damned_institute | Day 27: Intercom, Noon

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Day 27: Intercom, Noon

The Head Doctor seemed a little exhausted as he gave orders over the microphone this shift, though he didn't seem to have any qualms about explaining why.

"And I do believe we're at the last few pieces of paperwork involved in obtaining and accounting for all of our new patients! Wonderful, if... somewhat exhausting!" The Head Doctor laughed, rapping his knuckles on the surface of his desk. "In any case, I'm sure our patients both old and new want to know what's on the menu for lunch, and so, here it is!

"Today, we'll be having grilled cheese sandwiches--big ones!--with cheddar cheese and mozzarella melted between two buttery, toasty slices of white bread. As sides, we have french fries, cole slaw, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and of course, the usual choices in both drinks and the salad bar are available as well.

"And that's all for now! ....Oh! Could our nurses escort the Group 3 patients to the cafeteria? Thank you very much!"

And once again, the intercom clicked off.

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She had just taken a nap in a big, big room, but when she awoke it was in a small room. No windows overlooking Paris, just walls.

That boy... She was going to find that boy today...

Once she had slid off the bed, her fingertips brushed the rough material of the Landel's uniform at her thighs. Oh? What was this? She was wearing a new outfit she'd never seen before - it was ugly and horrible, though. Off went the pants, sliding down her legs to pool on the floor. Better to remind Nathan not to dress her in such terrible things while she slept; he usually had better taste than that.

Stepping out of the forgotten pants, she made a half-circle of the room, faintly perplexed. Just what had her Chevaliers done now? She'd told Carl they were going to find that boy.

The shirt was pulled over her head and discarded. Why was the door closed?

There was a knock on the door, followed by a cheerful voice calling out as it opened. "Good morning, Ms. Frenier!" The nurse came into the room, unaware that the patient had already made herself quite cozy at home. "I hope you sle--Ms. Frenier!"

The woman looked at the girl with lingering shock in her eyes as she saw the woman's state of undress. She shook her head quickly, knowing that this would never do, and that there was a busy schedule to keep. "Please put your clothes back on, young lady. Lunch has already started, and you don't want to miss it!"

Someone had burst into the little whitewashed room, only to stare at her - not her face, but her chest, her body. Oh, and there was a brassiere and very plain panties. Now that she noticed them, the brassiere just had to go first as it itched. Who had dressed her in such stupid things?

It was a woman speaking to her, but it was not Amshel, nor a face he ever used. A human woman. But why would Diva be led to lunch if this was her lunch? It was all very silly and confusing - were her Chevaliers playing a trick on her, maybe? Reaching up to grab at a bra strap and rip it, the girl said quite simply, "I've never seen you before? Where is Amshel?"

The nurse could already tell that this patient was going to be a frustrating one to deal with, especially as the girl insisted on continuing to strip her clothes off. She made a note on her clipboard, then shook her head.

"There is no Amshel, dear. You're in Landel's Institute." And didn't it seem like she needed to be. The nurse took a step towards Danielle, trying the pleasant approach. "Don't you want to get something to eat, Ms. Frenier? They're serving grilled cheese. That sounds very yummy, doesn't it? Just get dressed, and we can get you fed."

Reaching down, the nurse picked up Danielle's shirt, and offered it to the girl.

No Amshel? Well that was obvious. Amshel would have just given Nathan a talking to about dressing her in a sweatsuit, most definitely.

The name 'Landel's Institute' didn't register when the woman stepped closer still, and Diva hooked her fingers under the band of the underwear and let them drop. But she got it now! A clipboard and nurse clothes, she must be one of the scientists Amshel had! The sudden realization made her lips turn into a soft pout, though. But why were they doing tests now of all times, right when things were at their most boring? They only made Diva more bored; they never came up with anything. Useless experiments.

"I don't like you," was the bland response. Diva ignored everything being said, and the proffered shirt. Human food was not yummy. Neither was this woman. She made to walk out into the hallway, utterly naked. "Where is my dress?"

The nurse was left to gasp and scramble around her patient, barely making it in time to block the door. "Young lady!" The nice approach had obviously failed miserably, and a more firm tactic would be required.

"You aren't leaving this room unless you are dressed." The nurse motioned into the hall, and a large man appeared behind her, the orderly ready to hold Danielle down if necessary. "We can't have you making a scene. Now put on your uniform so we can escort you to lunch!"

Diva stopped before she walked right into the woman, but only just. Even though Amshel might scold her later, it wasn't her fault they were rude. Diva didn't like the woman's tone of voice; it was firm. An order? Her eyes narrowed, although at the same time she seemed to be smiling. An order. An order on the day she really wanted to find that boy.

"Where is my dress?" she repeated. Her left hand drew back for a sharp backhand at the same time.

Before Danielle's slap could land, a large muscular hand grabbed her wrist. The orderly shook his head, holding Danielle's arm while the nurse slipped past the girl and back into the room.

"We don't tolerate violence in Landel's, Ms. Frenier." The nurse pulled a syringe from her pocket, preparing a sedative. "This is your last warning. You'll either get dressed in the uniform we've provided now without further resistance, or you will be punished."

Honestly, a person would think it wouldn't be that hard to get someone to keep their clothes on!

The Chiropteran Queen was certainly more stunned than the nurse she had just tried to kill - after all, one strike was all it took to crush their bodies - as the human man stopped her. "You're definitely human!" came the exclamation. Definitely! Definitely she could smell that!

That hadn't happened since - back then she - the hunger -

Diva wasn't self-aware enough to even recognize the sharp, startling feeling of trepidation for what it was, and for her many long years, was simply unable to connect this situation to the other. Impossible. So long ago. Weakness that was gone now. She didn't have claws like her Chevaliers, but that wasn't the point, she didn't need them, she could rend flesh with just her fingertips, she could crush his throat because that was what she did to humans -

The orderly was well trained, and quick, able to reach up and grasp the woman's free hand just before her nails scraped the skin of his neck. He sighed as he held the struggling girl, having seen far too much of this in his time.

