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damned_institute2007-09-26 09:14 am
norainu) wrote in damned_institute2007-09-26 09:14 am
Entry tags:
- ai,
- albel,
- alec,
- alucard,
- ami,
- anise,
- argilla,
- armand,
- artemis,
- ashton,
- axel,
- aya,
- barret,
- bella,
- birkin,
- byakko,
- celes,
- clark kent,
- claude,
- cloud,
- daemon,
- dairine,
- dark,
- dean winchester,
- diva,
- duo,
- eddie brock,
- edgar,
- edward elric,
- elena (ffvii),
- farfarello,
- fox,
- ginji,
- gluttony,
- guy,
- haku,
- hanyuu,
- harry,
- haruhi fujioka,
- heero,
- heiji,
- hiei,
- hisoka,
- hitsugaya,
- hk-47,
- hokuto,
- homura,
- hughes,
- jack horner,
- javert,
- kain,
- kanda,
- keman,
- kenren,
- kenshin,
- kikyo,
- kougaiji,
- kratos,
- krauser,
- l,
- larsa,
- leon (so2),
- leon magnus,
- light,
- luffy,
- luke fon fabre,
- lyta,
- malik,
- mark,
- masaru,
- matsumoto,
- max,
- mewtwo,
- mion,
- momo (xenosaga),
- mousse,
- nadine,
- nami,
- naminé,
- naomi,
- naoto,
- naoya,
- obi-wan kenobi,
- peony,
- peter parker,
- phibrizzo,
- quatre,
- qui-gon jinn,
- radical edward,
- raiden,
- raven,
- ravi,
- relena,
- ren,
- renji,
- reno,
- rhode,
- riddick,
- rika,
- rinali,
- roy,
- rukia,
- sanji,
- sanzo,
- scar (tlk),
- schuldig,
- seishirou,
- sephiroth,
- shana,
- sora,
- sousuke,
- sparda,
- statesman,
- steve,
- stork,
- subaru,
- subzero,
- tatsumi,
- thursday,
- ururu,
- usopp,
- valyn,
- wesker,
- wolverine,
- xellos,
- xemnas,
- yohji,
- yuber,
- zex,
- zoro
Day 27: Lunch
Renji wasn't so certain what this grilled cheese thing was all about, but he liked the sound of some soup. Even if it was strange western soup, well... there wasn't anything bad people could do to soup, in his experience. His good mood was starting to fray at the edges, a little, from the strain of dealing with the Ichimaru issue, and even more from what had been on the bulletin board earlier.
He'd never had difficulty simply writing something before. But...
He shook his head as he entered the line. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to hold on to the tenuous equilibrium he'd managed to find.
Renji got himself a large bowl of soup, water, and even one of those sandwiches, just to try it. Old habit, recently awakened, had him over to one side of the cafeteria, where the fewest people possible would have the chance to pass behind him. He sat there with his back toward the wall and started eating.
He'd never had difficulty simply writing something before. But...
He shook his head as he entered the line. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to hold on to the tenuous equilibrium he'd managed to find.
Renji got himself a large bowl of soup, water, and even one of those sandwiches, just to try it. Old habit, recently awakened, had him over to one side of the cafeteria, where the fewest people possible would have the chance to pass behind him. He sat there with his back toward the wall and started eating.
no subject
As for an explanation, he raised his free, non-sandwiched hand and pointed to the ceiling. "Oh, it was one of the monsters up on the second floor last night. Janitor's closet, or thereabouts? Big ol' thing with metal limbs. Swords didn't work. I don't think it's worth attacking. If you see it, you should probably run."
He shrugged nonchalantly, put his sandwich down and made to take a long sip of his soup. Mmm, this stuff certainly was good for the soul! And it really did help his raging tummy.
[sorry for the two edits lol. ._. I CLEARLY RULE TODAY]
no subject
Still, there was no denying the fact that the other patient was injured, unless he was in that wheelchair for no real reason (and it didn't seem like the nurses would allow that), which brought up the question: What had really happened?
What was he supposed to do? Tell him that it wasn't real? That wasn't his job, though, and he was probably just as nuts as the other patient, so...
He didn't really want to deal with this. He looked away and sighed. "I see."
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Ashton wasn't really good at catching small details in people's expressions unless he had already told himself that he needed to watch out for expression changes. In the case of some people, it was absolutely imperative to watch for certain changes! In the cases of others.. well, some people, like Claude, were so overt with their emotions that Ashton didn't even have to be looking at their face to tell. Body language was soooo key!
So it went without saying, really, that Ashton wasn't paying as much attention to this guy as he could have. Which meant that Ashton didn't catch his eyes widening, or that he really didn't look like he wanted to be talked to very much, either.
Ashton tapped his toes on the metal footrests of the wheelchair, cheerfully addressing his lunch partner. "So, ummmm. My name's Ashton! What's yours, and what kind of world are you from?"
no subject
He had to wonder - who was his real family? They must have been the ones who had put him here, but he had no recollection of who they were. Maybe that was one real thing that was in common with what he had made up - maybe he didn't have a family no matter what life it was. Though he would probably learn more once he had seen some of the doctors...
The question about what world he was from further reinforced that this Ashton wasn't aware of what was really going on. Raiden wasn't sure if he could continue with the conversation without saying something, and he might as well give his fellow patient a hand.
"There aren't other worlds," he said seriously. "That's just a delusion. I'm from this world, and so are you."
no subject
Ashton stared at this Jake guy for a second. ...Until now, he hadn't met anyone who actually believed the story that the nurses and the Head Doctor and everyone else was feeding them. It was true, there were times he'd felt his own grasp on reality slip once or twice, but never to such an extent that he'd believed, honestly believed, the story the institute had made up for him.
