damned_institute | Day 27: Breakfast

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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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"The War for the Holy Grail," Saber repeated as patiently as possible, straight to the point as always and perhaps a bit on edge due to her sudden appearance back on such battlegrounds without a clue as to who her true master was. Her mana supply was limited, but its existence alone had to be proof enough that still remained a Servant, and thus she was still Saber class and would behave as such. At the moment, she could very well be socializing with an enemy and would therefore have to be on her guard. "I assume these are the new battlegrounds. I thought you perhaps a Master, but it appears you're simply a civilian. My apologies."

The new presence did not go unnoticed by the young woman, and sharp, blue-green eyes turned to regard him. Most likely a companion of the innocent she was speaking with.

"And you? Do you know of the War, or are simply an innocent as well?"

The Holy Grail...

Peter still couldn't stop himself from staring at this girl. The way she talked, what she was talking about, and how she carried herself all suggested that she was from a long, long time ago, and maybe even from an entirely different world.

That, or she was crazy, but Peter had become more and more accepting of the abnormal these days.

"Yeah, umm, I think you're a little confused," he said, trying to be helpful, but he didn't really know where to start. But then they had company in the form of his roommate, who looked pretty horrible. His head was bandaged up (which made him look a little demented), and there were more bandages peeking out from under his shirt.

"Logan," he said, looking wide-eyed at the man. "What happened?"

Slowly easing himself into a seat opposite Peter, trying hard not to stretch or tear the bandages, Logan returned the blond girl's piercing gaze with one of his own.

"Holy Grail, huh? You from tha Middle Ages? I ain't too big on history, but from what I do know, I don' recall tha Knights Templar sendin' pretty li'l things like you off ta fight. As fer me, well I'm far from what ya'd call 'innocent', darlin'."

He suddenly wished he'd thought to grab a coffee. Another day in the nuthouse. He mused. Feels like I been here way too long already. He moved his gaze over to meet Parker's and sat back in the chair a little. "Had a run in wit' one o' tha other patients here last night. She'd been brainwashed by tha scum tha' run this place." His visage darkened considerably once more, not that it was too noticeable under the bandaging. "Ta cut a long story short, she turned me inta a livin' lightnin' conductor. Hurt like hell, too. How was yer night?"

The man that she had initially approached seemed completely at a loss for words or explanation, and a quick glance at his left hand revealed no markings of a Master. It would be for the best that she drop the topic of the Holy Grail for now, especially if he was an innocent.

The chance that this, of course, was not a battleground became more and more possible the more she stood and listened to the two men. The second seemed far less taken aback but also much more crude. The comment in particular about 'pretty little things like her" in battle hit home, eyes narrowing slightly in his direction.

"I see," came the curt reply. If there was no War to be fought or at least ignorant participants, it would do no harm to reveal her true name, especially when she had been dishonored so. "However, sir, I would refrain from making such judgments in the future. During my time, I was a leader of my people; I led them to war and back home again, defending Britain for many years. I am a knight, King Arthur of Britain, if we're to engage in proper introductions." She paused and closed her eyes for a moment. His physical state certainly seemed to dictate that some sort of battle had taken place in this... institution, as the woman had called it.

"Though it would be more accurate to refer to me as Saber in my current state."

This had certainly been the strangest conversation he'd had in this place thus far, and that was saying something. This girl thought she was King Arthur? Maybe she really was insane, and if that was the case, then he felt bad for her. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be that disconnected from reality.

So, once he had pushed down the urge to laugh (as sad as it was, this girl saying she was King Arthur in all seriousness was pretty funny), he sent a friendly smile at her. "Why don't you sit down?" he asked, since she hadn't made a move to yet, and probably needed to be invited.

As for Logan, his story caused Peter to wrinkle his nose - being electrocuted did not sound like his idea of fun, but there were ways in which their night had been similar. "I was by someone who'd been brainwashed, too, but I made sure to stay away. Instead I went looking around the second floor a little." He wasn't going to mention how he had found an injured Eddie and even made the effort to bandage him up, since he knew Logan didn't think highly of the other man.

A broad grin broke out across Logan's face, turning quickly into a hearty laugh. He had been in a foul mood, but something as absurd as what this girl had just said was just what he needed to lift his spirits. "Yer King Arthur?!? Yeah, an' I'm Napoleon." He'd thought that the whole 'mental institution' thing was just a front, but it seemed there was some ring of truth to it. Either that or...nah, that's jus' too far fetched.

