damned_institute | Day 27: Lunch

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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.

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Ed sensed her presence wasn't appreciated, but this wasn't really anything new. Odd... did not the people trapped here wish for help? Ed had been a big help for Bebop, but she'd usually had her computer then. And yes, the continued ignorance over computers was becoming worrisome.

The redhead looked downcast, gazing at the floor and idly twisting one foot in place. "Ed only wants to help." Then she brightened up as an idea flashed through her whirling brain. "Oh ho ho! Ed will use the message place where already she left a face!"

Ed saluted the Mustang officer again and bowed exaggeratedly to the grumpy one who's name she didn't know. Without waiting for any sort of response she flipped a cartwheel away from the table and scampered off before being collared by a nurse and set back down at a random table with a scolding about it not being time to leave yet.

The boy left as randomly as he had come, though Roy couldn't say he was disappointed. It wasn't that he minded an offer for help, but he doubted that patient knew what he was getting into, and at the moment he had an important conversation to get through.

Once he was certain the kid wasn't going to come racing back to try and speak with them more, he turned to Hitsugaya with an expression that was part-annoyed, part-amused.

"In any case," he started, "let's get down to business already." They had wasted a good amount of time, which meant they were going to have to try to make it quick... which might not work so well, since he had a lot to talk about.

Hitsugaya also watched him go, wondering what in the world possessed Renji to send her to him. Was this revenge for forcing him to take the night off? Toshiro couldn't tell.

"Agreed," he answered. The one advantage they both shared was that they were efficient. Neither needed to spend any necessary time on pleasantries, and they knew to only focus on the most pertinent details. "First issue I have is the basement the doctor mentioned. One of my teams found the way down last night through a trapdoor in the cold room of the kitchen. We're investigating it tonight, and I should have a preliminary map for you tomorrow." He waited in case the Colonel had questions, and to allow him to bring his first issue up if he preferred they take turns.

While Roy had always heard rumors and mentions of the basement, this was the first time he had heard of anyone actually getting to it. That added a whole new level to the institute, literally and figuratively. It made him want to go and investigate it himself when night came, but he knew he had to take things one at a time.

"I need a map of the rest of institute as well, if you have one." It was rather ridiculous that he hadn't gotten his hands on one already, but he hadn't been actively searching before.

"I wanted to discuss the groups themselves. I was thinking that it might be best if we set out certain tasks our groups did, so that people would know which group would be best suited to them. As far as I can tell, you're getting more members than I am, mainly because there are more of you already and word spreads. I wouldn't suggest letting Arts and Crafts get too cramped, since that could eventually lead to a lack of cohesiveness."

A map would be easy to get for the Colonel. "I'll leave a map in my room tonight if you don't mind taking the detour. It's not complete, but it's close."

Hitsugaya nodded at Roy's suggestion. "I was going to suggest something similar," he agreed. "As a further point, I think there need to be more groups. Both of our organizations are centered on a high degree of structure and discipline. While some people prefer working with us, others will wonder why they need to listen to us. If we can branch out with new groups, so much the better."

He thought on the matter further. "What duties do we currently share? I don't know if you've been considering rescue operations, but we're planning on making this a regular objective, as experimented patients seems to occur on a regular and predictable basis. We both have a focus on exploration and requisitions as well. I noticed you mentioned an interest in pursuing the radio's clues. We have no interest in that. Finding out where the keys lead to does, however."

He pulled out his notebook and jotted down some brief notes about the duties listed. "Since you already have the individuals capable of making weapons, requisitions should be up your alley. So long as you're willing to help keep us supplied as well. That would leave you with requisitions and solving the radio's riddles, while my division right now has rescue operations. I'd like to take exploration, since we've been working on a solid map already, and I have my crew already set on exploring the basement. We could then supply you with the maps. As for the keys, I see no reason why we can't both share that objective."

Getting a hold on a map would definitely be beneficial, but taking detours hadn't gone so well the past few nights. "I might do that."

As Hitsugaya talked it all out, Roy listened carefully and was patient enough to wait through it before responding. "I have no issue with making more groups, though I'm not certain who would lead them or how they would function. As for task distribution, I do agree that rescuing those who are taken should be done, and I'm fine with leaving that to you. I have no issue sending my people out to get metal, which I suppose I'll keep and distribute to the other alchemists as I see fit. As for any other supplies that my group finds, I'll be certain to share them." He wasn't even sure how much they could get a hold of, and having to split the small amount they did find would be hard, but working together was key here, and he knew Arts and Crafts would repay them in kind.

