damned_institute | Day 30: Cafeteria, Breakfast

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Day 30: Cafeteria, Breakfast

Hitsugaya woke with a start.

His entire body ached, but the pain was nowhere near as bad as it had been the night before. His injuries had been tended two with clean gauze and bandages, and he found every movement wasn't agony. He wasn't in the best of shape, but thanks to the miracle of landel's strange time distortion, he had mostly recovered from the vile poison without having to waste anyone else's talents.

And in his hand, still...there was the key.

He dressed quickly, sliding the key onto the key ring from his desk drawer and stuck it into his pocket. Whether the key stood to gain them anything or not, it stood as a vital reminder that they could succeed in this place. There was hope, as insignificant as it often seemed. They could beat this place.

That small shred of hope made getting up worth it.

The nurse who escorted him to breakfast was cheerful, and commented idly about how wonderful it was to see young Tommy Winters up and about again after his unfortunate run-in with a bad case of food poisoning. He smirked slightly, knowing that any lies the institute forced into their heads were only that: lies. He wouldn't buy it for a second. And on top of that, the concept of muffins sounded almost appetizing. While he still preferred his authentic Japanese cuisine, the food here was slowly becoming more and more bearable. He would have preferred a warm bowl of sweet nattou over rice over the mufffins, but they would do. The plain yogurt and fruit, on the other hand, was excellent. He piled his plate high with fruit as usual, and got several small bowls of yogurt as well.

Finding the most convenient table to the end of the food line, he took a seat and scanned for the new arrivals. New arrivals meant people who would be lost and confused. Renji did a good job of making a bulliten post last time...he should recommend abarai-fukutaicho do the same again this time.

[Waiting for Angel]

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The night ended so abruptly and now it was daytime again. Jack wasn't so certain how he felt about waking up so early, but he was certain that the morning announcement was a good sign. If there was an emergency meeting, perhaps the Head Doctor was looking into ways to improve the nighttime activities! Jack woke to a room that was much like the last one, but it seemed the other bed had been slept in. Did he get a roommate? Oh, now that could be fun!

He leapt out of bed, but was disappointed to find that he was still quite fleshy. Jack was already getting tired of having muscles and skin - it was too normal, too...human. His nurse appeared and led him off, casually brushing off his every attempt to find out where the meeting was being held and when and how Jack could attend (he had so many ideas to help, after all, so why wouldn't they listen?), taking him to the cafeteria instead. "But the meeting, my dear lady! I must attend it or how else will they ever further the goals of this place? You all missing some essential elements in making this a true horror house! Or better yet, a Christmas theme! Do you know of Christmas? It's such a joyous--"

The nurse rolled her eyes and stuck a tray in his hands, cutting off his speech and pointing him toward the breakfast line. Before Jack could protest, she was gone and he sighed. No one understood or listened when he had a truly good idea. It was a little exasperating, to be honest.

He went through the line, picking up strangely fresh fruits and foods and choose his seat. The chairs were a little short for him, but if he turned to the side it seemed to be alright. Leaning an elbow on the table, Jack looked out over the sea of people. So many other inhabitants of this Landel's World-Town! He had to talk to all of them, get information on their lives and then take it back to Halloween Town. Perhaps they could use some of the frights here in the next Halloween, or maybe they'd have even better ideas for Christmas! Christmas was a much bigger mystery after all - much more important than the boring old Halloween. Taking a healthy bite of a blueberry muffin, Jack waited to find the first available person and grinned. His journal and a pen were tucked into his waistband, so he could definitely get some good information today!

[unwittingly waiting for Obi-Wan]

Last night had certainly been more productive than previous nights. True, they hadn't received any answers, but they certainly had received supplies -- weapons, no less! And while the idea of stabbing creatures with a blade was terribly base and uncivilized, Obi-Wan was more or less convinced that there was very little about this place that could be called civilized.

Now it was just a matter of trying to figure out where to go from here. He'd have to talk with Qui-Gon, so they could decide whether they had sufficient weapons, or if they ought to donate some of their metal to less fortunate prisoners who were still lacking weapons.