And then there was what Doctor Washu had said - that he'd been killing innocent little kittens and puppies the entire time, thinking they were monsters. And that, for the sake of all Ashton's sanity, couldn't be true! He just wouldn't allow it! It would be too cruel.
"Oh, no, I'm not from here. On my planet, Expel, the sky and the constellations are all different," Ashton said. "There's no way this could be the same world, Jake!"
He took a good sip of his soup. "Maybe you're the one who's having delusions," he replied sweetly. "You have any friends who could set you straight?"
no subject
The fact that Ashton tried to turn it around on him made him bristle a bit, but he was distracted by the question that followed.
Friends. Even in his delusions, he hadn't really had any. Rose's friends had been his friends by association, but not really. Other than that, his pickings were slim. He didn't think he could count Snake as one; he didn't really know what Snake would count as.
It was hard to think that he, of all people, wasn't real.
"I... don't know," he admitted with a frown. It was hard to say that out loud.
no subject
"Well, then, I'll be your friend, Jake!" In the past, Ashton had been particularly fond of pushing his way into people's friends groups. Now was no exception. Ashton had the tendency to be a do-gooder, and it was clear that this poor soul who had such a familiar voice needed it.
He put the half-eaten sandwich back down on the plate and extended his hand so they could shake on it.
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Being friends with this guy, though - how was that even possible? They barely knew each other, so how could they profess to be friends? Didn't you have to decide whether or not you liked someone before doing that?
Raiden watched Ashton carefully, and figured he would just come out and state the obvious, so he could at least gauge the other's reaction. "But you don't even know me."
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"I sure don't!" Ashton seemed to find this pretty funny. At another time, one in which he wasn't positively giddy from what had gone down last shift, anyway, he might have blushed and stuttered a second before apologizing. But Ashton was a man of moods, from the oddly upbeat to the sorrowfully negative. "But what does that matter? Friendships form faster under pressure like this." It was true for Ashton, at least. He and Axel had known each other for a week now, but he counted the redhead among his best of friends after all they'd been through together.
"Besides, you're a pretty interesting guy. I'd like to know what it is that makes you wanna believe this place's lies. I'd say you should come visit me during nightshift, but you're probably the type of guy who isn't gonna wanna go outside.. or are you?" He raised his eyebrows at this last bit, letting the sentence rise dramatically.
no subject
It wasn't really that simple, though, and friend didn't seem like the right word for it, anyway. He couldn't see himself getting too friendly with his fellow mental patients, but maybe he was just being negative. He wouldn't be surprised if his doctors ordered him to socialize more.
At the mention of lies, Raiden felt himself detracting from the conversation again. He was fine with believing what he was being told by the nurses at this point, and he didn't need one of the patients throwing another variable in. As for nightshift and going outside, he didn't know what that was all about. "What do you mean?"
no subject
He reached behind his head and scratched it for a second, around the place that the seam of the headband he'd constructed from a shirtsleeve met his scalp. It wasn't as good as what he was used to back on Expel and Nede, but he just felt so naked without it. No matter how much it itched.
The cheerful swordsman tapped his lip for a moment, theorizing out loud. "Well, I'm pretty sure that the monsters that they put in the hallways and the rooms are to keep the more cautious of us from going out at night. But if that's true, there's no reason that they should unlock the doors..."
He shrugged, taking on a sheepish smile as he reached for his cheese sandwich again. "Then again, Martin Landel's always going on about how we aren't very exciting for him anymore, or at least he was last night, if you were listening. But, yeah, you're the sensible type of guy, so you probably stay inside, don't you?"
no subject
He could take comfort in the fact that he was now more aware than some of his fellow patients, though that came off as pretty selfish at the same time. It wasn't like he could do much to snap Ashton out of it, though.
"This is my first day here," he explained, even though it didn't actually answer the question. "But I think you must be a little confused. This is a mental hospital." He was even making an effort to speak slowly, to make sure he got through to him. "So I don't think that sort of stuff is really happening at night." It was more like he knew for certain they weren't, but he didn't want to get mean about it. Ashton was just trying to be friendly, after all.
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And if they'd messed with his head, there was a chance that they'd messed with Dias' head, too! ..Except that it was more probable they'd screwed with Ashton's. He was the one with the terrible luck, and he was the one who remembered different things from everyone else, too.
These thoughts made Ashton's smile fall just a hair, though he was still looking pretty positive as he replied to Jake. "Well.. ahh.. you'll see. I could show you my injury, but I think you really need to see how the night is for yourself." He looked momentarily sheepish. "I can't force you to believe me or anything, but you're always free to come talk to me tomorrow! I should be out of this thing by then."
He could see the nurses starting to lead the first few people out of the cafeteria, so he stuffed the rest of the cheese sandwich in his mouth and downed it with the rest of his juice.
no subject
Raiden also took note of the fact that people were leaving, which probably meant that lunch was over. What came next, then? Though when he saw his nurse coming over, he figured she would explain. He glanced over at Ashton as he got to his feet, pondering over what he should say.
"It was... nice meeting you." Even if Ashton wasn't all there, he had been good company. He wouldn't mind speaking with him again, since that was probably better for him than being on his own all the time.
With that, he turned to his nurse. When she mentioned a library, he shrugged his shoulders and followed after her. He didn't know how a library would help them get better, but he supposed the peace and quiet might be good for chaotic minds.