damned_institute | Day 28: Bus 2

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Day 28: Bus 2

Momo tugged on the collar of the light blue sweater she was wearing as she followed her nurse to wherever these buses were, winding her hair up into its customary bun as she went. It was an odd feeling, knowing she was about to go outside of the institute's borders. Maybe the Head Doctor was about to make an error and the shinigami, as well as everyone else, would no longer be limited and they could finish what they started several nights back.

That was probably too much to hope for. She was feeling better this morning, even with the blood moon, and was mildly looking forward to the bus ride. Captain Jack said he was going to be here this morning and even if it wasn't customary breakfast in the cafeteria, she's be satisfied with him sitting next to her on the bus.

The nurse handed her a muffin, some napkins, and a small box with a straw. She stared at this box for a moment before shaking it. From the sound it contained liquid. How odd... Momo wasn't sure why they would but liquid inside a small paper box - it didn't make any sense to her and she wasn't sure how one was supposed to get it out of the box.

Clambering onto an empty bus, Momo chose to sit in the very back near the emergency exit. Maybe she could force her way out of it as they were moving and escape the limiter enough to come back and level the institute, freeing everyone. Or maybe she just wanted to be able to see everyone that was on the same bus as her. Wishful thinking versus reality.

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"Yes, we have them in smaller versions in my world," Lust explained, her tone indicating she didn't mind offering an explanation. "It's powered by chemical reactions, to put it very simply. Its controlled by gears and wheels. They're quite useful for traveling long distances in a quick time."

Oh yes, this was delightful. She couldn't actually do anything - she'd made a promise to Scar - but she could tease and flirt and savor the reaction.

"A pleasure, Keman." She held the word 'pleasure' as she spoke it, just a touch. "I'm Lust."

Powered by chemical reaction, but not magic? Keman's eyes lit up, and for a moment he forgot his discomfort. "That's fascinating!" he exclaimed, looking absolutely delighted. He needed to see this for himself! "I wonder if they'll let me take a look at it..." If he could figure out how it worked, they could put that technology to all sorts of use back home!

He was so caught up in his scheming that he didn't notice the way the woman was looking at him.

But he did notice her name.

"Lust...huh?" Wow. Her parents must've hated her. "That's an interesting name."

"I don't know." Lust laughed, throaty and deep. "My, you're quite easily impressed. You don't have much technology on your world?" And she'd thought Amestris was lacking!

"Mmm. It's not that strange, where I'm from. Or I suppose it's not that strange for what I am."

Keman shrugged, turning a little pink. "I...guess," he admitted. "Everything in my world runs on magic or manpower. We don't really have any need for machines."

He looked at Lust curiously. "What you are? You're not human, then?"

"Ah, magic." Lust shrugged. She didn't have much use for magic. It didn't follow laws and it was unpredictable and unwieldy from what she'd seen. "Manpower and machines and science run things in my world," she explained. "It's all quite efficient."

And then came the inevitable question. Lust arched a shoulder and smiled. "Not quite human, though not quite different. I'm a homunculus - a created human. I was made with science in the shape of a woman and named for the sin I embody."

Keman was glad that he hadn't started in on his juice yet, because he was sure he would've choked on it.

"You were created?" he asked, amazed. "I've heard of breeding humans, but not creating them."

"Mmmhmm." Lust nodded, used to the reaction. "Using alchemy. Born of blood and elements and the will of the man who created me. It's the greatest sin known to my world, but alchemists do it anyway. And the result is a thing that looks human and acts human but isn't quite human. But you'd never know the difference." Another seductive smile now, almost flirtatious.

"You needn't worry. I'm perfectly harmless."

There it was again. That funny little feeling in the pit of his stomach, like his innards were those human acrobats Keman had seen once. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, to be sure.

He swallowed nervously. "That's...very interesting," he said, fidgeting with his baggy sweater. What was wrong with him?! "I didn't know that science could create people. The alchemists are the people here, the ones who make swords, right? I've been meaning to offer my services. I can melt and reform metal too, but it's magic, not science."

His smile was a little strained. "And I'm sure you're quite harmless."

"Yes, those are the same." Lust continued to smile. She wasn't a fool, she knew the reactions she was causing. "Alchemy is a science, though many confuse it with mystical arts."

She laughed again and brushed her hand against his arm, playfully. "I assure you, I am. Despite my lack of humanity, I'm very much the same as you."

"The same?" Keman laughed nervously. "I very much doubt that..." Suddenly, he launched into Kin-tongue. "...Unless you happen to be a shifted dragon," he muttered.

"I'm afraid I can't understand you," Lust urged. "You're either mumbling or speaking in tongues." Her tone was still playful and teasing. She leaned over, her mouth near his ear as she spoke.