"Calm down, ma'am." He moved his body with Danielle's, not letting her get away, and more importantly, keeping her back to the nurse as she stepped closer. "This doesn't have to be that bad."

"Apparently it does." The nurse had seen more than enough by then, and with a practiced ease pushed the needle into Danielle's neck. A quick push of the plunger, then it was over, with nothing left to do but wait until the sedative took effect. "We'll have to dress her before we take her to the others. Hopefully Ms. Frenier will take this lesson to heart, and we won't have a repeat performance of this incident."

He was moving her with his own strength, not hers; the balls of her feet brushed the floor as the Chiropteran was swung around like one of the pretty dolls she liked to destroy.

A silent gasp at the feel of cold metal under skin. No! She didn't want that!

Why weren't her Chevaliers doing something! They had to...

Even when the drugs began to work their way through her system, turning her own body traitor against her, she continued to squirm and fight and shake her head back and forth. Diva knew those tranquilizers, she knew them, and she hated them so.

Over at last, and the nurse let out a soft sigh. Why did they have to struggle so hard? Even now, the woman was still trying to fight, though the sedatives took away most of the danger.

"Lay her on the bed, and I'll put her clothes back on." The nurse picked up the discarded outfit, quickly dressing the reluctant Danielle--or at least, as quickly as she could as the patient continued to resist. Eventually she was decent again, and ready to head out to lunch.

At least in theory.

[And taking her to Dean's breakfast thread (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/211721.html?thread=14749705#t14749705)!]

Ed woke to a large puddle of drool on her pillow. "Pillow!" she squealed, hugging it joyfully. When was the last time she'd actually had a real pillow? She looked around the room. "Ed's room has white walls? And another bed... Ed has a roommate! But where is Ed's roommate? And where is Ed's room?"

She bit her pillow, growling playfully, and carried it like a dog to the foot of her bed where she abandoned it to scramble onto the top of the desk. In the process she discovered the happy-face patch on her shirt, and giggled with delight. Then there were triumphant discovery exclamations to make while pulling the desk drawers open and peering into them from odd angles.

The pens were removed from their rubber band and scattered onto the desk (and floor) while Ed put the rubber band on her right wrist like a bracelet, cackling gleefully. Then she scooped up a pen and was about to make her walls much more fun when the door opened to admit a bustling nurse. Ed pocketed the pen quickly and gave the nurse a big, fake-innocent grin, then leapt off the desk and tumbled to a stop at the surprised nurse's feet.

"Ed is not sick," said the red-headed child, peering curiously up at the nurse. "No shots for Ed!"

The nurse laughed good-naturedly and patted the girl on the head. "Ah, Chloe, there is no need to worry about shots anymore, if you're a good girl, that is."

"Ed is Ed!" stated Ed emphatically. "Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky VI! No 'Chloe' in Ed's name!" Ed was trying to untie the nurse's shoelaces but the nurse lifted her under the arms to stand her up, then got a pair of slippers from the closet. She handed them to Ed.

"No dear," replied the nurse gently, "We already talked about this, remember? You have been very sick, but you are so much better now. Your name is Chloe Siegfried and you're in Landel's Institute to get all better, okay?"

Ed tried balancing one of the slippers on her nose while the nurse said crazy things, but it fell off after a moment so Ed stacked both slippers on top of her head. "Siegfried Siegfried!" she repeated excitedly. "Ed likes that name, maybe add it to Ed's full name! Wheeee!" She fell backwards into a perfect handstand, thereby losing the slippers to gravity.

The nurse gave an exasperated sigh, retrieving the slippers and deciding the child must not want them. The footwear was returned to the closet. Then the nurse turned her attention back to Ed, who had hand-walked to the dresser and was opening and closing the drawers with her toes.

"Come on, dear," coaxed the nurse, "It's time to eat, you slept half the day away and must be starving!"

"Ooooh yes! Ed is very very hungry," replied the girl with suddenly-rapt attention. She put her feet back on the floor and took the nurse's offered hand, swinging it wildly as she walked with exaggerated steps beside the woman. Ed burst into song as she was led down hallways past other rooms and places that did not smell like food. "Wond'ring, wond'ring, haven't got a clue. Rumbling, rumbling, eating's what we'll do!" Food was where they were going. Ed would think about the weird things happening here after food.

The first thing Thursday Next noticed upon opening her eyes was that she was lying down. Strange; she'd been sitting up moments before - she was sure of it.

The second thing she noticed was the silence. She and Anne Wirthlass had been bound for Longfellow's "The Wreck of the Hesperus," and by all rights it should have been the sound of the ocean in her ears, not this disconcerting nothing. And instead of the anguish and bleak despair that came with entering such a tragic poem, she felt - well - somewhat puzzled and a bit tired, which was more or less normal (observation three).

"Wirthlass?" she muttered, frowning. No response. Her frown deepened.

The bed - she'd been lying on a bed, she noted, and filed that away for later (four) - creaked underneath her as she sat up. She was in a small room of some sort - the whitewashed walls and antiseptic smell suggested a hospital (five?) - there was another bed across from her, though the bedclothes seemed untouched -

The smell.

The BookWorld had almost no smells, unless the smell in question was somehow important to the plot or an overarching theme. And the cold, clean scent of antiseptic was far too real to be fictional. She wasn't in Longfellow - that much she'd already guessed - but now she was almost certain she wasn't in the written word at all. And the Austen Rover had been destined for Longfellow - or at least, Wirthlass had claimed it was destined for Longfellow - and things one through five fell into place so neatly Thursday fancied she could hear the click.

Goliath. Damn them. What did Wirthlass have against her? Was she even the one pulling the strings at all? Forget that - how could she - Thursday - have been so stupid? What had she been thinking, going and trusting them like that? It was just like them to ignore the impending end of time in order to exact revenge for something that had happened nearly twenty years ago. They'd left her more or less alone for the better part of two decades - why the hell had she decided to let her guard down now?

