damned_institute | Day 31: Intercom, Evening

The intercom's jingle came on with its usual overly-cheery quality, echoing through the halls and doctors' offices.

"I trust, as always, that you all enjoyed the last shift and that all the staff-patient interaction went smoothly. Of course, we're nearing the end of another day and so we must begin to bring things to a close. Nurses and orderlies, please escort all the patients to their respective rooms and make sure everyone gets their dinner--which is, by the way, chicken teriyaki and assorted tempura, along with rice and miso soup--before they retire for the night. A vegetarian substitute is of course available, and we have our usual assortment of drinks; we also have a special of hot green tea to go along with the meal.

"Thank you, everyone, for an exceedingly pleasant day, and our therapy sessions will continue tomorrow as scheduled. Enjoy your dinner, and I will be on again before bedtime to say goodnight."

The announcement ended.

[ As always, individual dinner threads go in response to this post, and it helps to put your character's room number in the subject line. Thanks! ]

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“Oh, you were okay. Just a little out of it, really,” Kairi reassured Rukia, a small smile creeping onto her face at the memory of their last meeting. “I was just glad I was able to help you sleep, anyway. You needed rest.”

The next topic was not a pleasant one, and soon enough the copper headed girl found herself closing her eyes, her hands lifting up to rest gently against her stomach. She could still remember the agony that shot through her when the girl stabbed her with her nails – the thought made her shudder. “I … I’ll tell you what I can, but I couldn’t really see a lot. There was just … she had long hair. I couldn’t tell what color it was because it was dark, but it looked like it was black. And … and she had blue eyes. Neon blue eyes … and they were glowing. I had never seen anything like it before.”

With a sigh, Kairi lifted up one hand towards the ceiling, her fingers stretching towards the florescent lights that hung overhead. “Other than that, I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

Rukia listened to the description, committing it to memory. Long dark hair, unnaturally bright blue eyes.

Rukia turned her head to look at Kairi. "It's okay," she said gently, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It was dark, and in that kind of situation... it's hard to remember details. One more thing, though: do you remember about how tall she was?" Most everyone was taller than Kairi and Rukia, but a general idea would be helpful.

Kairi couldn’t help but smile at Rukia’s reassurance, and gave the girl a nod of her head. “Thanks.”

The comment about the height of the girl made Kairi laugh, even if the topic was still a dangerous one. “Taller than me, of course. Though, she wasn’t tall tall, just … normal, kinda? I mean, it wasn’t like being close to a giant or anything. She might have been only a few inches taller than me. Then again, I don’t know if she was crouching or anything …she moved pretty fast for me to really be able to tell.”

A pause, and Kairi turned to look at Rukia with concerned eyes. “Just … don’t go looking for her on your own, okay? I don’t want you to be hurt too.”

"Oh, I won't," Rukia assured her. "I just want to know about what she looks like in case I see anyone fitting that description. If she was strong enough to... do that to you, then, well, she's someone to watch out for."

Rukia wanted to ask what had happened to Kairi after she had been attacked, what had turned her into that shadow-like thing. But she wasn't sure she had the heart to.

A relived sigh escaped Kairi’s lips at Rukia’s words, and she nodded her head. “All right, thank you.”

The silence between them then was an awkward one, especially for Kairi. On one hand, she knew what the girl wanted to ask; of course she’d be worried. She just hoped that she would be able to answer whatever questions Rukia had to the best of her ability. There was a lot she didn’t know about the darkness, and the best person to ask wasn’t even within Landel’s walls anymore (she was sure of this by now.)

Letting in a deep breath, she released it in a partially silent sigh, her head turning once again so she could look up at the white ceiling. Once she couldn’t handle the silence any more, she spoke. “You can ask, it’s okay. though, I don’t know how helpful I’ll be … I don’t know much about it myself.”

Rukia blinked in surprise. "Ask wh--" she began, but judging by the tone of Kairi's voice, the other girl had somehow known what Rukia had been thinking about.

"Oh," she said, then cleared her throat. "I just... it seemed like Sora didn't know it was you at first, either. So I guess that wasn't one of your powers or anything, huh?"

Rukia figured that they had better eat soon, before night fell. While she waited for Kairi's response, she levered herself up onto her feet. Retrieving first Kairi's tray, then her own, she sat back down on the floor with her friend.

Kairi let out a sad laugh and sat up as well, her fingers running through her long hair before absently scratching at the bandage that covered her cheek. “No, that’s … I don’t really have any powers. As in, at all. That was …” a pause, and the once princess smiled up to her roommate once she retrieved the food before continuing, “That … it’s because of the night I was … experimented on.”

Reaching out to lift at her cup, Kairi sipped on it silently for a moment. Her thoughts were scrambled – how to explain?

“In my world, you can be overtaken by darkness. My friend – and Sora’s – Riku was … overtaken by the darkness. I mean, that’s what Sora told me … I was out for most of the time, but … it’s possible. The darkness gives someone powerless power. Back in my world, I’m a princess of heart, as I’ve told you … someone with a pure heart. And yet …” a short laugh, and Kairi looked up towards the ceiling, her face grim, “Now that I’ve been tainted, I can’t really hold that title to my name. The darkness was placed directly into me, so it … changed me into a heartless, I guess.”

“When someone loses their heart, they become a heartless. That … was what happened to me two nights ago. I couldn’t control my body, but I could see. I could see and feel everything. It was … hard. My heart stopped for me to become that thing …” a shudder, and Kairi brought her cup to her lips once more. “I never want it to happen again.”

Rukia listened to Kairi's story, and at the end of it shook her head. "Oh, Kairi, you're not tainted! And I don't think I've ever met anyone with a purer heart than you. I don't care what they did to you; you're still the same person you were!" Rukia wanted to find whoever had done that to Kairi and put her blade to his throat. Cowards, capturing people and experimenting on them when they couldn't do anything to get away!

The revelation that the woman who had attacked Kairi had actually stopped her heart - killed her - made Rukia even more determined to find out who it was.

Day 31: Intercom, Evening

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