"You needn't be so nervous."

"It's--it's a different language," Keman admitted. "I learned this one in my childhood...but the one I was just speaking is my native tongue."

Lust started to...whisper in his ear, and he jerked away, reddening even further. "S-sorry..."

"Everyone speaks the same here," Lust said, and she laughed. How innocent was this boy? Perhaps moreso than she'd originally thought.

"Are you alright? You really do seem quite jumpy. And you can't seem to stop flushing. Whatever is the matter?"

Keman blinked. "Do they? Where I'm from, all the humans speak the same language. I didn't really realize that it was anything out of the ordinary."

He turned to Lust, green eyes wide. "I...don't know. I feel kind of...funny."

Now he was fairly certain that she was doing...something to him. But what?

"Are you ill?" If he was ill, Lust wasn't certain she wanted to be sitting so close to him. Perhaps she'd misjudged his reactions. Anxiety and fear could easily produce similar effects. It wasn't as though everyone was welcoming this small chance to see something beyond the same walls everyday.

"Lean down and put your head between your knees," she advised, resting a hand on the boy's back. She had no desire to deal with oral human waste.

"Maybe. I don't know." Was he ill? Keman didn't know. He'd never felt this way before.

He did as Lust asked, leaning over and resting his forehead against the tall back of the seat in front of them. It felt cool against his hot face.

But then Lust was touching him, and he tensed up again. Whatever she was doing, it wasn't helping.

But he was too polite to ask her to stop.

"You don't know." Wonderful. "Does your abdomen feel disturbed?" Lust honestly didn't know much about human body sensations. Even though she'd been experiencing them herself for some time now. She knew something of illness, but the proper words to describe it failed her.

She had to rely on what she'd seen humans doing.

"If you have to evacuate your breakfast, do so in the aisle, please." Wondering if perhaps she should summon a nurse, Lust began rubbing the teenager's back in slow, hopefully soothing, circles.

"I don't know!" Keman said defensively, his voice somewhat muffled by the seat in front of him. "Disturbed? I guess. It feels strange. Fluttery." He also had problems describing his feelings. He'd been a two-legger before, but...before coming here, he'd felt a little more detached from his body. Now that this was his body, he had to deal with all of the unpleasantness that he hadn't had to worry about before.

Whatever it was, Lust's touch was only making it worse. "Th-thank you for your concern." His voice was strained. "But...I think I'm okay. I don't feel like I need to vomit."

He'd vomited enough the night before last to know what that felt like.

"Alright." Lust removed her hand from the boy's back and leaned against the back of her seat. "Perhaps it's simply the stale air in here. Here, you're welcome to my juice. I don't care for the taste of it. Perhaps it will settle your stomach." She offered him the box of liquid, trusting that he wasn't going to be ill.

"Thanks."

Keman took the juice box but didn't make any move to do anything with it...because suddenly the floor was moving and the scenery outside the "bus" was also moving and he'd never experienced anything like it before!

The shock made him forget all about the strange, fluttery sensations in his stomach...and everything else. He jerked out of the seat and landed in the aisle with an undignified squawk.

"They do move you know." Lust chuckled again and leaned over, offering the boy a hand up. He was quite an odd one, but cute, she supposed, in a bumbling sort of way.

"Come up off the floor, I'm curious to see what the lands around this place look like."

Keman took her hand and hauled himself back onto the seat, flushing vividly red. "I...I knew that!" he bluffed. "Just...never been on one of these things before. It just startled me, is all."

"It is rather loud, isn't it?" Lust glanced out the window, once more taking up a subtly inviting pose. Nothing interesting, overall. Trees and bushes and rocks lining the side of a mountain. Nothing she hadn't seen in Amestris a dozen or so times before.

"So where are you from, Keman? And do all young men where you come from blush quite so readily?"

"Very loud. And rather...rickety." He had the mad urge to laugh. Was this what Valyn had felt, when he'd had to ride him to Triana's? If so, he was going to have to apologize. He hadn't realized just how very...unsafe this felt.

"Hmm?" He did his best not to look directly at Lust. He didn't want to blush even more, after all. "Oh, my world doesn't have a name. Not an official one, anyway. And..." he ducked his head. "I'm not sure. I'm not used to being a tw--looking like this, I mean. I'm not a human either, and I haven't quite figured it out yet."

"The thought had crossed my mind," Lust said with a small shrug that made her dress shift and cling. "There are a great many non-humans running about. I've already gathered your world is lacking in technology, but that tells me little." She cocked her head, eyeing him.

"Mmm. It is rather a shock to be human, when one isn't used to it. Human bodies are ridiculously inconvenient."

Day 28: Bus 2

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