Oh, right, the impending end of time. Which meant, of course, that right now there was none to lose. Figuratively, anyway.

How long had she been asleep? There were no windows in her room - she could have been out for hours. Who knew what Wirthlass and her cronies could have gotten up while she was here? Wirthlass was Goliath - Goliath in possession of a vehicle capable of intertextual travel - it would be naïve in the extreme to assume they hadn't gotten up to something. And Friday - did he know she was gone?

Oh God, Friday. Friday and Landen and Tuesday and Jenny. Instinctively her gaze traveled to her left hand and she began to breathe again at the sight of the ring on her finger. Okay, so that was Landen accounted for - but not her kids. And she didn't even know if Landen was okay - not really - just that he still existed - what if Goliath had gotten hold of him -

She forced herself to continue breathing at a normal rate as she slid off the bed. They'd taken her gun and she still didn't have her TravelBook. She was in no position to pull off anything right now.

At least, that was what she tried to tell herself. But when the door swung open at last, she couldn't prevent herself from going for the nurse's throat.

The nurse barely had time to get the door open before Emily leapt at her, a surprised cry sounding out that sent an orderly running. The man pushed past both the women, forcefully yanking Emily off of his coworker before she could do much damage.

"Mrs. Bellman!" The nurse snapped sharply at the patient, her temper getting the best of her for a moment. She gripped her throat protectively, staring as the orderly kept a tight hold on the struggling woman. "That is no way to behave, especially on your first day!"

Thursday had been trying to pull away from the orderly - she should've known the nurse wouldn't have been the only one around - but she paused when she heard the first words that came out of said nurse's mouth.

She wasn't the Bellman - that was Commander Bradshaw! But that wasn't the problem - the problem was that the nurse was quite clearly Goliath, and they shouldn't have known about Jurisfiction at all, let alone her involvement in it. Unless Wirthlass had somehow managed to get the attention of Text Grand Central - and -

Thursday focused on the nurse as she resumed struggling. "I'm not Bellman anymore," she spat. "Goliath isn't terribly up to date on its information, is it? But never mind that - who are you, where am I, and what the hell have you done with my family?!"

Something in Emily's demands sparked professionalism in the nurse--or perhaps it was the fact that the orderly had been able to keep hold of the woman--and she let out a slow sigh. It was hard on the new ones when they first arrived.

"Calm down, ma'am. Your name is Emily Bellman, and you're at Landel's Institute." She paused for a moment then, to let her words sink in. "We're all here to help you get well again. That's why your family brought you here. Now please relax. It's time for lunch, and we need to show you the way to the cafeteria."

Thursday's eyes narrowed. They were trying to convince her that Bellman was her surname? Why the hell would they do that? And "Landel's" - that didn't sound familiar at all. It was strange - usually Goliath plastered their name on everything they did. But the nurse hadn't said she wasn't Goliath - so the place had to be Goliath-sponsored at the very least.

It was the line about her family that set her off again. She managed to get one arm free and she lunged forward again, swinging at the nurse's jaw. How dare she, how dare she pretend that Land had been the cause of all this when she knew bloody well it was Goliath!

"Landen would never stick me in some bloody institute," she snarled. "Not even if I were sick."

The nurse wasn't quite so fortunate this time, Emily's fist connecting and sending her stumbling back. The orderly grabbed the woman's arm just a moment too late, but that didn't stop him from jerking it painfully behind her back.

"Shouldn't have done that, Miss." The man shook his head, already knowing what was coming, even as the nurse regained her balance, and prepared a sedative.

"That is more than enough, Mrs. Bellman." The nurse stepped quickly to the still struggling patient, smoothly injecting her with the drug. "The staff will not tolerate such violence! Now calm down!"

Of course, the last order was a forgone conclusion as soon as the needle entered Emily's skin.

Thursday's eyes went wide with shock as she felt the prick of the needle. Well, she thought, that was new. They'd locked her in a room with no reading material and eradicated her husband before, but they'd certainly never tried to sedate her.

"What the fuck do you think you're doi - " she began, but her motions gradually became more sluggish and her voice trailed off. She tried a half-hearted glare at the nurse, but somehow she got the feeling it wasn't nearly as effective as it had been a few moments ago.

"Still don' think Land sen' me here," she mumbled. "'m not goin' anywhere."

Although it didn't look like she had much of a choice at the moment.

[moving to lunch (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/211721.html?thread=14851593#t14851593)!]

It was becoming a never-ending game. The stakes were high, and the rewards... The rewards seemed more and more unreachable with each passing attempt. Regardless, they would try again... and again... and again... The resets allowed her to spend more time with Rika and the people Rika called friends (though they were unaware of her presence). But the constant failures made their attemps seem more and more hopeless with each passing turn...

With a short sigh, Hanyuu closed her eyes. Now it was time to try yet another path.

A flash of light signaled the use of her powers, but when she opened her eyes again, she realized she wasn't sure where she was.

"Rika?!" Panicked, she immediately jumped off the bed she had found herself on. As she glanced about the room, however, the girl calmed slightly once she realized it looked mildly similar to the rooms of Irie's clinic. Something seemed off, though... Not to mention, there was the question of why she would've been inside Irie's clinic in the first place. Well, she could think more about that later.

Hanyuu had nearly reached the door when it suddenly opened, causing her to jump back in surprise. The woman who had appeared in the doorway further reminded her of the clinic, since she seemed to dress in a way that was similar to Takano or the other nurses.

"Oh good, you're finally awake," the woman began, "You slept through breakfast and Arts and Crafts, Hannah. It's already time for lunch."

