damned_institute | Day 32: Sun Room (4th Shift)

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Day 32: Sun Room (4th Shift)

It was rare that Homura's nurse try to persuade him to a scheduled activity, but then, it was rare that Homura didn't go. But the demi-god had plans, and the poor woman had little other choice but to leave in a huff as he once again settled himself near the bulletin board in the Sun Room.

His conversation with Kenren the previous shift had left the demi-god with a lingering sense of anxiety. Perhaps it was something only those from his own world could do, but none the less, he was all the more ready for night to begin now. Goals and memories, the truth of his past and the possibility of the future: all thoughts lingering on the forefront of his mind, more than enough motivation to move forward.

Impatience was something of a rush for an immortal, he'd discovered. Homura liked the feeling, the excitement even before he had arrived in this prison. And now while he waited, he savored it again, a yearning that shone so much brighter than the boredom of Heaven.

[Waiting for History Club Q&A time.]

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"Maybe," Falis replied, looking away from the woman. She didn't want to identify Hokuto to this woman and she couldn't help but wonder if this place could bring her back, what if they could bring Cecelia back? What if she had to go kill that bitch all over again? It wasn't like she had the hope that maybe the people here would bring Pete and Dominikov back, cause they hadn't died just ceased to exist. Sure, same thing, but not really.

"I can't ask on the board," she muttered. "Bunch of people make fun of me on there..."

"Is this person someone you knew at home?" Raine pressed. "The rules of magic aren't the same in every world. You may very well be able to get more answers out of them."

She understood that the girl might not want to ask the person directly, for whatever reason, but sometimes there wasn't much choice. And she obviously didn't have any problems being direct.

"Not from home," Falis replied, again not looking at the woman. "Just... someone."

She then looked at Raine. "I'd be more willing to ask on that board if there weren't so many assholes that like to make fun of people on there. I can't even put something half-serious up there without someone deciding to act all high and mighty to me," she said, scowl deep in her eyes.

"If you can't find a way around that, then there's little choice but to ask the person in question," Raine replied, but she was still trying to puzzle this out--predictably, it was interesting.

"Is there a specific reason you're concerned about this friend having been brought back? I've heard a little on replica bodies being more fragile than might be expected."

Falis was lost for a moment. Her face screwed up in a look of puzzlement. "Who's the person in question you're referring to?"

She then shrugged. "I'm not so much worried as much as just wondering how it was done. I mean there's a whole bunch of people I'd rather not have to ki-- umm... deal with again." Though that bit about replica bodies bothered the princess and it made her a bit worried about Hokuto. Just a little.

Raine managed not to sigh; she supposed she should have realized this girl was somewhat lacking in education. "I mean the person you're talking about; it might be easier if I knew their name--and yours, for that matter. I'm Professor Raine Sage."

They'd resumed being civil, so it was about time they finally introduced themselves. Raine was a little young to complain about "kids these days", but she could still be disapproving of some people's lack of manners.

"Oh." Falis felt kinda stupid for not realizing that this woman - Raine- had been talking about Hokuto.

"I already asked her about it when she told me she'd been dead-dead and she doesn't know how it happened. She was actually killed before coming here, so this place brought her back to life." She paused, waiting for Raine to say something before it dawned on her that she needed to do that introducing thing.

"Princess Alita Forland." There. Introductions taking care of.

...Princess? She would have expected royalty to act a little different. Though, honestly, Colette didn't act like the Chosen very often in daily life.

"It is possible I've spoken to her or someone from her world about related topics," Raine said. She wasn't much for normal socializing, but academic debates were another matter. "Unless she has a reason for keeping her death a secret, I really think knowing who we're discussing would be useful."

Falis shifted a little uncomfortably. "I...umm... don;t think you've talked to her before." Her gaze averted to the side. "It's kinda a touchy topic for her and I don't think I was really supposed to find out about it anyways..."

Sure Hokuto had suggested Falis ask one of the healers, but she bet the girl didn't want her death declared to this place's populace at the top of the princess' lungs. Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh to think that Raine couldn't keep her mouth shut about it, but it's just not something someone talked about. It's not like Falis goes around saying 'guess what - this isn't my body'.

"If you're asking because her new body is more fragile than it should be, that might be something I need to know," Raine pointed out.