In the meantime, he supposed he ought to eat a good, healthy breakfast so he could at least start the day right. And while he was at it, take some time to talk to some of the newer "patients". As easy as it was to get caught up in his own plans, the Jedi recognized the benefits behind establishing connections and helping newcomers adjust to the place. He'd been knew here, once. That had been about almost two weeks ago, hadn't it? Time certainly crawled in this place. To Obi-Wan, it might as well have been a whole year.

It didn't take long for him to find a face he didn't recognize right away, which wasn't a surprise, given the man's distinctive features -- tall and gangly, an unusually round face, eyes and hair that were incredibly dark. After he approached him, he realized he must have been close to around his age, although that by itself wasn't particularly odd. Come to think of it, there didn't seem to be many older people being held captive here, though Obi-Wan knew looks could often be deceiving in that regard.

"Good morning," he greeted with a small, pleasant nod. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

All the information he'd learned last night about how people came from different worlds and everything was turning over in his head like a waterwheel when someone approached. People didn't come here by their own choice and were subjected to the nightly tortures and strange happenings of this place. On the one hand, Jack didn't agree with forcing people places with no way to get out. On the other, it was a completely brilliant way to scare people. There was one man in charge and that meant Jack need only find him and talk some sense into him - maybe suggest some things to change - and everything would be fine.

It took a few moments before Jack was able to break himself out of his thoughts to realize he had been addressed. He blinked and looked up at the newcomer, nice enough looking fellow. The skeleton grinned and made a grand gesture at the chair across from him. "Of course, sir, please take a seat!"

It was right about then that two people decided that screaming at the top of their lungs was a great idea and Jack looked over at them. He didn't really understand what they were saying, but their volume alone caught his attention. "Really now, if someone's going to yell, they should at least make it pleasant for everyone else. Carry a tune or two - get the whole crowd involved. That's the way to get attention."

Turning back to his guest, the Holiday King held out a hand and said, "Jack Skellington at your service, sir. Have you been here long?"

Perhaps this man could be his first interviewee. What better opportunity to learn more about this place than to talk to someone who'd been here awhile?

Obi-Wan was surprised, albeit a bit pleased, to find this stranger so open and friendly, especially if he was as new as the Jedi suspected. Most newer captives had a tendency to be nervous and apprehensive, especially if they were unfamiliar with the concept of different worlds. Not that Obi-Wan blamed them, of course, but, well...he'd be lying if he said it wasn't a nice change of pace.

The grand gesture to sit down was a bit over the top, but Obi-Wan didn't really bat an eye. He'd met all sorts of characters during his travels, and he knew some people liked to have a flair for the dramatic. Smiling a bit to himself, he nodded in thanks and sat in the chair.

The two people yelling caught his attention as well, and he turned. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd seen patients causing a ruckus. Obi-Wan couldn't say he approved, especially given the circumstances, but they'd likely learn the way of things soon enough.

Of course, the stranger's comments were unexpected, and the Jedi couldn't help but glance back at him with raised eyebrows. "You think so? I don't know if it's particularly wise to attract attention in the first place unless there's a specific reason for it, although I suppose some people have a knack for it."

Obi-Wan shook hands with this Jack once he'd introduced himself. "Pleased to meet you, Jack," he replied pleasantly. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I've been here for about 11 days." He suppressed a sigh. "Certainly seems a lot longer, though." He regarded Jack curiously. "And yourself?"

Unwise to attract attention? Well, Jack could appreciate that. Even he needed a breather once in awhile from the constant burning of the spotlight... He rarely found the chance to take one, but that was another story altogether. He shook Obi-Wan's hand and grinning wide, perhaps a little too wide, motioned toward the two on the tables and sighed dramatically. "If one is going to stand on the table top, then it would be best to do it in the most grandiose manner possible. You've already attracted the gaze of the crowd, so it's important to follow up or you'll go and let them down. Nothing worse than a crowd when it's displeased, you know. Sing at the top of your lungs, act out the part! If they really wanted to appear crazed or upset, they should stretch their faces out, move their arms a little more. Like this!" Jack turned to Obi-Wan and grabbed his cheeks, more than a little surprised that it hurt when he pulled them down in a rather frightening display of melancholy.