Hanyuu canted her head and blinked at the woman. Just who was she talking to? She hadn't seen anyone else in the room, and there was certainly no way that the nurse was speaking to her... It was a little odd, but she had other matters to tend to. The woman was blocking the door, so Hanyuu made a hasty beeline for the wall and--

THUD

With a very audible thud, she walked right into the wall, flailing her arms briefly before she fell back to the floor. That was the first time that had ever happened... "Auauau," she muttered, rubbing her head. Before she could get up and attempt to exit the room again, however, the nurse was kneeling next to her.

"Hannah! You really need to be more careful," she chided lightly, helping the girl to her feet once more. And it wasn't until then, that Hanyuu realized the nurse really was speaking to her. Even more so, she was looking at her-- seeing her!

Hanyuu blinked, her mouth moving wordlessly a few times before she finally managed to pull away from the nurse and retreat a few steps. How was... this woman able to see her? And why was she calling her 'Hannah'? Those were just a couple of the things she was wondering about, but maybe the woman could help shed light on the situation. "Where... where am I?" Hanyuu asked meekly.

The nurse looked a little perplexed about her actions, but nevertheless replied, "You're in Landel's Institute, dear."

Hanyuu couldn't recall anything with that name in Hinamizawa... She clutched her hands together and brought them to her face, almost as though she were trying to hide behind them. "And Rika..? I-is she here, too?"

"Now, now, there's no need to worry about that anymore," the nurse began, giving her a sympathetic smile. "We're going to help you move past those imaginary friends of yours."

"I-imaginary?" Hanyuu stuttered. That was... how Rika's mother had viewed her. But she had been the imaginary one, not Rika! "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"It's all right, it's all right." The nurse approached her again and bent down so she was more level with her. "Just forget all about Rick and everything will be fine." Straightening once more, she smoothed out her uniform and returned to the door before motioning for the girl to follow her. "Now, let's go to lunch."

Hanyuu wanted to protest (and correct the woman that it was Rika not Rick), but the look she received, while not threatening in any way, was enough to make her follow after the nurse. "Auauau..."

Naoto went from fully asleep to suddenly awake in a rush of adrenaline. "Mikumo!" he gasped out, mind racing--where was Mikumo? Naoya?

...for that matter, where was he? Naoto didn't recognize the room he was currently in, not that he was ever in one room long enough lately to get fully used to it. But it was obvious that this wasn't a hotel room. Naoto had lived in the research facility long enough to recognize the trappings of a hospital.

But he had died. He'd realized Mikumo's game too late to do anything about it. And in his blind reaction, due to its consequences, he'd left Naoya alone and unprotected.

Where was Naoya? Naoto was gripped by panic and worry--the only time he'd been far away from his little brother in his remembering was when Naoya had vanished.

He threw off the sheets covering him and jumped out of bed, at the door in an instant. He tried the handle, to find it locked. It was then that he realized just where he was...he'd been in a place like this before, except on the other side of that door. It was a mental hospital, like the one where that teacher Tsuzuki had been. Had Mikumo snapped his mind instead of killing him outright? But that made no sense, he could still remember the feeling of separation and numbness when his powers overloaded and killed him.

The door handle turned slowly and Naoto jumped back, throwing his arms in front of him defensively, ready to meet the threat with a telekinetic blast. The nurse looked unimpressed. "So you're already awake, Justin? Come on, if you don't hurry, you're going to miss lunch!"

"Where is my brother?" Naoto asked, he didn't have the time or the patience to deal with this woman. He needed to find Naoya.

"Well, if we get you to lunch, maybe you'll see him!" the nurse said cheerfully. "Come on, now."

Naoto couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't just another of Mikumo's illusions, but the promise of finding his brother was enough to override his caution, and he followed the nurse out.

I can do this! I can navigate this ship up the Knock-Up Stream.. I'm the navigator of the Straw Hat crew, and we can prove that the island in the sky does exist, past the layer of clouds that we never thought had another side. Above the sea and beyond the sky... we can do this – we can do this! We're nearly vertical, but if we turn the rudder a little bit to the right we'll straighten up slightly and the wind is – Usopp, pull that rope – if our ship can stand this, if we can all stay in this together, all work together like I know we can, even Sanji and Zoro.. we can cross the sky! I am the navigator of the Going Merry!

Nami pointed skyward, seeing the first beam of light from the other side of the clouds flash across the deck. She'd done it!

I am the navigator of the Going Merry!

And that light had seemed so heavenly, so miraculous that Nami couldn't quite believe it at first. So it wasn't a surprise when she rolled over in bed, arms tangled amongst sheets and blankets. She was grasping for a rope when she realized that she had been dreaming. Was all of that just a dream? The wind had seemed so real and so ear-shattering in the blackness, and the rain was still cold on her face. She brought her hand up to touch her cheek, unsure if it should be wet from the clouds and the rain or not, but instead discovered something else quite wrong. The weight on her wrist..?

She opened her eyes, blinking blearily at her bare wrist and its obvious lack of Log Pose – then at the rest of the room. Well, this obviously wasn't the Going Merry...

Someone had some explaining to do, quite frankly. Nami would not settle for less than complete understanding of the situation. That Log Pose... it'd hardly ever left her wrist since she'd first acquired it, what seemed so long ago now. Why it wasn't wrapped around her wrist now was a mystery, and Nami had always much preferred cold, hard facts to mystery. Luffy could go on with all the Mystery Rooms he wanted, but something like this simply didn't settle right in her stomach.

She slipped out of bed, eying her drab gray getup. She wasn't sure what she'd been put in. The smile on the front of it was ridiculous, clearly, and upon further inspection of her closet, she hadn't been given much else to work with in the way of fashion – wherever she was. Was she in a jail? Had they been captured by the Marines?

Her thought was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and Nami spun on her heel, preparing to give this bustling-looking woman quite a piece of her mind.

Hands settled on her hips. "I would appreciate it if you let me know what was going on here," she said testily. Nami had never been a big fan of captivity, especially when she didn't even know how far above sea level said captivity was located.

