damned_institute | Day 31: Intercom, Evening

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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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Artemis sighed, "I know, I know... But it's like my shadow: it follows me and takes my shape. And no amount of running will free me of it.

"I want to be happy with who I am now, but currently I'm only happy at my supposedly innate way of making friends. I still harbor that fear that one day someone will find out and they'll twist my arm."

He laughed and shook his head, "I believe you're turning into my therapist. But I suppose if you are currently happy with who you are, I couldn't have been stuck with a better one."

Haku laughed softly, taking a moment to finish his meal before speaking.

"Well," he began. "I don't know if I'm qualified to be a therapist of any kind." He tilted his head. "What would make you feel better?" His expression turned teasing. "Should I tell you all the sordid details of my dark and mysterious past in case you come across my book?"

Artemis considered this for a moment. "Even if you didn't tell me, and I came across something I thought was horrific and, as you said, sordid... I don't think I would mind." So why would anyone else care, since they knew who Artemis was? He was concerned about the people who didn't know him and would try to blackmail him.

But if that happened, he had an army of people to fall back on. One person couldn't turn a whole institute against him.

He smiled, "I already know that you're a wonderful, caring person Haku. Albeit with a bit of a scary side, but genuinely compassionate towards those you care for. I respect and admire that..."

Haku laughed softly behind one hand and stood up, moving to sit on his bed. "Again, the kind words. You're too nice Artemis."

He tilted his head. "I don't know if I would be interesting enough for someone to read about really..."

"Everyone's life is interesting enough to read about, in my opinion. People are fascinating. Also," Artemis smirked. "If you throwing that scalpel at me is any indication, your life is plenty interesting.

"And, of course, you have me for a friend, which at least doubles the interesting factor. If not triples it," He grinned teasingly.

"Shall I throw one at you again? You seemed to rather enjoy that," Haku teased right back. "And really, that's not terribly impressive where I'm from."

He laughed, "If by 'enjoy' you mean, 'was terrified of you and everything else', then yes. I enjoyed it.

"And it doesn't matter if it isn't impressive where you come from, it's impressive to me--which means it would be impressive where I come from, and thus worth reading about," He smiled.

Haku smiled. "Perhaps I am a work of fiction where you are from then, if I would be so interesting there." He clapped his hands together.

"Where I am from, Zabuza-san is famous. I wonder if he would be famous outside of our world. I think he would like that."

"Perhaps..." Artemis didn't know how he felt about seeing his friend in a book, but speaking with Harry hadn't been so bad. And if they were separated, Artemis could always 'visit' Haku again...

He made a firm decision not to think on it.

"You never know," The boy started in on his soup. "I'm not sure if he is or not, but perhaps someone knows. But it's not terribly important, I think. Momochi-san seems to have plenty of self-esteem."

Haku laughed softly and nodded.. "He does have quite the ego, yes. I shouldn't mention it."

Standing up and streching slightly, he smiled. "I'm glad to see that you're feeling a bit better though."

"Yes... I had a good day today, besides the incident with Reid Garwin. I spoke with a few friends, had good meals, and now I'm here with you." He was reminded of his talk with Renji concerning his feelings, and he realized he felt rather happy despite everything that had happened with Disraeli.

When he came back to himself, he realized he was watching Haku stretch with more intensity than was probably necessary. He coughed. "And my night was rather uneventful as well. How was yours?"

Haku shrugged slightly and ran through a few basic warm-up exersizes before sitting back down.

"We ran into a brainwashed paitent and otherwise didn't get much done."

Artemis felt his jaw drop slightly and he began to gape as Haku started warming up. For someone so small, his body seemed so lithe and powerful--

Stop thinking, Artemis. Just stop right there.

"A brainwashed patient?" Artemis said, coughing to cover the crack in his voice. "Who was it? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"A young man named Danny. He didn't hurt me, but he did shoot Zabuza-san." Haku was proud that he kept the anger he felt over that out of his voice and off of his face.

"Zabuza-san was fine, but I was unable to successfully speak to him. I couldn't find anything out about him or what happened to him."

