damned_institute | Day 26: Cafeteria, Lunch

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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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“Were you slain in the war that broke out over the Grasslands?” The fact that this Gremio seemed to have been brought here after death caused the knight to fall into deep thought. It was possible that the Gate Rune had played a part in this, but Yuber thought that highly unlikely considering the fact that if everybody who had died during wars or by other causes were to come here, then it would have been filled with far more than just the two of them.

Yuber’s gaze absently flickered over to the third man with them, and while he didn’t entirely like the prospect of discussing topics such as runes in front of another, it seemed as though there would be little choice if their conversation returned back onto it. He would simply have to steer the conversation away from the topic of the True Runes if it was to come up.

His theory about being summoned here also was put into jeopardy considering if a normal human from his realm made it here, then who was to say that he was even summoned? It would account for the dramatic decrease in all of his Rune’s abilities, not to mention his own abilities. “Hmm one could say that I was summoned here.”

"War over the... Grasslands?" Gremio certainly hadn't heard anything about that. The only war in the Grasslands that he could remember was the Fire Bringer War, and that had been well before his time. To be fair, he probably wouldn't have known if there had been another war. News from the Grasslands rarely made it as far as the Scarlet Moon Empire. The Fire Bringer War was only of significance because of the True Fire Rune bearer's involvement (even five-year-olds knew the legend of the Flame Champion, after all).

But still, this raised an entirely new question. It was already clear enough that this place pulled people in from different worlds, but was it also pulling people from different times? "I'm sorry, but... what year was it, when you were brought here?"

He felt a single golden brow rise up at the returned question, and Yuber found himself rather curious at the piece of information just given to him. They weren’t from that war? There was the possibility that there was some other type of battle that could have brought about this ones death. Of course they didn’t had to have died in battle either, Yuber summarised as the possibilities flooded his mind.

Shifting until his elbow came to rest on the tabletop; the black knight placed his chin in the palm of his hand as he regarded the other. “475.” Yuber simply responded with, before he added. “Not long after the Harmonian forces were defeated.”

Gremio's breath caught in his throat. "... 475?" he repeated back breathlessly. "Has it... has it really been that long?" He'd died in 456. He wondered if that was the present time in his world. Waking up here had seemed instantaneous, but when he really thought about it, there was no way of knowing how much time had actually passed.

Nineteen years... that would've made Tir thirty-six. Older than Gremio was now. That thought, despite what it meant for Gremio, still managed to calm him a little, and actually brought a small smile to his lips. He wondered what he looked like. He'd always resembled the late Lady McDohl--what Gremio remembered seeing of her in portraits anyway. He wondered if he looked at all like his father now that he had become a man. It was a shame that he wasn't there to see it. Part of him wanted to ask if the man next to him knew anything about his beloved Young Master. If the Liberation Army had been successful, and likely even if it had not, the name of Tir McDohl would've probably been easily recognizable.

... And yet, he knew that the answer he got very well could be the one he didn't want to hear. He liked the image of him in his head, as a proud, strong, noble leader, and most of all happy. Whatever alternatives were present to that, Gremio didn't believe his heart could take them.

So he just smiled--perhaps just a bit sadly--and nodded his head. "I see. I... suppose I've been gone a while, then."

Yuber felt his posture straighten slightly at their reaction and the mention of time. Was there the possibility that this one was from an earlier time? It wasn’t at all impossible considering the different situations, and it could be a reason why they seemed to familiar but not enough for him to exactly place where he’d seen them before. “What year are you from then?”

The answer could shed some light onto figuring out his silent question, and the knight didn’t miss the emotion hidden within the others smile as they spoke of time.

The sound of the other man's voice pulled Gremio from his reverie, and he looked back at him sharply, startled. "Oh! Ah, sorry..." he replied, clearing his throat. "Ah... it was early into 456 when I passed, if my memory's correct." He wouldn't say much more than that unless prompted. But still, he wondered just how old the man was. How much he would know about the Liberation Army, if anything at all. Looking at his face, he didn't seem to be that much older than Gremio was. But still, the eyes had a strange look to them, something that made him seem... older than he appeared.

Suddenly, for some reason, he was reminded of Ted.

“456?” Yuber stated more than asked before he thought back onto that time. There was that war that occurred between the once Scarlet Moon Empire and that little band of rebels that turned out to be the Stars of Destiny. The mere thought brought back memories of that meddling Rune bearer and Pesmerga and how they halted his plans for creating Chaos with Windy, “Ahh yes during the re-emergence of the Rune of Life and Death, if my memory serves me correctly.”

Absently pushing back a few stray blonde hairs from his eyes, Yuber levelled Gremio with a thoughtful look as he murmured. “I do not remember you being on the Scarlet Moon’s side though, which means that you were with that little Rune bearer hmm?”

The Rune of Life and Death. At first, Gremio wasn't sure which rune the man was talking about. Ted had never referred to it as anything other than the Soul Eater, but he supposed that was its proper name, wasn't it?

For a second though, Gremio didn't think about the fact that the man was talking about the incident like he'd been there, or what that probably would've implied. All he heard was that last part, more appropriately the tone with which it was said. There was something about it Gremio didn't like. It was almost... mocking. Downright insulting. And however frightening Gremio had found him before--still found him now--his hackles were raised.