"Why, you're in Landel's Institute, darling," the nurse said cheerily. "I know it must be hard for you, Cecille, but I'm sure you'll adjust all right."

Oh no. Oh no, Nami was not going to accept that. Not that name, not the thought of 'adjusting' to - just whatever it was that they'd set her up for. Where were her nakama!? Irritatedly, she replied, "Well, what island is this? We're not in the sky - .. are we?" If she'd blacked out in the middle of navigation literally upstream, the chances that they had made it to Sky Island were quite small indeed, but if they'd fallen at that point .. the Going Merry would have been torn to pieces.

It didn't make any sense.

"..No, hon, we're not in the sky. There are no islands in the sky," the nurse replied firmly. "We're safe on land. Now I bet you're hungry, aren't you?"

No, Nami was not hungry! And the more the nurse ignored her questions, the angrier Nami became. "No! I-"

She stopped, and stared the nurse in her well-meaning eyes for a good moment. This insufferable woman wasn't going to tell her anything, from the looks of it. Nami turned to the side, two fingers raised to her temple.

"Come on to lunch, Cecille. You slept in a little late today, but we've got some nice tasty grilled cheese sandwiches all cooked up for you and the rest of the patients. How does that sound?"

The nurse was putting her hand on Nami's shoulder and trying to guide her gently toward the door, but Nami shook it off, replying coldly, "No, that's all right, I can lead myself. ..Though what do you mean, patients?" She wasn't going to argue with the name Cecille for now. If she was wanted for anything - though she wasn't sure why she would be just yet, as far as she knew - someone else calling her Cecille wouldn't be a bad idea... unless there was someone else with the name Cecille she'd been mistaken for. But still, there were no Marine strongholds near here, as far as she knew; this was quite confusing, and Nami needed answers.

The nurse shook her head sadly, making sure Nami was following her as she walked out the door. "The rest of the poor souls we try to help here in Landel's Institute. This is a mental institution."

A mental institution? Nami widened her eyes. Not a jail, but - oh, this was just fantastic. They'd been called crazy for thinking Sky Island existed, but she hadn't expected it to go this far. "Well, I'm afraid there's been a mistake. After all, I don't sound crazy, do I? Is there some sort of test I can take to prove that I'm not?" Maybe this was her ticket out!

"Didn't you just ask me if we were located in the sky? Honestly, hon!" The nurse shook her head incredulously.

That shut Nami up well enough, long enough for them to get out the door and halfway down the hall. "Were there any people in my.. party.. when I was taken here?" She could hope that Luffy and the rest were here - if they were, she could scold them for letting them get captured while she'd been passed out. And then she could make them find a way out. It'd have to be by force; there was no stretch of the imagination that could judge the boys sane. Robin maybe. Not the boys.

"Well, there are more patients waking up as we speak. Maybe you can make some friends while you're here, hmm, hon?"

Oh, certainly. Nami was looking forward to that.

And they walked down the hall.

He wasn’t sure what he had expected, sealing himself and Krad back into the painting; the possibility of there simply being nothing had of course crossed his mind, but it wasn’t what he had hoped for.

So what had he wanted? Dramatic eternal combat? An existence like some of the other pieces of art he had encountered, forever observing the world from within the frame of the Kokuyoku? A magical land of young, beautiful girls just waiting to praise him for his amazing skills and dashing good looks—- well, that a line of thought for another time.

Of all the things he might have thought would happen, he was rather sure that waking up in what appeared to be a hospital room was not on the list.

His first instinct was to mentally reach out and call Daisuke, but that idea died almost as soon as it occurred to him. The characteristic warmth that meant Daisuke was there was absent. Even when all he could feel was the faintest connection when their bodies managed to become separated, there had never just been so much of well, nothing. The total lack of any feeling at all was disconcerting.

He couldn’t feel Krad either, which both confused and worried him. As with Daisuke, his awareness of Krad had never faded this completely. It would be too much to hope for to think that he had gotten rid of his opposite so easily. Just what was going on here?

It was a troublesome feeling, being so alone with ones thoughts, especially after everything that had happened. Well, simply sitting around and wondering about the absence of both his sort-of little brother and the whereabouts of his psychotic other half wasn’t going to get anything done.

He had only just started to get out of the unfamiliar bed when the nurse came in, calling him the wrong name and cheerfully explaining nonsense to him. Even if he was crazy, and even if he had ever been clumsy enough to get caught - which was simply unthinkable - he knew that he would have certainly wound up in a high security prison, not a mental hospital.

Dark simply smiled at her and pretended he believed her as he finished glancing over the room and its contents. Rather plain, but of course you couldn't expect too much from hospital room. Still, he knew that even the simplest places could have useful tools. He would have to double check that no security cameras were in place, then see just what he could do with what the room had to offer once he was able to fully check it out.

The nurse offered to guide him to lunch, mentioning how hungry he must be, since he had missed breakfast.

Dark’s best charming smile and an offer to have a quiet lunch with just her – women never seemed to mind talking and sharing a bit of information over food - was met with a smile that was clearly meant to humor him and a gesture into the hallway and obviously towards breakfast. Hm. It had been worth the try, though her rejection mean there just wasn’t any accounting for taste with some people.

“Ladies first,” he offered, content to walk a step behind her and listen to her extol the benefits of his newfound home in Landel’s Institute.

This was new. Rika had expected pain. She often entered a new world by falling onto something, or off something, or in some cases in something, but she didn't even feel like she was falling at all. On the contrary, she had already landed in a new world.

But the problem, Rika realized, was that this world truly was "new" - it looked similar to the Irie Clinic. She had never woken up here before... Rika realized that her time must have been cut again. Did she wake up later than before? There was that check up with Satoko that was supposed to happen in -

"Hanyuu! Hanyuu!" Rika called to the spirit, her voice bouncing off the walls. That Hanyuu, she was never around when Rika actually needed her. Like right now. She had to know the date, how much time she had left, and where she was. Hanyuu would be able to figure out these things for her.

