damned_institute | Day 27: Breakfast

Day came too soon.

Sora hadn't been able to find Rena, had instead been forced to crumple onto the grass of the recreational field and bleed all over himself, and hadn't even accomplished what he'd been sent out to do. What he'd been entrusted to do. He didn't know how he was going to be able to face Renji and the others, but he also knew he wasn't going to hide from them, either. That would just be low, after all, and he was ready to face up to the consequences.

He didn't try to make excuses for himself. Even though there had been a Special Counseling patient, they had managed to take her down by sheer numbers. The fact that he hadn't seen any sign of Rena was what had him the most worried. He hoped he could find her today.

The boy laid in his bed for a good while that morning before his nurse finally came in to collect him. She clucked over the bandages wrapped tightly around his chest and leg, and asked him if he was okay to walk.

Once Sora assured her he was fine (he didn't really want to use crutches, as that would just attract attention to himself, and he didn't need others worrying over him), they made their way to the cafeteria. Sora yawned and winced against the bright light of morning - it seemed even earlier than usual, and he realized why when they entered the cafeteria and found it empty.

The boy shuffled over to grab a chocolate chip pancake, a bowl of cereal, and a glass of milk (good for the bones, or so his mom had always told him) before settling at a table. He kept an eye on the door, hoping he would see Rena walking in soon.

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"Not that I know of," Lust said, carefully. "But it's possible that there have been escapees that weren't able to get word back. People do go missing and never return."

What happened to them, she didn't know. There were still too many unanswered questions about the place.

"How do you know Ashton and Dias?"

Go missing and never return? Somehow that didn't seem much like escaping to Leon. But then, communicating with anyone from the outside, or vice versa, obviously wouldn't be an easy task.

Her next question interrupted further thoughts on that subject. He gave a weak smile. "We're all from the same world, for one," he answered. "Though I didn't get to know Dias too well, Ashton and I have been through a lot..." The smile became a worried frown. "I'm a scientist and mage. He's an adventurer. We were sort of thrown into a situation together. Claude too."

"Who's Claude?"

That was a name Lust didn't recognize. Maybe he wasn't even here, and it was simply a name that the boy was throwing out. It was impossible to keep track of people at this point, there were simply too many of them.

"Claude? He's... um..." Leon bit his bottom lip again, looking around the quickly filling cafeteria. He'd been so busy talking to Lust that he'd stopped watching the doorway.

He had to stand up, though this didn't increase his height by all that much, to be able to see over the heads of others. Eventually he spotted a familiar blond head next to the very person he'd been looking for originally.

"Ashton!" he yelped happily, pointing wildly in their general direction. "He's sitting over with Ashton!"

"I did tell you he'd be fine," Lust pointed out, glancing over to where Leon pointed. "For whatever reason, this place heals the wounds we receive from it. And they do so well. They've access to quite advanced medical equipment and techniques. It's a far cry from what I know, at least."

"Or heraldry." Leon plopped back down in his seat, much more cheerful now that he knew his friend was still living. "The planet a couple of my friends hail from - the one I was on before I was brought here - has practitioners of magic that can heal. I think that would work faster than any medical technique. But I'd like to see any such techniques if this isn't the case."

"Heraldry is your worlds magic, isn't it?" Lust asked, before taking a bite of fruit. "In my world, medical alchemy is in its infancy. I have a knowledge of it, though I can't perform the art myself. But whatever methods used here, they far outstrip even the greatest reaches of alchemy. Or herbalism or surgery."

She didn't know what methods they used. No one was ever aware when the healing was done, they simply woke bandaged and medicated and on the road to recovery.

Leon nodded, poking at his own food. The pancakes looked much more appetizing now. He actually did have an appetite.

"I'd be really interested to learn about your world's alchemy," he said cheerfully. "It sounds absolutely fascinating!"

"It's a science," Lust said again, her attention on her breakfast. At least she enjoyed food. "The art of changing one thing into another. Its ruled by laws, as all sciences are, and requires precision and acute attention. You cannot create something greater than what you begin with, for example. That is the law of Equivalent Exchange - Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. This is the first and most important law of alchemy."

Though there were ways around it, of course. Not that she needed to delve into that at the moment. She was simply explaining by rote, a beginner's guide, so to speak.

Leon listened very attentively. He reached for his notebook in order to write everything down, only to find that he'd forgotten it. This discovery dampened his spirits a good deal, as he didn't think he'd be able to return to his room until the end of the day. Perhaps he could feign an illness...

"Where I come from, alchemy is used to turn iron into less common materials and gemstones." He decided to press for more information despite the absence of any means of note taking. His memory would be good enough! And his curiosity wouldn't be abated. "Can you create other things with your scientific method?"

"Anything but living flesh can be transmuted with alchemy," Lust explained. "The only thing one cannot create with alchemy is proper life. It's forbidden to even try - though there are those who break those rules and suffer the consequences." She took a bite of her breakfast, savoring the taste before continuing.

"Of course, all they ever create is improper life."

Leon wasn't sure when his mouth had fallen open, but he quickly snapped it shut. "Anything?" he repeated in awe. "Anything non-living? That's incredible! Even machinery?" The very thought excited him. And to do it with science! Such a concept was far more advanced than anything on Expel!

He tried not to let the fact that people with such abilities were still stuck here as much as anyone else get him down.

"Machinery, weapons, clothing, tools...." Lust shrugged. "It's a very versatile craft. The majority of the most talented alchemists are in the military in my world, though there are plenty who learn the science and never enter any manner of service. The state alchemists are considered some of the best of the best - and with good reason. The entrance exams are extremely difficult."

Day 27: Breakfast

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