"OW!" He let go and his skin snapped back into place. That was a little odd. Silly skin business. "Well, you get the idea."

Eleven days? Eleven glorious days? Jack's face brightened instantly and he whipped out his journal, writing Obi-Wan's name and the length of his stay on the first page. "Fantastic!" With the pen hovering over the page, he leaned forward, nearly crossing the table as he moved in to study Obi-Wan's face. "So time crawls here does it? What else can you tell me? Do the nasty beasts come out every night? What have you seen? Be thorough now, no pulling punches, this is important for future generations!"

Oh, right, Obi-Wan had asked a question, too. "Arrived yesterday afternoon, had a wonderfully dreadful night and now I'm here! Bit of a whirlwind, if you ask me."

Obi-Wan watched, mildly stunned, as his table companion grinned widely and then explained the very detailed process of successfully gaining attention. He winced when Jack pulled on his face, mostly because it looked like it genuinely hurt, though he was a little baffled at how it seemed to startle the man. Still, it almost sounded like Jack had boiled gaining attention down to some kind of art. With all this talk of singing and playing the part, it made the Jedi wonder a few things.

"It sounds like you're very good at winning a crowd over," he remarked, slightly tilting his head. "I have to ask -- were you some kind of performer before coming to Landel's?"

The Jedi was a little surprised at how pleased Jack looked at how long he'd been stuck here, though he supposed he couldn't blame him for taking notes. Obi-Wan had essentially been doing the same thing, after all. The sooner people could spot any patterns about this place, the closer they'd get to finding answers, after all. And this included any "future generations" of patients, too, Obi-Wan supposed, though he hoped they could manage to find a way to shut this place down before it came to that.

"Let me see," Obi-Wan said slowly. "If I'd brought my journal with me, I could have shown all my notes to you, but I suppose I can go by memory." He had a photographic one, after all, though he didn't see the need to flaunt that around. "As far as I know, monsters prowl the hallways every night. I've encountered a variety of giant creatures -- scorpions, spiders, felines, and rodents, just to name some of them. I also came across a large droid creature that wielded lightsabers. I didn't get a chance to fight him, but he seemed like a formidable opponent."

He paused, taking a sip of his juice. "I also encountered some kind of dark shadow in a hallway on the second floor. One touch from it reduced me to a state of complete apathy. If I hadn't have had a friend with me, I probably would have spent the rest of the night just standing in the hallway like I didn't care about anything. And then on the bus a few nights ago, I witnessed the nurses turning into hideous creatures."

Really, once he said all of these things out loud, they sounded both disturbing and ridiculous. Given how new Jack was (he'd said he'd arrived yesterday, right?), Obi-Wan wondered how he would take all of this information.

"Of course, those are only the ones I've seen personally," the Jedi added. "There are many different kinds of monsters that come out at night. I've heard of a man with a giant pyramid for a head who wields a large blade -- very dangerous, and not someone anyone here wants to meet up with. I've also heard of giant dogs, giant apes, and fire-breathing lizards, just to name a few others. Honestly, I think a better question is, what does Landel's not have?"

It wasn't about merely winning the crowd to Jack. It was about sweeping them off their feet, leaving their lungs screaming for air, sending them bowling over backwards to hide under their blankets until they couldn't sleep for weeks without the lights on. Obi-Wan could be spared the details for now, however, since he'd likely figure it out on his own soon enough. "A performer of the grandest kind, my friend!" he said, the devilish grin never wiping from his face. "Orchestrator of the greatest holiday ever imagined - Halloween!"

Not that he thought it was that great anymore. It was so boring, so lonesome, so...empty. He'd felt something new when he'd gone to Christmas Town, but now he was stripped of that warmth and left to a place that resembled home without any of the comforts. He couldn't let that get him down now though, not when he was in front of a stranger. Jack cackled instead and began writing furiously every detail that Obi-Wan had to share.

