damned_institute | Day 27: Intercom, Evening

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Day 27: Intercom, Evening

The intercom gave its cheery jingle just before the Head Doctor's equally buoyant voice rang through the halls.

"Ah, and finally, our day is coming to a close! Rooms and roommates have been reassigned with care, though what great partnership can start without a good meal? Ah, yes, after the nurses escort all of our patients, new and old, back to their proper rooms, everyone will have the chance to enjoy a savory chicken pot pie, full of peas, carrots, potatoes, and of course, chicken. On the side, we'll have buttery corn on the cob and green beans, and to drink, you may choose from the regular slew of water, milk, or assorted juices, which your nurse will bring to you.

"I believe that's all for now! Phew, long day, huh? I know I'll be happy to get some sleep, and thank you to all our vigilant doctors and nurses, although Dr. House seems to have gone AWOL... Hmm... Well, in any case, have a good dinner, everyone!"

The intercom clicked off again as the nurses began organizing the patients for the small trek back to their rooms.

[ OOC: Remember, room threads go in response to THIS post, and please put your respective room number in the subject line of your first post. Thanks! ]

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Tear had been sleeping quite soundly until she heard the door close and the nurse's voice. Something seemed strange though. For all the Tear knew she thought she was still at the Belkend Inn. So why was that voice unfamiliar? Was it someone who worked at the Inn, perhaps? Well, boy was she wrong.

Tear laid there quietly, eyes closed. Was it an attack? She couldn't piece it together. And then she felt a part of the cover move as someone rested on it. A slight movement but enough to get her thinking. It had to be a surprise attack of sorts. Under the blanket Tear was trying to grab the small knives that she always kept on her stockings but they were gone. How did that happen?

She didn't wait too much longer before she sprang up and moved behind the girl and tried to twist her arm behind her back. Though, she did this at such a terrible speed. Had she been drugged? Why was she moving so slow? Too many questions for now. She could worry about that later but for now she only had one thing to say; "Who are you?" She spoke harshly and cold. She kept her grip on the girl making sure she couldn't move but not hard enough to where it would hurt her. It very well could have been a false alarm, after all.

Orihime was startled by the sudden movement. Before she knew it the girl who had been resting only moments ago had pinned her arm behind her in an all too familiar position. It was all the more chilling because it didn't hurt.

"Inoue Orihime." She answered almost right away, her heart beating a little too fast. She'd seen the flash of gray uniform though. This girl had to be a patient too. She forced down the irrational panic. Her roommate was just as disoriented as she had been. There was nothing to be afraid of.

"I'm sorry I woke you up." How was she supposed to explain this? "I'm your roommate. We're prisoners. I know you can't remember getting here or even being caught but that's how I woke up too. I don't understand it either."

That was a bit too easy. Maybe it was a false alarm? Normally people didn't answer that quickly unless they were scared and it was obvious Tear had startled the girl. But the name seemed a bit... odd. Iny..owie? It seemed unusual to her.

Tear loosened her grip as she heard the girl, Inoue's, explanation. Her reaction proved she had nothing to do with whatever 'kidnapping' that may have occurred. And her apology seemed genuine. Or she could be a damn good actress. But for the sake of this girl possibly being a citizen of sorts Tear let go of her entirely after she realized they were wearing similar outfits. Things seemed to click but, how she got there still bothered her. What's more, where were the others? Was Luke all right? He had just got back from talking with the doctor, too. Was he captured as well?

She stepped back a few steps from her new roommate as she tried to think a moment. "I apologize for startling you; I thought you were the enemy." Her voice grew much softer compared to her last harsh question but it still held little sympathy.

Orihime turned so she could face her roommate and stood. Now that the panic had passed, she felt a little like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, and flushed faintly. "It's alright," She replied, flailing just a little bit. "I shouldn't have gotten so close to your bed."

She didn't really have a truthful explanation for that one. It was mostly curiosity. Upon closer inspection, the girl was very pretty, and maybe a little older than she was. She certainly acted more maturely.

"What's your name?" She asked, not-so-subtly sneaking away from the topic. "I just got here myself but I'll tell you what I know."