Except Hanyuu never came. Silence was the only thing that greeted Rika, and the girl grew from annoyed to somewhat... frightened. Where was Hanyuu?

"... Hanyuu?" Rika's voice was softer now as she climbed down from the bed. It was then that Rika noticed her new attire - gone was her teal sundress, and instead, she was wearing some strange grey outfit with a weird smiley face on it.

This definitely was not the Irie Clinic, unless Takano was playing some weird prank on her. Maybe that was the case. Rika was about to go investigate when the door opened, making the girl draw back.

A nurse entered, smiling warmly when she noticed that Rika was awake.

"You're finally up, Yukari! You missed breakfast, but it's lunchtime now. Don't you want to get something to eat?"

"Uh..." Rika frowned, glancing around her. Where was Hanyuu?! And who was Yukari? Something was wrong here, but it seemed like Rika had no choice but to go along. "I'm not very hungry at the moment, miss, but could you take me to see Dr. Irie?" She asked, smiling cutely.

She expected the nurse to make a comment about how cute she was before leading her on her way, but instead the nurse shook her head and gave Rika a sad smile, like she had asked to see someone who had died.

"There, there, Yukari, there's no Irie here. But we can go get you some lunch, and you can talk to the other patients. Soon, you'll meet your new doctor too!"

New doctor? Was she mistaken for someone else? This was very unusual - Rika never landed outside of Hinamizawa before. There was no way this nurse could be mistaking her for someone else if she was still in Hinamizawa.

"Mii... Rika thinks you have the wrong person. Rika is Rika, not Yukari!" Rika informed the nurse, flashing her a bright smile. "Ni~pah!"

"Ahh, you're so cute!" The nurse squealed, giving Rika a pat on the head and taking her hand. "But your name is Yukari, not Rika. Yukari is Yukari. Now let's go get you some breakfast!"

Rika was stunned, to say the least, as the nurse started moving. She knew for a fact that she didn't land in Hinamizawa anymore. Was that why Hanyuu would not respond to her?

What in the world happened?

He had been dreaming of Hell. It wasn't terribly uncommon or unusual, and the dream was almost pleasant. There was something comforting about the way he knew the end (which was, really, just another beginning) was inevitable. And then the other inevitable happened and he woke up.

More secure than the Vendice prison, is that what they had called it. Mukuro was accustomed to wake up and being unable to see, there was a certain weight associated with waking -- something that was strangely absent. Even more peculiar was that he could open his eyes, both of them. He blinked, half listening to the voice over the ... intercom? Now, this was certainly not right.

Mukuro slowly sat up (in bed, which was even more peculiar) and the first thing he did was look down at his hands. They certainly looked like his, and the body did not feel like anyone else's. The child he had borrowed before and ... Mm, that thought would not contribute helpfully to this situation as he was clearly in his own body for the moment. He couldn't believe they had given him parole, however, especially if that was based on cooperation and good behavior.

"Good day, Hitsuji!" a woman dressed as a nurse came in with a cheerful smile.

And he froze, before placing his hands in his lap. A polite smile was carefully drawn across his face. "... pardon?" he asked.

"They told me you'd be like this. Come on, it's time for lunch, Hitsuji."

He didn't let his thoughts darken his expression. Instead he slowly stood up and nodded at her. Placidly. Hitsuji...? He was hardly a sheep, and that would be something they would learn. But for now? He was more than glad to play the role, a sheep was far better than a drowning man.

Kratos had told himself the next day that he would do something worthwhile. He would not simply mope around Dirk's house waiting for Lloyd; that would be counter-productive. In his current state, he didn't know how far "worthwhile" could go when applied, but he had resolved to do something that did not involve him mentally kicking himself.

That something had not involved waking up in a hospital bed. Nor had it involved a woman peering down at him. (Martel forbid it was Dirk.) A million alarms went off instantly in his head, but Kratos's brain somehow ignored them all. In fact, the only impulse that carried through correctly seemed to be one that told him to blink.

"Oh, you're awake, Mr. Clarke! Thank god; we were all wondering when you'd come round." The woman- he could see now that she was a nurse- stood up, smiling.

"Your family was very concerned about your health, especially after that gunfight."

Kratos's mind blanked. "...gunfight?" he ventured.

"Oh, I see you don't remember it. Don't worry, Mr. Clarke- the amnesia's only temporary. Sadly, it's common for post-trauma victims. However, I'm sure in a couple of days here at Landel's you'll be back in fine form."

Landel's. Clarke. The names were unfamiliar to him, even with his 4,000 years of knowledge: never had he come across anyone named such, nor had he come across any buildings or cities along those lines. It was as if he were in a dream world, but his body- especially his injuries from his duel with Lloyd- said otherwise.

Seeking to get a better grip on his surroundings, Kratos sat up, wincing. Immediately he knew that had been a bad idea: the nurse had flown over to him and forced him back onto the mattress.

"Now, now, there's no need for such hasty action. You must take things at a slower pace than you're usual to in order to recover completely."

"I'm quite...certain I'll be fine," Kratos said evenly. "Quite certain." He emphasized the last statement a little more than he probably should have, but in his current state, he wasn't feeling particularly courteous.

"Well, if you say so, Mr. Clarke! It's nearly lunch time anyway- I'm sure you've quite hungry after such a long nap. Come along, now. I'll be right next to you in case you stumble. Just remember that you're safe here, alright?"

Her words were slightly unnerving, but Kratos allowed himself to be maneuvered out of the drab room and into the hallway, the nurse guiding him by the hand at a much slower pace that he would have proferred. However, for now he would play along.

"Mr. Hartwell… Mr. Hartwell…?"

"Oi…" Hattori Heiji growled into his pillow, "Nanyaaa… gofun mo nettai de, Kudo…" At least... that's what he thought he'd said. It actually sounded more like, "Jeeez... lemme sleep five more minutes, Kudo..."

