damned_institute | Day 27: Sun Room (4th Shift)

Momo's mind was turning over all the possibilities surrounding this "field trip" to the surrounding town when she settled down in the corner of the Sun Room away from the Arts & Crafts room. She curled her legs underneath her as she waited for Shouko-san to find her. The shinigami had no idea what she looked like, so she kept an eye on all those entering the room.

It was still very cold, or at least she was cold, and the momentary thought of getting her coat from her own room passed through her mind amidst the field trip thoughts. She pushed it away and decided to deal with it being as cold as it was since she'd already been late to one meeting today and didn't want to start making it a habit.

As she waited, she pondered the next day's possibilities. Maybe, just maybe, once away from the institute the shinigami will have access to their full reiatsu. And if not, maybe they'll have a better idea of how they are being limited so much. Maybe Aizen would be able to find her then. He'd save her... right? Right?

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Naoto froze. He didn't want to go, of course, but he thought that might be what Naoya wanted.

"...I won't go anywhere." Naoto settled back down on the couch and pulled Naoya close.

Curling closer, Naoya tucked his head against his brother's chest as he fought to relax. His brother wasn't leaving, things would be fine. Everything would be fine. ...At least until night fell anyway.

"Niisan... has anyone talked to you about night?" Naoya asked softly, partially unwilling to talk about such dark things. Things were already tense as it was.

"That ninja girl at lunch..." That would be a yes, if only slightly. "She told me about some of it."

Naoto frowned. "It's real?" He had been all too willing to believe that Yuffie really was crazy.

Naoya nodded. "After dinner.... the lights go out and the doors unlock. I don't know what happens to the staff, but they're nowhere to be found..."

The young man tip his head back to look up at his brother, face serious. "There's large monsters too, niisan. Vicious ones..." He trailed off, frowning thoughtfully. Was he forgetting anything...?

Naoto nodded slightly, taking in his brother's words. Of course, there was one problem...

"I couldn't speak with you telepathically when I woke up. Where's your room? If I wasn't able to contact you then, I probably won't be able to tonight." Naoto frowned. He didn't know why his telepathy with Naoya didn't work--maybe it was because he'd died? It wasn't a major gift, to be certain, the only reason he could do it was likely because of how close they were and he'd only ever been able to speak to Naoya, but it was still a loss.

Naoya frowned a bit more at his brother's response. "I noticed that too, niisan. There's something about this place... I can't hear as I used to be able to." And touching objects had no effect, though Naoya wasn't sure if that was such a bad thing in this place where death lurked. The images may have been too horrible to deal with...

"My room number is M69, but that doesn't really help you..." Especially considering his brother just arrived. "Maybe I should meet you instead, niisan... Do you remember your room number?"

The fact that Naoya couldn't hear also troubled Naoto. Even if his brother's ability had brought him quite a bit of pain over the years, it was still his, and nothing should have been able to take that away--if anything, both of them had been getting stronger over the years. But if Naoya's power wasn't working like it used to--what did that mean for his own? He would have to test it and see. Preferably before encountering anything trying to kill him.

Naoto shook his head. "No, I didn't look." Not that it would have helped, either, since it had only been a temporary room, but neither of them knew that. Naoto frowned. "There are roommates, right? Maybe mine would know where to go." Or he could depend on the charity of strangers--but somehow Naoto doubted that would work too well.

Naoya nodded, somewhat troubled by this new piece of information. Of course his brother wouldn't have known, he had woken up in a strange place after dying, after all.

"Unless they're new as well," Naoya pointed out thoughtfully. "I can wait for you in the hall or I can leave my door open for you, niisan. There should be a flashlight under the pillow in your room to help you find your way in the dark."

But even so, his brother could still easily get lost... "...I can draw you a map?" He offered, a bit stumped. The map wouldn't be pretty, but since he didn't have Ren's map with him it would have to do.

Naoto nodded. "That would help." He also filed away the room number in his head--it was fairly easy to remember, at least. He would write it down later.

"I'd rather you wait where it's safe." He would rather Naoya be where it was safe all the time, but he doubted he could talk his little brother into that.

"That would mean hiding in my room, niisan," Naoya replied softly in response to Naoto's unspoken thoughts. After being around his brother for twenty one years it was easy to follow his line of thought. Naoya gave his brother a brief hug to wordlessly let him know that he would still wait in his room for him.

But first things first, the map. Neither of them had a pen or any paper... but there was always the bulletin. Maybe he would be able to make a legible map on a piece of paper from there. "I'll be right back." Being careful of his arm, Naoya pulled back and pushed himself to his feet before moving towards the bulletin and grabbing the necessary items. There! Now he could start drawing!

"At least you'd be safe." Naoto frowned. "One of those monsters hurt your arm, didn't it?" And he hadn't been here to protect him. (He was taking a very circular thought process.)

Naoto watched as his little brother got up and grabbed the paper and pen. He also made a mental note to look at the bulletin board later. It might have some useful information, or it might just be interesting.

Naoya nodded ashamedly as he held the paper up against the board and began drawing. Keeping most of his attention on the rough drawing, he replied--

"Yes... I shouldn't have gone outside alone, but there's was no one around and... I'm sorry, niisan..." He kept saying that, but he wasn't sure what would have happened if he remained indoors with the screams and the feeling of death pressing down on his shoulders. Would he have screamed himself or completely lost it...? He didn't want to think about it.

Naoto frowned. (He seemed to be doing that a lot. His face might be stuck that way if he kept that up.) "It wasn't your fault."

"I'm going to find a way to get out of here. They probably don't have a barrier, at least we don't have to worry about that."

Finishing the drawing (with added arrows and labels to help guide) Naoya turned around and returned to the couch, holding out the scrap of paper with a small smile. It wasn't his fault but he had still made people worry and he didn't want that...

"I know," Naoya replied softly, climbing back onto the couch before moving close again. "I trust you, niisan." But there was something that was bothering Naoya... if his brother's telepathy was taken away, shouldn't his be gone as well? So why could he still hear the thoughts around him?

Naoto took the paper and returned the smile.

"We'll figure it out." After all, Mikuriya hadn't been able to keep them forever. How much better could this place be at it?

Day 27: Sun Room (4th Shift)

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