The girl's reaction seemed normal enough. There was no way she could be the enemy and keep up such an act. Not someone like her at least. She seemed just as much of a victim as Tear and her offer to explain things to Tear made that even more clear.

"I'm Tear." She let out a terribly, terribly, small smile. It would take a microscope to see the change in her expression but she meant well! "Thank you. Any information you could provide would be useful. I appreciate the offer." She then finally relaxed entirely. Things seemed safe for now. Besides, she would have to trust her new roommate for now rather she liked it or not it seemed.

Tear sat down on what she supposed was her roommate's bed and put her hands in her lap as she listened for the explanation. At a time like this, anything was suitable to learn about.

Orihime didn't have a microscope, but Tear didn't seem like a bad person at all. She smiled and bowed. "It's nice to meet you."

She hesitated. Would the other girl be upset if she sat on her bed? Better not to risk it. She crossed over to her own bed and sat closer to the headboard, her legs folded neatly beneath her. She had to look up at the ceiling a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Well, to start, this place is called Landel's Institute. People are taken from different worlds and times, and no one knows how they got here. It's supposed to be a hospital during the day, but the doors open at night and we're allowed to roam about. There are some really dangerous creatures in the hallways." She paused, recalling the healing she'd tried earlier. "And whatever kind of power you had in your own world is weakened here, so it's not a good idea to travel alone."

A bow? Must be a custom, she guessed. There wasn't much else that would explain it. Not that it was a bad thing, of course. Just different to Tear.

It took Tear a few minutes after her roommate sat down but it finally kicked in that she should probably get up and move. She stood up rather quickly and apologized then walked over and sat back on her own bed. Oops? She was probably appearing quite rude to her roommate. She just wasn't thinking too much when she sat down.

"Different worlds?" She asked in disbelief. Well, that explained the name thing but still. If there were different worlds and times then perhaps Luke and the others weren't here. How could a place take people from different times? Instead of having her questions answered a thousand new ones spun in Tear's head. Fantastic.

"So this is a hospital for the sick?" She'd never been to a hospital before, just clinics. Already her first impressions of them weren't looking too grand. But Tear wasn't sick. If she still had the problem with the miasma in her that would be one thing but she was perfectly healthy now. "Are the people within this facility all sick?" She meant actually sick. Like coughing and fevers kind of sick.

At the idea of weakened powers Tear was in even more distraught. How could they do that? But-- Tear quickly stood up as she realized the seriousness this problem would bring and tried to sing one of her hymns. She must have stood there a good while but the words just wouldn't come out. This was bad. No daggers, no staff, no hymns. If monsters were around she would need to use her now dulled speed to get passed them. Tear sat back down her face now full of worries. It was clear this girl was telling the truth; she wouldn't argue that. "But why would there be monsters in a hospital?" It was a silly question but that's the first of many questions she had to ask. Or at least figure out within due time.

Orihime blinked at the apology. "Oh, you don't have to..!" But her roommate had already moved back to her own bed and short of getting up and dragging her back...well, actually, she would do that if she thought it would help Tear feel any better. She understood what she was going through. All she could do was nodded at the girl's question, unable to explain multiple worlds any further than she already had. Even the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo were connected in some logical way to her own world. This just - wasn't.

"No one here is sick at all. It's supposed to be more like a mental hospital; they try to convince you you're someone else and your whole life - the way you remember it - is just made up." She shook her head. "But it's not true."

She had to pause to watch her roommate attempt something. It didn't look like she had any success with it, and her expression from the aftermath was plain enough to read.

"I don't know why anything is the way it is here," She said apologetically. It wouldn't be much of a comfort. "They don't come into the rooms though, so it's ok to stay here when night comes if you don't want to risk it."

Orihime was feeling anxious about her friends but, while she didn't want to stay in her room all night, she wouldn't leave Tear all alone. That would be far too cruel a thing to do. "You don't know if your friends are here yet, right? I'll stay with you tonight. We can look for them together."

"A mental hospital?" Tear's voice was raised. She felt more than insulted. Tear had never been to a mental hospital but she surely could fit two and two together to realize she didn't need it. If anything, Van should be here. "But why would they try to make us think we're someone else?" Her voice was back to normal yet it still held a great amount of concern.