"But seriously, I ain't Napoleon. Name's Logan, this here's Peter Parker. Ya new here? Maybe we c'n fill ya in on how it all works. Not like we're 'veterans' or anythin' but we' got tha inside scoop all the same."

Logan turned back to Peter. "Well, from tha look o' ya, seems like ya din't run inta too much trouble. Ya fin' anythin' interestin'?"

It was clear that they thought she spoke in jest, and the notion only caused Saber's frown to deepen, almost to the point of a grimace. It was as though the kinder of the two was patronizing her while the other was honest enough to make fun of her to her face.

It left the sobering notion that this was not a familiar contest all the more likely an answer to the question of her current situation. Still, the Servant let that glimmer of awkwardness absent, she hoped, from her expression as she chose to make clear the more important of the matters at hand: the value of her honor.

Saber set her tray down firmly but did not take a seat herself.

"Your names have been noted," she replied cooly, if not harshly. "However, I will not stand to have my honor and the honor of my kingdom called into question. I am known as Saber as things currently are, but that does not destroy the name that I carry with my in truth. If I shall need to prove my identity and reclaim my honor with a blade, I shall do so. Perhaps then you will find me serious enough to discuss this..." She paused, hating to use the word problem. "...situation."

While Peter had been preparing to respond to Logan, he was distracted when the girl slammed her tray down. He turned his attention to her, watching with a blank expression as she asserted herself.

It seemed that in a situation like this, it would be best to just go along with what she was saying rather than stir the pot further. If she wanted to believe that she was King Arthur, that was all fine and good. It wasn't going to be hurting anyone, after all.

"Hey, hey, no need for violence," he cut in quickly once he knew she was done. (She probably didn't have a sword, but she seemed the sort who would resort to her fists if she had to.) "We didn't mean to offend you or anything, Saber, so I'm sorry about that." He wanted to calm her down so they could at least fill her in. If she kept wandering around with a skewed perspective of what was going on, it could be dangerous for her, after all.

Logan too had started to lose track of any potential conversation between himself and the web-head, but as far as he was concerned, it could wait by all means. This girl was far more interesting, in any event.

"Heh, don' worry yerself, darlin', I was just tryin' ta lighten tha mood. Please, take a seat." His manner became more formal; at least as formal as he could be. "I know a li'l somethin' 'bout honour m'self. So, I'm guessin' ya jus' got here, an' ya ain't sure what the hell is goin' on?" He paused, thinking about how just the day before, he was in the same situation. He felt like a veteran of this place, even though he'd been here barely more than 24 hours. He turned to the younger man.

"So, you wanna give 'er tha run-down, or should I?"

So they aimed to either pacify her or take back their assault on her honor as knight and king. Regardless, it was her obligation to take them on their word thus far and not presume them to be engaging in the prior manner of what some of Shirou's time would call "damage control."

"Very well, then." Saber took a seat, somewhat if not obviously eager to be filled in on where she was and what was going on, as the more vulgar of the two, Logan, suggested. She positively hated to be in such a helpless position, relying on others instead of being the pillar that they could lean on in times of strife. It was frustrating to say the least, but she never let it show.

"It would be appreciated if you would. I would owe a debt," she replied simply, taking a bite of her large breakfast and being sure to show proper etiquette. Just because she had an unflattering addiction to food didn't mean she had to portray it in a slovenly manner.

"Hey, it's no big deal. We all had to have this explained to us when we first showed up here, so it's no problem." Peter certainly wasn't going to take advantage of this girl. There wasn't much he could do if she continued to insist on repaying them somehow, but he wished she could understand that a simple explanation took hardly any effort.

As for who should give the run-down, Peter figured it would be best if he did it. Logan came on a little strong at first, and this girl seemed pretty formal, whereas Logan... wasn't.

"I'll do it. You can add whatever I miss," he told his roommate before turning to Saber. "So, first of all, this place is called Landel's Institute. It's supposed to house mentally insane patients." This was where it got a little awkward, since she might actually be insane for all he knew, and he didn't want to end up offending her. "Most people here aren't crazy at all, though, and we're getting the feeling that the hospital is just a cover for what really goes on."

Here came the ugly part. Though considering she had suggested a sword duel earlier, he wasn't too worried about her reaction. "Night is where the true nature of this place comes out. It's our only chance to search for a way out, but there are monsters around, along with people who have been brainwashed to attack other patients. The point is, it's really dangerous, so moving around on your own is unsafe."

That was the bare bones of it, so Peter paused to give Logan a chance to add in any extra details.

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Day 27: Breakfast

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