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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"Ah!" Artemis' center of gravity went out the window and he fell backwards onto the bed, successfully de-pillowed. He was disoriented for a moment, but regained his role after a few moments.

"I-Impossible! How could someone defeat me so quickly? I spent years perfecting that technique!"

Haku moved and stood up on his bed. "That is because I am the true master of Pillow-jutsu. You never had a chance against me!" Haku posed triumphantly.

"Come back in a few more decades."

"Lies! All of it!" Artemis cried, pulling himself up. "I won't be defeated so easily! Especially by someone who makes such broad statements!" He jumped up at Haku, grabbing for one of the pillows. "I won't lose!"

Haku turned gracefully and stepped off of the bed, releasing a pillow and making a show of it.

"Ah!" He stood on the floor, looking up at Artemis. "We are evenly armed.... But never evenly matched. Come at me!"

"We shall see about that!" Artemis said with a grin. "En guarde!"

He jumped off the bed and swung the pillow in a wide arc at Haku. He was rather clumsy about it, but it was a game, after all. "We shall see who is the true master in this fight to the death!"

Haku laughed, turning and allowing the pillow to smack into his side. "Ah! A hit! Curse you," he said right back. As he moved backwards though, he swung his own pillow in a lower, tighter arc, intending to catch his roommate's side as well.

"Aha! I am not so unskilled as you previously imagined! Such an underestimation of my skills will--" He took the pillow to the side before he could evade.

"Curses! Interrupting my monologue! I will teach you some manners, dog!" He was running out of arcane insults. Artemis raised his pillow over his head and brought it down lightly towards Haku's head.

Haku watched the pillow come down and hit his head. "No!" He fell to the floor. "How could this be? Defeated by a novice? All my training for naught." He clutched his chest for a dramatic 'death' scene.

"You have bested me, but I will be back for revenge!" He lobbed the pillow up at his friend's head again.

"Ha ha! Come back when you have learned--!" The pillow hit him in the face. He laughed and fell to his knee.

"A worthy opponent indeed. I look forward to the day we cross pillows again. Until then, young master, I shall cherish this small victory."

Haku couldn't keep a straight face any longer. He started to laugh, covering his mouth with one hand.

"I am a ninja," he managed to gasp. "You had best sleep with one eye open, lest I," he chuckled again. "Lest I come at you in your sleep."

"Oh no!" Artemis gasped in mock-horror, "I'm doomed! I could never master the art of sleeping with one eye open! And it's never been mastered in less than a day! I shall have to start immediately!"

He lay down on his pillow and shut one of his eyes. "...this is rather uncomfortable," He laughed. "I shall just have to be attacked, I suppose."

Haku stood and moved quietly over to where Artemis lay. "A shame," he said, expression school to look down on his roommate with pity. "For I am not only a Master of Pillow-Jutsu... I have also extensivly studied .... Tickle-Jutsu!"

"What?!" Artemis' eyes went wide and he scrambled to his hands and knees. "You wouldn't...! Have mercy!"

Haku grinned, tossing his pillow over his shoulder towards his bed. "Mercy? You ask me for mercy now?" He stepped closer to Artemis. "Why should I offer you mercy now?"

"Be... cause..." Artemis stared up at Haku, trying to think of a reason why he shouldn't be assaulted.

"I'll probably make some sort of embarrassing noise if you don't take pity on me?" He offered.

Haku laughed and sat down on Artemis' bed. "Well, I suppose I can't have that now, can I?"

He was quiet and considered his roommate for a moment before smiling again. "Are you feeling a bit better now Artemis?"

Well, it looked as though he'd escaped a fate worse than death... for now. Artemis stood up and sat down on his bed next to Haku, frowning slightly.

"About what?" He asked.

Haku smiled. "About yourself. You haven't seemed very..." He tilted his head, thinking. "You haven't seemed like you've really been on top of your game lately. I know that you've been feeling a bit off kilter lately, but you seem a bit better tonight."

Haku shrugged, still smiling warmly. "I was curious and a bit worried

"Oh... yes," Artemis nodded, feeling a little guilty for having made Haku worry. "I haven't been very on top of myself lately. But I'm doing better, yes.

"Mostly because..." He looked down at his hands, embarrassed, "Mostly because, I think you've been keeping me sane. Everything that happens during the day, suddenly doesn't matter as much when you're here. With me."

Artemis felt his face flushing again. Had he actually said that?!

"I'm sorry, that was probably a very strange thing to say. Please forget I said it."

Haku blinked, a bit surprised to hear a sentiment like that, then smiled and tilted his head.

"I'm glad that I can be your support when you're feeling out of it," he said, reaching out and lightly tapping a finger on his roommate's head. "And it wasn't a strange thing to say, though I'm sure there must be someone a bit better suited to you for you to rely on?"

Artemis blinked when Haku tapped his forehead and looked at bit confused. "Why wouldn't you be well suited to it? You seem to understand well enough when I'm upset and know how to counter it perfectly.

"I only wish I could do the same for you, but you always seem so calm and collected..." Artemis sighed, "And here I am, running around and disintegrating at every little thing."

Haku smiled and shook his head again. "Where I grew up, and how I grew up, being able to control your emotions is all about survival." He laughed lightly.

"After all, I was perfectly 'calm and collected' while I was trying to commit suicide by self neglect."

"True..." Artemis looked even more uncomfortable now. To think that the person he cared so much about now had probably been trying to kill himself when they'd met. And he hadn't done anything but probably make the problem worse by prying.

"That's why I worry so much, though," Artemis said. "You could be ripping apart at the seams and I would never be able to tell." He turned to Haku, a pained and worried expression on his face. "I don't know what to do about it."

"Artemis, I'm ... I'm not used to sharing my feelings." He frowned and glanced away towards his bed. "I've spent a long time trying to dismiss emotions from my life. I was only recently given permission to feel them again."

He laughed then and waved a hand, turning to face his roommate. "I'm sorry, that must sound strange to you."

"I'm not so different, though," Artemis said, jumping on the chance to help. "Until a year ago, I was as cold and unfeeling as any rock--because I had to be. Emotions and feelings and having a conscience all got in the way of doing what I needed to in order to restore my family."

And entertain himself, but that was a separate issue.

"But now... I can feel things. And I have friends, and I'm happier than I ever was," He gently took Haku's hand and clasped it firmly. "And I can tell you all this too. Easily and without any restraint, because I trust and care about you, and don't want you to worry.

"So... here, let's try this," Artemis looked straight at Haku. "Tell me how you feel right now. Just anything, whatever comes first to your mind."

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