"Mr. Hartwell, if you don't get up now you'll miss lunch!" Suddenly, Heiji's blankets were yanked off of him, a rather stern looking nurse. He looked up at her, absolutely flabbergasted, curled up on the mattress. Where the hell WAS he? And why didn't his arm hurt? He'd just been shot after all. But, then again, this woman was a nurse. Maybe he had been carted here by Kudo in the night. And oddly enough, this woman was speaking English... it sounded as though it was her native tongue. So he should speak English too, right?

Didn't stop him from being pissed off, though.

"Oi, lady--" Heiji's annoyed tone was cut off when the nurse held up her hand, her lips pursed as though daring Heiji to say something more.

"Out of bed, now," she said--implying that that, was that.

His eyebrows flew up nearly to his hairline. Heiji grit his teeth and flew into his native language. "Just who do you think you are?!"

"Mr. Hartwell, we've been through this. While you're here, you're only to speak English," She used the word as though Heiji had never heard it before. "Using that strange dialect is only fueling your delusion that you're a—"

"HOLD UP THERE, LADY," Heiji shouted, getting out of bed. Nobody insulted his accent and got away with it. At 5'11', he towered over the nurse. If looks could kill, Heiji would have a tough time covering his crime. "Osaka-ben is PERFECTLY GOOD Japanese! Y'got that?!"

"Sit DOWN Mr. Hartwell!" Heiji glared at her, but complied, dropping into the chair by his desk. Immediately he crossed his arms, giving the woman a very skeptical look.

"Just because you people can't understand me, doesn't mean I'm forbidden to speak it," Heiji said hotly, slightly unnerved that he hadn't even made an effort and his speech was coming out in English. "And for your information, I'm fine. That gunshot was just a scratch. So I'll be checking myself out and going home," Heiji said with a smug smirk. He moved to stand.

"Sit down, Mr. Hartwell," The nurse repeated. Heiji's eyebrows knit together as he straightened up. "Or I will be forced to call an orderly."

"An orderly?" Heiji repeated, thoroughly confused. "Mr. Hartwell? Have you taken one to many aspirin, lady? The name's Hattori Heiji--Detective of the West. Y'know, from the papers," Heiji added with a smug grin.

"That," The nurse began, resting a hand on Heiji's shoulder and pushing him gently back into the chair, "Is the problem, Mr. Hartwell," Was she looking at him with… pity? "You are not a Japanese detective. Your name is not Heiji Hattori—"

"Hattori Heiji," he corrected.

"Whichever," The nurse conceded with a sigh. "The point is, your name is actually Harley Hartwell, and you—"

"HARLEY HARTWELL?!" The teen detective shouted, standing up again.

Who names their kid that?! Heiji thought, horrified. The nurse waited for him to stop heaving, then continued.

"You live in Canada with your family. But recently, you've gotten it into your head that you are a famous detective from Osaka, Japan," She sighed again, "Your parents are very worried. They care deeply for you, and want you to come home as soon as possible."

Well, at least that hadn't changed. Heiji thought for a moment, "What about Kazuha? And Kudo? Where are they?"

"You mean Katie and James?" The nurse nodded, "They're very worried as well. James first noticed your condition. You started referring to him as the Detective of the East, and yourself as the Detective of the West. He thought it was odd, and then Katie confirmed it when you insisted that you two had met in Kyoto," She smiled kindly, "Katie is especially worried about you, considering the relationship you two share."

Heiji blushed, his jaw dropping slightly, "Th-that idiot! She's just making things up again! Stupid girls…"

The nurse chuckled slightly. Ah, young love. And so embarrassed! "Well Mr. Hartwell, now that you know your friends are waiting for you to come home, will you cooperate?"

Will I cooperate? To Heiji, that sounded an awful lot like a threat. There was more to this place than met the eye—he was certain of that. For one thing, he had realized while the nurse was rambling that his bandage and bullet wound were both gone. Not exactly a normal occurrence, considering he had received the wound just yesterday. Second, the nurse hadn't really answered his question: she had said they were alright, but never mentioned where they were. Were Kudo and Kazuha being held hostage here? If so, why?

Heiji flashed one of his smug grins, "Of course, oba-ha— I mean, ma'am."

With that, he followed his nurse out of the room, brow furrowed in thought. What exactly was going on here?

It was over. It had to be, because he didn't think he could keep going. He had tied it all up, performed patricide just like he was supposed to. He'd grit his teeth and carried out that last order, and now--

There was a blank. Suddenly he wasn't on that building anymore, suddenly Olga's sword was gone, and suddenly he was waking up.

His eyes opened slowly, as if they were longing to remain closed. It made sense--he'd been awake for over twenty-four hours. The white was painful, but a nice change from the muted colors of Big Shell. The surreal feeling he'd felt while on the roof of that building persisted here, though, and he had to wonder if he was just making that up, too.

How had he gotten here? Where was Snake? Raiden sat up slowly, grabbing at the sheets with one hand as he brushed his hair back with the other. He was tired, but unfortunately, he couldn't go back to sleep until he knew what was going on.

He rubbed his eyes until they stopped trying to close, and then stood up, glancing around the room. He was alone, but he had figured on that. If someone had been nearby, he would have known. He was still in sneaking mode, after all, which made him all the more on edge. Had he been captured? By the Patriots?

The door opened then, and Raiden felt himself tensing, prepared to either dart toward a hiding place (under the bed? the closet?) or rush the door to pull whoever was coming in into a choke hold.

He decided to go on the offensive, but stopped short when it wasn't a soldier or guard who walked in, but a nurse.

The woman gasped. "Jake! Oh, I'm sorry, dear, you must be disoriented."

Raiden deadpanned at her. While she was right, he had gotten her name wrong. It was Jack, not Jake (who screwed that up?). Though more bothersome was the fact that she even knew his real name. The Patriots knew everything, of course, so he wasn't too surprised. He remembered what Olga had said about the Patriot-run hospitals and decided not to let his guard down.