Tear was a bit surprised by her offer. Could she even fight? She looked like a normal teenage girl to her. Then again, Tear probably didn't look like she was in the military either. Well, not until they saw the way she acted and spoke. Regardless, Tear wasn't about to involve someone else in her problems. She was fully capable of managing even with weakened powers. She hadn't gone through all that training only to now ask help from a someone who seemed to be a citizen. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I can't have you possibly getting hurt because of me. If the monsters don't come into the rooms then please stay here where it's safe." Her tone was serious and she wasn't going to argue on the topic. There was no way she would force her, or even ask her to become involved.

Orihime shook her head, once again helpless to answer the girl's questions. No one she'd talked to could really explain why they would want to do any of it, and she had yet to come up with a real theory.

Tear's words stung a little. They reminded her of Urahara, and what he'd said about her part in the battle. She didn't have what it took; she just wasn't a fighter. She knew that it was true. She couldn't make herself fight unless there was absolutely no choice. She hated violence, but she couldn't watch the people around her act like shields, taking all the pain and in the end..leaving her behind. It was selfish, really. She wanted them to be happy and safe and, most of all, with her.

She had a part in that war now, even if she knew she couldn't fight. She was going to destroy the Hougyoku for them. She didn't want to be told again that she had no place.

"I can't." She shook her head stubbornly. Even if Tear wasn't going to argue, she was. "I know you're probably a much better fighter than me, and you don't want me to slow you down or get in the way, but you don't have to worry about that. Please, if you don't go with me, at least let me stay until you find someone to help you tonight."

She was well aware of the fact that she was likely crossing some boundaries, but this was important:

"Right now, it's not about strength."

"No it's not like that I--" once again Tear had messed up her words. She didn't mean it offensively she just didn't want her getting hurt. She took in a sigh and tried to piece the words together without messing it up this time. "It's not that I think you'll get in the way. It's that I can't risk having you injured. As a soldier it's my duty to make sure others stay safe. I can't have you risking your life over me." Did that sound any better? She wasn't sure. Tear always did have a difficult time speaking with people. Living in the Qliphoth the majority of her life killed any hope she had of gaining social skills.

"Go with you? But, where were you planning to go?" She was a bit curious now. Despite Tear wanting to prevent her from being injured at all, Inoue was her only source of information so far. Staying with her in one sense would be wise... yet... if Inoue was injured Tear would be rather upset with herself. A horrible soldier, she would say. But even now her options were small and limited.

"Oh, I understand now." Orihime smiled at her. Tear was a lot like the shingami she'd met. Maybe she really was a lot older than she looked. Orihime didn't doubt that the girl's - woman's? - pride as a soldier wouldn't permit her to take anyone into danger for her own sake, but at the same time she knew how serious Rukia was about her warning. Maybe she could just follow quietly until Tear found someone if it came to that. She didn't want to push herself on her roommate after all.

"There's someone I need to talk to. I'm not sure where he is yet, but he's not very hard to find." In all likelihood, he would find her first. "You don't need to worry. I'll be safe with him."

Tear was more than relieved to hear that her roommate understood. That meant no more arguments, hopefully, and that Tear hadn't screwed her last explanation up. But at the same time she wondered if Inoue had really understood it. She seemed like the nice sort of girl who would say she understood anyways just so the other person would feel bad. Then again, maybe she really did get it?

Someone she needed to speak with? Well, that changed some things. If she was going to go out regardless of Tear's arrival then maybe the best thing was to accompany her to make sure she made it to this person in one piece. Judging from what was said Tear guessed that this guy knew how to fight. As long as that was so then Tear didn't see much problem with it. "I'll go with you when you try to find your friend. Is that all right with you?"

"That would be great." Orihime was genuinely relived that Tear was willing to come along at least for a little while.

They could figure out what to do once they met up with Ichigo. Presently, the intercom came to life and Orihime looked up out of habit. The voice at night wasn't so different from the one during the day. It still had that unpleasant, hollow echo, or maybe she was imagining it beneath the static.

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Day 27: Intercom, Evening

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