This bordered on emotional blackmail, but she meant it; as a healer, sometimes she needed to know things. And if Alita wanted to get any answers, she probably needed to give more information.

...and Raine was curious.

Falis looked over sharply at Raine, a brief flash of extreme concern flickering in her eyes before she managed to get them hooded. The muscle along her jaw twitched a little before she spoke.

"No, I'm not asking because of that. She's not fragile and she says it feels just like her original body." She paused. "Besides, she's not worried about it. And why would you need to know anyways? Looking for a reason to study her?" The princess scowled. "I'm not letting her become some wi--" She cut herself off quickly. "someone's research subject."

"I don't study human subjects," Raine said, a little harshly. The Desians did, but just because she was a half-elf didn't mean she was anything like them. She knew there was virtually no way Alita could be thinking of them, but it was another automatic reaction born from years of hating what she was.

Trying to sound calm again, she went on, "It is entirely possible her body is different. Unlikely, if she's telling the truth about it feeling the same, but something like being forced into a new body might well have changed her physiology."

"Good," Falis replied just as harsh as Raine replied. "I'd beat you into a bloody pulp if you did. That shit is wrong and I won't have anyone doing that to my gir--"

The hell? Since when did she remotely start thinking of Hokuto as her girlfriend? Someone she was really interested in to pass the time but girlfriend? Falis pushed the thought away when Raine mentioned souls being forced into new bodies.

"Physiology doesn't change when a soul is forced into a different body than the one it belongs in," Falis replied, a little too matter-of-factly. She tried to cover it up though by acting dumb. "That's if physiology is some fancy term for how the body processes things and other stuff..."

Raine wasn't fooled; playing dumb did not work in front of her. Zelos had tricked her, yes, but--never again. There was no way Alita could have guessed what the word meant if she didn't know.

The slip-up gave her an inkling of why the girl was so concerned, though; it didn't make her soften, but now she knew.

"I take it you're at least passingly familiar with this topic?" Also very interesting.

Falis folded her arms and sat back into the couch. "I heard talk once about... stuff like that," she replied. It was the truth, since Dominikov had sorta explained it to her after she switched bodies with the real princess, but of course it wasn't the whole truth. Falis had an intimate knowledge of such a topic.

"It's got a fancy name, but that's beside the point." She gave Raine a stern look. "Am I going to have to beat you into a bloody pulp, cause if so, I'd like to do it first thing come night. I don't want those vultures descending upon me," she said with a brief look up at the staff circling overhead.

"I wouldn't threaten a healer so casually," Raine replied evenly. "If you can heal, you can also harm. And healing magic isn't all I have."

She wasn't bluffing; even if immobilized, with some effort she could cast Photon. Not if she was being held in a way that snapping something important would take less than a second, but under other circumstances she could defend herself more than the girl knew.

However, she'd had enough of this. "Regardless, I don't know what else I can tell you. I suggest you find an old teammate of mine; he died before he was brought here as well. His name is Zelos Wilder; he has long, bright red hair, and I'm sure he'll be happy to talk to you." Thrilled, actually...

Falis pretty much ignored Raine's counterthreat; she wasn't worried and besides, she apparently didn't have to beat her into a bloody pulp after all. At least not until the healer proved she was a witch and did some nasty magic or something.

Still, the princess perked up when Raine told her about this Zelos guy. Someone else like Hokuto - maybe she could wrangle some good information out of him. "Ah. I will," she replied. "And it's called soul commutation."

Might as well throw the woman a bone for telling her about someone who knew more than she did about the stuff.

Raine nodded, and filed the term away for later; if she ever researched it at home, it might be good to know.

Having said her piece, she got back to her book; though she wasn't quite as oblivious to the world as she appeared, she also trusted that Alita wouldn't attack her with so many "vultures" around.

"Aa. You may find it wise to keep that term to yourself," Falis said evenly, looking at the healer out of the corner of her eye as Raine went back to her book. "You may find someone around here that gets real touchy about it if it gets around."

If Raine started talking about soul commutation, that exorcist might remember that Falis wasn't in her own body. The last thing she needed was that information getting around. The princess tucked her feet up underneath her and leaned into the arm of the couch, rubbing her ribs a bit.

Damned woman.

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Day 32: Sun Room (4th Shift)

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