"His name is Tir McDohl," he answered coldly. "And yes. I was."

The Rune of Life and Death. Now that piqued Leon's interest quite intensely; he could not help but look up briefly before he forced himself to swallow the flash of covetousness. He didn't need such power here, surely. There was no Hugo here, no one forcing him to bow to their whims. A lesser power would do, surely.

And yet...

Yuber had known he’d struck a cord within the other by the instant reaction to his words. Gremio had to have been somebody close to the rune bearer if they had reacted so much to his simple statement. He had little interaction with those who gathered under the Rune of Life and Death, and from what he had seen none who he had crossed blades with had resembled this one.

Was it possible that they had passed on before he had truly become involved with the Stars of Destiny? Yuber thought before he was hit with the image of the Rune bearer and a shadow of another constantly standing by their side. He couldn’t be certain if it was this one, and considering the fact that he knew they weren’t in possession of a True Rune, whether they were in that war or not didn’t change the fact that they were more worthless to him rather than anything else.

Ignoring the curious glance from the other to their conversation, Yuber’s demonic eye dilated subtly as he murmured with a smile. “Then we would have been on opposing sides during that little war.”

If Gremio were thinking clearly, he would've realized that he'd already given up far more information than he'd intended to. Unfortunately, the blonde's rationality had a tendency to go flying out the window whenever his Young Master was involved.

"Yes," he answered, somehow managing to meet Yuber's gaze and answer with confidence, even though his heart was threatening to pound straight through his chest. "It would seem that we were."

This was not a development that pleased Leon--tension was growing rapidly, and he was concerned that violence could break out and involve him by sheer proximity. "Perhaps we had best remove ourselves to another table, Gremio." It seemed the wisest course of action, but he had doubts that Gremio would be willing to back down.

What side of the war somebody was on was of no importance to the knight. All that mattered was if they fought for Chaos or Order - nothing else mattered other than that single aspect.

Yuber’s face remained impassive for a moment as that simple statement was given, and quietly observed the other as they continued to steadily hold their gaze with his. There were few from his world that would do such a thing, and the black knight found himself slightly interested in the one before him. An easy smile slipped across his lips moment afterwards, and the impassive expression vanished in that moment as he smoothly murmured. “Are you curious to know how that little one ended? Or did you manage to survive until the end of that war?”

He would allow them this amount of information in return for their brave attempt to stand up against him.

Their conversation was interrupted by the other seated with them though, and in that single beat of a moment Yuber’s charitable moment had disappeared, “Ah how terribly rude of me to keep you waiting. Since you have more pressing matters, by all means take your leave.” The black knight muttered as he gestured with his right hand to one of the other free tables.

That offer caused Gremio to falter, just slightly. He didn't look away (somehow he found that he couldn't), but that brave look turned quickly enough to one of surprise and confusion. "I... what?"

That was right. The man would know, wouldn't he? If he'd seen the war through to its conclusion, he would know how it ended. If the Liberation Army triumphed, or it was crushed under the force of the Imperial Army. If Tir had emerged victorious, or if he'd crumbled in defeat. And in truth... he wanted to know. All the possibilities of what could have happened had been running through his head since he got here, and the not knowing was killing him.

But in an instant, that offer was gone, and they were being dismissed. Gremio scowled, picking up his plate and standing. He wanted to know. He wanted to know more than anything. But this wasn't the way he needed to find out. "I don't need your information," he said. "I know exactly how it ended. Young Master McDohl will be--" he skipped a beat, and corrected himself, "--was completely, absolutely victorious. There is no other possible explanation."

With that, he turned around, walking straight past Leon as he went off in search of another table.

Leon rolled his eyes a little at Gremio's huffy little depature. He rose to follow, bowing slightly to the mysterious blond. He would depart with a little more class. Honestly, the mystery man's personality was more to his liking than Gremio's, but it was very clear that of the two, Gremio was the more trustworthy ally.

Not willing to hurry his steps to catch up to Gremio's longer-legged strides, Leon followed him casually, waiting until he found another table and then joining him without a word. He resumed eating his meal, waiting for Gremio to calm down enough for business.

There was such a strong yearning feeling he could sense within this little human, and it was almost enough to make the knight grin widely in pleasure. Humans were always far too easy to play with, and always far too easy to manipulate, but it was watching their reactions that truly made it worth the effort. This one proved him no differently as they puffed up like a raging woodpecker.

“That would depend on your definition of victory.” Yuber murmured smoothly with a teasing smile as Gremio stood up. He made no move to follow the pair as the other man followed Gremio’s movements, and instead watched them as they moved off to another table. The expression on his face never once faltered, and he found himself with a great deal of pleasure welling within as he reached a realisation.

Was it possible the Stars of Destiny were being called together once again? Yuber thought, as his attentions finally slid from the pair and roamed its way slowly around the room. Yet there was most definitely a major lack of True Runes here in search of a bearer, and as far as he could tell, he was the only one in possession of such a thing. Unless there was one still to come? Chaos always begun before Order arrived, and from what he’d experienced so far there was a wonderful imbalance of them favouring Chaos.

He’d simply have to wait and see, and in the mean time, he’d at least be able to play and entertain himself with Gremio.

[ fled with Leon over here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/177215.html?thread=12161599#t12161599)]

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Day 26: Cafeteria, Lunch

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