"I have a few keys myself, so I've been working on that. I imagine both of our groups can do it, though I wasn't aware anyone in your group had any keys. There's one other task I've been considering, though I'm not sure how well it could go over. I thought it might be good to set up a team that focused on taking down Special Counseling patients, but there's a lot of danger in that, and only certain people would be suited or even willing to do that sort of thing." He did know of some people who would jump at the chance to have a good fight, but it would be key for healers to go with them.

Hitsugaya nodded slightly. "Until we get our groups evened out a little, I'll keep a few teams on requisition duty to assist," he continued. "On a similar token, if you want to send an exploration team out on occasion, I don't think you should be limited there. As for more groups, I think it's going to depend on what gets formed. I noticed there was a healing group that's being organized. I think that would be a good thing to have as a separate team." Besides that, Hitsugaya hated being relegated to healing duties. While he didn't hold the 4th division in contempt like the 11th did, society's prejudice did still make them out to be a 'weaker' division.

"We don't have any keys yet," Hitsugaya explained. "But we might come across them in the future, and we all have an interest in finding out where they go. Besides, if I have teams exploring, they can test keys on any doors they find." He didn't want to take Roy's keys away, not after all the man had to do to get them, but he knew it was just a matter of time until they came across some keys of their own. If Jack were able to acquire on on his own, one of Hitsu's teams should be able to as well.

Special counseling was a different matter altogether. "The problem with going after Special Counseling patients is that some individuals are too powerful to be taken out, even by a team. Last night in the sun room, a person like myself had special counseling. You could have thrown half the institute at him and it wouldn't have helped. On the other hand, my team was able to take down a different special counseling victim by ourselves. I'm not entirely certain how feasible an option it is to go looking for trouble."

Roy had also seen talk of a healing group, and he wouldn't mind lending whatever supplies he found to them if they turned out to be successful. "For now, I don't think it matters if some of what we do overlaps a little, and it should smooth out as time goes by." Once again, he didn't like being so open about the fact that they would be stuck here for a good deal longer, but it was better that than being in denial.

"I'm not certain if you knew this, but keys are most easily found by defeating nurses at night. That's the only way I've ever found any, so it might actually be in our best interest to try defeating any nurses we come across." From what he could tell, what was left behind after killing one was random, but it was only with keys that they would be able to uncover more of the institute's secrets.

"The amount of strength that a brainwashed patient has certainly varies, but sometimes items that are taken from them after they've been defeated are kept in the morning. The group could always retreat if they find that one of them is too hard, and search out another who might be easier to defeat." Roy was still on the fence about the idea, but it was worth considering, at the very least.

Hitsugaya pondered Mustang's words. "Any indication of where the nurses tend to populate? If we go with a brainwashed seek-and-destroy team, we can have them check those places first, then the obvious locations, such as the sun room. Since we're already taking on rescue squads, we might as well take on hunting down the brainwashed patients." It was a better plan than waiting for some poor lost patient to run into one of them.

He jotted down some more notes in his notebook regarding responsibilities. "It sounds like we're set as far as organization goes. As more groups join, we'll have to come up with a plan for meeting, but for now every other lunch seems to work well."

"There are rooms called Nurse's Stations by the patient blocks, but they are locked tight and I know for certain that none of my keys open those doors. I have been attacked by nurses that came out of there, though, so perhaps waiting around there or even knocking on the door might cause them to come out." It was worth a try, at least, and while the nurses were not easy to fight, at least there was a chance of getting something good out of it. "Only skilled fighters should be facing off against them, however," he added as a warning.

It seemed like Hitsugaya was leaning toward the Special Counseling idea now, and while that would have to come with strict instructions, it might be worth a try. "I'm not sure if those who fight against the nurses should then go after a brainwashed patient as well. I imagine they would be too injured for it after the first fight..." But did they have enough people to split into two different groups? If Arts and Crafts took on the exploring missions, it might work out.

"I agree, every other lunch seems to work fine." And he actually preferred that it was just the two of them, rather than having Renji and Hughes in tow. It was easier to get through everything that way.

Hitsugaya nodded. "A valid point," he answered. "I'll figure something out. But we'll go ahead and make plans for that tomorrow night, and see how it goes." Besides, it gave patients something to do besides feel hopeless about their situation. With the number of people willing to work with both groups collectively, there was bound to be a lot of people who simply didn't have anything to do.

"I don't have anything else on my agenda," he continued. "Yourself, Colonel?"

"Yes, we can iron out the details for tomorrow," he agreed. After all, it was experimentation tonight, and that was already being taken care of from the sound of it.

While he felt like there was more that they needed to talk about, he couldn't think of anything. They had just gotten through everything surprisingly fast, which Roy couldn't protest to. "I believe that's all."

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Day 27: Lunch

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