"Hmm..." Artemis thought for a moment. "I didn't run into any brainwashed patients--only monsters, really. But if I did run into one that wasn't going to cause me immediate injury or death, I would like to talk to them and attempt to obtain any information.

"That was your goal, right?" Artemis smiled.

Haku smiled. "Information if something I'm always after. But I would have been pleased with him not attacking us."

He tucked his legs up on his bed and smiled. "Have you learned anything interesting about this place? Made it downstairs at all?"

"Oh!" Artemis realized he'd left out that part. "Yes, last night I went into the basement..."

His tone was rather uncomfortable. "I was expecting something rather different than what I found." His eyes drifted down to his hands as he recalled it. "A giant... ballroom. It's a place where aristocrats and people of high standing hold large dance parties. It was ornate, but completely empty. There was no reason for it to be down there--none at all."

He steepled his fingers in thought, wondering how to best phrase this. "I don't say this very often, and I didn't say it at the time, but it unnerved me. I had a strange feeling in my throat that told me I was in over my head--drowning in something I couldn't understand. And at the same time, completely exposed to my foe without the slightest hope of defending myself from his seemingly boundless insanity."

The fact that Landel kept the things Artemis had seen below a mental institution was reason enough for Artemis to be unnerved, in his book. Someone who was insane to this standard would no doubt be highly unpredictable and dangerous, in Artemis' mind.

He blinked, realizing he'd rambled. "Ah, apologies, I get started on trains of thought and they don't... stop."

Haku was quiet for a while, digesting this new information.

"It owuld seem that we are all in over our heads, so to speak, from the moment we arrived here. Knowing that our captor is utterly mad does nothing for us. Of course, perhaps there is a reason for it to be there. We don't know what it is yet.

Why else would he want us to see it?"

"Very true..." Artemis agreed. "There must be a reason for it, unless the purpose is just to give us environmental shock. Which, obviously, happened to me. But it probably wouldn't have much of an effect on anyone who didn't know what it was." He hadn't thought of that before. So there must have been another reason.

"The next thing I came upon was a hall of armor. Nine suits. One of them I was intimately familiar with. It was something that a friend of mine always wore--a perfect replica, I believe. The armor wasn't able to be removed, but the weapons were. Unfortunately, when we moved into the next room, the ones I had taken disappeared, and Abarai-san was left with one sword.

"The room was filled with moving practice dummies and suits of armor. He fought them, but when I tried, I was thrown backwards into the wall..." The memory made him grimace slightly. "I'm not sure what happened afterwards... I was unconscious for the rest of the fight."

Haku leaned back on his bed, supporting himself with his arms as he thought.

"There must be a reason he was allowed one, and you weren't allowed the others..." He shook his head. "There's just not enough there to really go on though. We'll have to gather more data."

He smiled. "I am glad you've found another person to travel with, if you keep being hurt like this..."

Artemis gave a nervous laugh, "It was entirely my own fault. I reasoned that since nothing was moving, we could move across the room. One of the suits of armor surprised me and I attacked it. Before my sword even touched it, I was thrown back. There wasn't anything anyone could have done..."

He looked uncomfortable, "It wasn't their fault, I promise."

Haku shook his head. "I didn't say it was their fault. It's not your fault either." He smiled and, without warning, lightly tossed his pillow at his roommate's head.

"Relax and lighten up a bit. Tonight will be like an adventure for you. I look forward to hearing about it."

"Hey!" Artemis laughed as he shielded himself from the pillow with his arms. He immediately snatched it up.

"Well, you won't get to hear any of it if you assault me again with your pillow!" He grinned evilly, "Which shouldn't be a problem, seeing as now I hold control over both of the pillows in this room~"

"Ah, but can you actually manage to hit me with one?" Haku spread his hands. "You are but a novice in the art of pillow manipulation."

Good. Artemis needed to loosen up a bit. Being nervous and worried before a misson never ended well.

"Oh, you think so? Well," Artemis stood up on his bed, a pillow in each hand. "Unfortunately for you, Haku, I studied the fine art of Pillow-Jutsu, and you shall be my first victim!" He pointed dramatically down at Haku with one of the pillows.

"Prepare yourself, knave!" He grinned.

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