"What's going on?" he asked, not wanting to reveal too much with his questions.

"Do you not remember coming here?" she asked patiently.

He shook his head, and started to feel a little nervous. Why had he lost consciousness, and how had he been brought here? He felt drained, and weak--had they replaced his blood to remove the nanomachines?

"Don't worry, that's normal for all new patients. That's why you're here, after all. We're going to help you so that everything is clear again." She sent him an encouraging smile.

Raiden shifted. She was being vague. He definitely would like something to make sense for once, but he didn't trust this woman at all. He wasn't sure he could trust anyone anymore, except for Snake. "Let's just cut to the chase here," he snapped. "I know you're working for the Patriots--"

"Now, now, Jake, we can't have you falling into one of those delusions again," she cut in, reaching her hand out to grab his arm.

He jerked away. "What?"

She sighed. "This place is called Landel's Institute, Jake. It's a mental hospital, and we're here to help you recover your true self."

Raiden felt his stomach twist. He was quiet for a good ten seconds before speaking again. "...What are you talking about," he said under his breath. "My name isn't Jake."

"Yes, it is," the nurse insisted firmly. "Jake Edwards is your name, even if you don't think that it is right now. But don't worry, dear. During your stay here, everything will start to make sense."

Was this real? Though the fact that he even had to consider that was proof enough of how screwed up everything was. He didn't know what to do next, and so when the nurse started to urge him out the door, all he could do was follow.

Big Shell, Rose, Snake, the VR missions, the past he had just thought he'd remembered-- had it all been in his head?

Aziraphale awoke to the quick tap on the door as a nurse bustled into the rather spartan room. "Mr. Stark, it's far past time you got out of bed," she insisted, standing over him in a no-nonsense sort of way.

Aziraphale faked a yawn, hoping that it was convincing enough for the nurse. He hadn't needed to sleep, but he'd been informed that in his reassignment, acting as inconspicuous as possible would be a wise course of action. It seemed his name was Stark, which was as good as any other name he supposed.

"My dear madam," he replied cheerily, "might I inquire as to the nearest lavatory and cafeteria?"He was pretty sure he had the right idea; it seemed like humans were always either in bed, in the bath, or at the table. She smiled slightly, and motioned for him to follow.

She pointed out the lavatory as they passed, commenting on the excellent facilities and how the doctors here at the Institute would help him become well. He smiled lightly, pretending to listen as the kind woman prattled on about the grounds, tuning in briefly when she mentioned a library. That was something he'd need to see, and soon. But first he supposed, he'd need to eat, though need was a relative term. Aziraphale could eat if he so chose, he just didn't choose to very often (though come to think of it he'd had a lovely apple tart at a small restaurant in Shropshire not too many decades ago which was quite lovely).

As he hummed a little Liszt, Aziraphale wondered if Crowley's reassignment was any better than his own. In any case, here he was, not paying any attention to the vital information he was being given and he was already at the doors to the cafeteria. The food smelled appealing enough, and as long as they had some cocoa he'd be all right.

A falling star is enough to make a million wishes to come true.

The last cigarette you smoke. How would it taste like? Bittersweet? Warm rush of nicotine through your veins, bit of adrenalin mixed into the soup perhaps, comforting glow of the burning tip, filter squished between your lips. Maybe just a dream of something else.

Death by a falling star. What would you wish for?

Taste of smoke lingering on his lips, light behind his lids, Katou dreamed of tears and ash, blood and cigarettes. Clenching claws of his machine arm, cigarette trembling between his fingers, burning tears on the back of his hand, ragged breath slower and slower the longer he waited for the end to come. His private hell, just outside the gates of heaven. So fucking poetic it made him sick.

"Why the hell would I want any fucking heaven anyhow?" he muttered tiredly, destruction already rolling on his tongue. "Heaven's a lie."

He squinted at the light. Did it really have to be so damn bright? Lashes fluttering against his cheek, he slowly opened his eyes and glanced around quickly. Afterlife? Hades again? But the Heaven and Hell had meshed together. Would there be any Hades anymore? All he could see was white walls, closet doors, a bedside table and he finally realized he was laying on a bed. Bed that seemed unnervingly much like a hospital bed, in a room that practically reeked like hospital.

What the hell?

He pulled himself up slowly, observing his surroundings with widening eyes when the door to the room opened, spitting in a woman clad in white nurse's uniform.

"What's this shit?" he demanded to know before she could have gifted him with nothing more than a gentle smile. He yanked the front of his shirt at her direction and rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Don't just stand there, kuso baba. Where the hell am I?"

"Please, Mr. Shiraishi, sit down. Let me explain," she said while pursing her lips improvingly. "This is Landel's institution, you were sent here by your family or friends, to recover. We're here to help you to get better."

"Lady, you got the wrong man." He snorted and tried brushing past her and towards the door. "My name is Katou. You need me to spell it out? Now let me the fuck out of here."

She gave him a soft "tsk" under her breath and then sat on his bed to wait for him to grab the handle of the door and yank few times, curses pouring out between his lips. Katou glanced at her over his shoulder, wild eyes narrowing in irritation. She smiled encouragingly.

"What did ya say this place was?" he asked, biting his teeth together to force out a half smile, half grimace. If sweet talk wouldn't work in getting him out of this room, he'd have to start smashing places up. Maybe this was hell? The idea made him tilt his head a bit and think again the situation. Some of the Satans had been very weird bunch after all. How the hell should he know if they had a kink for some hospital drama.

"This is mental hospital," she said smilingly. "Would you feel like something to eat? We are just serving lunch."

"Does that mean I get out of this room?"

"Yes, I'll escort you to the cafeteria."

Katou grinned, tilting his head back and pointed the door with his thumb. "Lets go then. Come on, babaa. I'm starving," which obviously was a lie but neither of them seemed to care.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Day 27: Intercom, Noon

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