After every monster listed, Jack couldn't help but feel a little bit of excitement. "Marvelous! Giant spiders? Oh, how lovely. A droid creature? Now that's unusual. Good, good..." With a flourish, he finished that line and moved to the next. "Apathy spreading shadows? Oh, I could use that if I just switch the apathy for fear! Oh, a fear inducing shadow! That could be wonderous indeed."

Jack looked up from his notes and couldn't help but give Obi-Wan an appreciative smile. This man was being so much help! He'd definitely get a mention at the next town meeting, if not an honorary mention at Halloween itself! And to think, all those dreadful things were just what Obi-Wan had encountered. What other wonders did this place hold? The rhetorical nature of the Jedi's question was lost on Jack and he leaned back in his chair, tapping the pen against his chin.

What didn't Landel's Town have? "It could do with a mummy or two, maybe a three eyed beast with razor sharp teeth and snakes for hair. Hm...and vampires! What is a good horror house without vampires? Oh, and of course swamp monsters and clowns and--" Jack crowed again and turned to Obi-Wan, seeking his approval on these great plans he could take to this Head Doctor man. "It could definitely use some decorations, don't you think? All this gray and white and nothing else - no color? No pumpkins, not a single thing to gloom up the place! Don't you agree?"

"Halloween," Obi-Wan echoed with raised eyebrows. "I've heard of that. They celebrated it not long after I first arrived here. They had all sorts of decorations, and most of the people here were in different kinds of costumes." It was an Earthian holiday, wasn't it? So that must have meant that Jack was from Earth, as well. "Forgive me for sounding ignorant, but what does an orchestrator of Halloween do?"

Jack's enthusiasm about the monsters was a little strange, could even be considered a little unnerving, though it took a lot more than that to make Obi-Wan feel uneasy. Instead, he was more curious on why Jack seemed so thrilled at the idea of monsters. Most people were frightened by that sort of thing, right?

If anything, this man was certainly very different from any other patients he'd met here.

He could only stare at Jack for a moment, especially after he began listing creatures he thought Landel's actually needed. As if the ones they put up with weren't enough! "Well, I do agree it's a rather drab-looking place, but--" The Jedi stopped himself short when he realized this man was actually being serious. "Jack...do you engineer these kinds of creatures back home?"

Obi-Wan wanted to add more, but he paused when he noticed a fight breaking out not that far from where they were sitting. Scuffles and things weren't so unusual in this place, and Obi-Wan had grown accustomed to simply ignoring them. But this was was actually starting to turn quite ugly.

Normally Jack would have been surprised to hear that Halloween had gone on without him, but he'd just celebrated it yesterday - or a day or so before really - when he'd arrived here. What a splendid Halloween it had been, too! Not a single hitch - other than the fact that Jack had been bored most of it. "Yes, yes! That's Halloween! Although, not all of us are in costumes, mind you - some of those ghouls you saw may have been real." He grinned like a rogue and held up a long, thin finger like he was about to lecture - which he was. "Center stage, my dear man. Without the orchestrator, without the main event, there would be no Halloween. All the scares and frights are put together by myself and the Mayor and everyone in town works together to make each Halloween particularly gruesome. We strive to outdo ourselves every year, each more horrible than the last. As King of Halloween, it's my job to be the absolute best scarer, the most frightening ghoul, and the organizer of every fright, shriek and scream!"

He completely missed poor Obi-Wan's reactions and puffed up at the Jedi's question. To him it seemed as if Obi-Wan was finally realizing how important his role was and how much responsibility he had. It was a burdensome job, always being more horrid than anyone else, always looking on the dark side of life to find what terrified the humans, but someone had to do it. "Engineer? Oh no, sir, that's Dr. Finklestein's job. I merely rouse the crowd, flip the switch, sing the songs, draw up the plans - scare the living daylights out of any unlucky soul to come by me in the night. It's my job, after all. Why? Is it strange?"

Obi-Wan's attention went elsewhere and Jack's eyes followed. So that was the source of all the ruckus that had been building around them? Much to the skeleton's horror, he saw that more and more people were joining in the fight and that the violence against the staff was escalating. This was something he couldn't stand for! Why couldn't people just get along? Sitting forward, Jack peered at the growing mob and frowned. "Now that's a fine mess. I wonder what started it all."

