He just had to trust that it wasn't. He was giving this another chance, wasn't he? Might as well go all the way.

Albel wanted to make a protest. Or he would, if the lummox didn't have a damn point. But he did, which didn't improve his mood in the slightest. He glared at his meal for the second time in a relatively short time. If looks could kill, the spaghetti would have turned in a pile of ash.

He was growing more irritated with the situation as time progressed, which in turn made the Elicoorian mentally kick himself for allowing to get it to him. Even the battle with that worm last night didn't help to blow off some steam (though that probably had everything to do with it being interrupted).

Albel needed something to vent his frustration and blood lust on. But at this rate, it would only result in a sedative, as he found it more difficult to not go and kill a random nurse (even despite the lack of challenge the wench would possess). Those monsters? Nothing more than a hassle.

"Hmph, just don't expect me to hold back when I do have the chance to rip that maggot's spine out." he finally replied in a low voice.

"You'll have to get to it before I do." Cliff muttered. It was a sentiment he could be quite sure everyone echoed. He glanced around casually to make sure they had no eavesdroppers, then sighed and propped his chin up on his fist. He was leaning a bit closer to Albel now.

"The Arts and Crafts group can track him - just the leaders and the people from their world - but it takes a lot out of them. We're gonna assume that if he knew, he would already have stopped them. There's only one shot at getting to him.

That's why they're organizing. They'll let us know when it's time." He grinned slightly and raised an eyebrow at Albel. "Do I even have to ask if you're in?"

It wasn't like him to give out all of the information like that. Cliff was the sort of guy that liked to be discreet, and important tidbits like that were kept quiet until something could be done - but Albel had just lost an arm to the institute and he was obviously far from cheery about it. Cliff didn't think he would give them up, and though he would never admit it, Albel would be a good person to have on their side.

"Hmph, as if I would go and waste the opportunity to get to that worm." Albel replied, which basically meant that he was in. It wasn't like sitting around wouldn't get him out of this dump.

And finally, a smirk appeared on his lips. "You'll have to outrun me if you want a piece of that maggot, though."

Cliff hadn't expected any less. It was better to see Albel being the smirky bastard he usually was, which had to be saying something because Cliff wasn't a fan of Smirky Bastard Albel.

Still, a challenging smirk matched Albel's when he spoke. "Like that's gonna be a challenge. I could top you any day."

"A maggot like you? Don't make me laugh!" Albel replied, smirk still present on his lips. As if that lummox could ~~top~~ beat him.

Cliff rolled his eyes, but he was amused. "You talk too much, Sunshine. We'll settle this when we get to him, so don't go dieing or getting brainwashed before then or I'll personally kick your ass."

The apocalypse could come any minute now. Really.

"As if you could accomplish such a thing, maggot." Albel replied, ignoring the fact Cliff actually did kick his ass. "Hmph, I'll make you eat those words once I kick your pathetic ass."

"Like I said, talk is cheap." Cliff knew about the fight but he'd never had the pleasure of kicking Albel's ass. It was one of those things he could look forward to when he got back home...but who said they had to wait that long?

Day 26: Cafeteria, Lunch

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