"You're....the King of Halloween," Obi-Wan said slowly, albeit a bit skeptically. He'd met so many different kinds of people during his life, had come across people from different worlds and universes within Landel's itself, hearing this sort of thing really shouldn't have surprised him. The Jedi hadn't really had a problem believing the things other people said, so he didn't see why this ought to be any different. Still...

Maybe Earthians had a different orchestrator for each holiday? (Again, another reminder on just how little he knew about Earth culture.) It was certainly something to keep in mind, at least. And right now he didn't have any reason to distrust Jack, despite his eccentric nature. So he was going to have to take his word on this. At least, for now.

"It is a bit...unusual, yes," Obi-Wan answered him. "Not many people can say they frighten others for a living. But why would you do it? The monsters here are dangerous and capable of hurting us, you know." It was honestly very puzzling. He didn't get the feeling that Jack was a wicked or malicious person -- more like someone who just genuinely enjoyed getting a reaction from people. A performer, like Jack himself had said.

Not at all like the man pulling the string behind the intercom.

Frowning to himself, the Jedi realized the ruckus was starting to grow worse. In fact, it was turning into a bit of a mob. Anger pulsed through the air, thick and heavy like the way moisture clung to the air on a hot, humid day. He didn't need to have his full connection to the Force to sense that.

"They're angry," he said suddenly. "As much as I'd like to continue talking about Halloween, it looks like we ought to get to a safer part of the room." The riot could spill over into their area at any moment, especially with the way people around them were starting to join in. He rose from his seat, though he wasn't going to leave until he knew Jack was following.

As strange as his profession seemed to Obi-Wan, it was even harder for Jack to believe that someone didn't get it. Why would he do it? Jack blinked and scratched his head, still a little weirded out by the feel of hair not bone, and frowned. "Why wouldn't I? It's my calling in life, my passion - I was made for the role. We all are." He paused a moment and then added, "All of us in Halloween Town, where I'm from."

How strange to think that someone didn't understand the basic fundamentals of Holidays! This poor man needed to be taught about it, at length, preferrably in song. However, now was not the time. Jack looked off at the crowd again, the surge in energy and the feelings of anger and revolution were almost palpable in the air. The skeleton made a face and turned away from the seething mob to focus on Obi-Wan. The nurses would take care of it and no one he directly recognized (that he could see) was involved. Besides, the Jedi was far more pleasant and level-headed, and not as violent. Jack appreciated that. "Oh, yes, that would be best." He stood up, slipping his journal back into his waistband and cleared his throat, looking down at Obi-Wan. "It appears as if people are heading toward the main doors. Shall we follow?"

When Jack stood up, Obi-Wan had to look up just to properly meet his gaze. He'd been able to tell the man was tall, but it wasn't until he'd drawn himself up to his full height that the Jedi realized Jack practically towered over him. Why, he was even taller than Qui-Gon!

Not that Obi-Wan hadn't encountered taller creatures before. It was just odd, considering the size of most Earthians he'd met here. Perhaps his height had played a part in gaining the crowd's attention before coming to Landel's. It was something to consider, at least.

Either way, now wasn't the time to be thinking about things like that. They needed to get to a safer place. Now.

Obi-Wan glanced towards the doors and nodded. "Yes, I think that might be best." They wouldn't be able to get out, but at least they'd be out of any immediate danger. "This way." And without another word, he began weaving his way through the chaos, glancing over to Jack every few moments to make sure he was still with him.

At one point, they came close to having a nasty encounter with a chair someone had thrown, but otherwise they managed to make it through without getting sucked into the violence. It seemed to take forever for them to make their way over, but Obi-Wan knew that, logically, it hadn't taken any longer than a few moments.

He'd barely had enough time to get a good look at the full extent of this riot when the intercom sounded and practically started wailing. It sounded like their security system was in full swing. Obi-Wan knew it was only a matter of time before the riot was squelched.

Too bad it hadn't been better organized.

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Day 30: Cafeteria, Breakfast

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