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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Sai's nurse was silent as she led him straight to the sun room after lunch, not even asking if he'd rather go elsewhere. Perhaps it was a sort of punishment in her eyes, though he couldn't care less. The few disappointed glares she aimed his way indicated how utterly put off she was that he'd gotten himself into trouble enough for a sedation. He knew it broke his good record. Would it be worth trying to gain it back?

She didn't even feel like keeping him steady long enough to lead him any further than one of the first couple sofas, and it wasn't until he was sitting that she finally said "Now I want you to think hard on what you did. The doctor had given you such a glowing report!"

The ninja had a hard time imagining that doctor saying anything particularly 'glowing,' but he let the woman think whatever she wanted. When he didn't answer her, she seemed to regret even those words, giving him a short pat on the head before leaving.

When she had gone, he slumped a little, thinking perhaps he could nap some before dinner. Maybe it would help the sedative get out of his system faster.

When everything went perfectly Mello loved the sensation of thought, of feeling his mind move so quickly and precisely that it balanced like a gyroscope atop his consciousness. He was no closer to achieving his goals than he'd been at breakfast, but now he was certain they were within his reach.

He latched onto two conversations as soon as he entered the sun room, then reviewed his future plans as he skimmed the message board. This time, he wouldn't let himself fall asleep. There was too much to accomplish.

And he'd start by reinforcing his relationships with his current allies.

If Mello noticed Sai's dazed expression when he dropped onto the couch beside him, he gave no outward indication. "How's the door coming?" he asked.

Mello was one of the last people Sai needed to be speaking with while slightly uninhibited. When he looked over, however, dark eyes partially obscured by his bangs, it was with his usual smile. "Hello, Thief."

He had to take a few seconds to think over what the blond meant about 'the door.' "Ah. Righ'. We haven't gotten much done on that." If he thought this the slightest bit troublesome, it was impossible to tell.

"How're you?"

Well, that was unexpectedly blunt.

It didn't take a genius to see that something had been done to Sai, most likely something chemical. Mello shouldn't have been surprised that he'd get himself sedated--after all, he'd responded with swift violence when he suspected Mello was a thief--but based on his stoic demeanor, it was hard to believe he'd participate in a fight that he knew would end like this.

He let the accusation pass without comment.

"I'm fine," Mello said with a quick nod. "You seem kind of tired, though. Everything okay?" 'Sedated' wasn't the best word to use, but surely Sai knew that Mello knew something was off about him. Pretending not to notice would have seemed even more suspicious.

A small and somewhat drunken wave of one hand in dismissal was Sai's first reply. "I'll be fine. Sasuke-kun and I... had a disagreement. Mostly I disagreed, actually. Or... I started it. Ah..." He shook his head. It was difficult to word without sounding foolish at this point, so it was probably best if he talked less. "Nurses. You know."

Did Mello even know who Sasuke was? It didn't actually matter in the long run, so he didn't see any need to explain. He got the gist of it, at least. He figured. He was a smart thief, wasn't he?

"You," he pointed at the blond, looking thoughtful. "...What are you doing tonight?"

"Hm," Mello said, nodding and filing away the name though he didn't understand its meaning. Anyone who could get Sai angry enough to fight was someone worth remembering. "Yeah, I know," he said. "It'll wear off in about two hours if we have the same metabolism."

What was he doing tonight? He should have spoken with Matt. Hopefully, he wouldn't run off alone and get himself killed before he could even be useful. "I don't have plans. If I don't have anything lined up by nightfall, I'll just go to the clinic again."

Sai leaned back, raking a hand through his hair and attempting to focus. Usopp was - what was that note on the board? "Usopp is... meeting with his crew? I think. You and I. We should work in his room." It wouldn't be right to leave it empty, after all. Someone might come and steal things. Like Mello. Except he'd just invited Mello.

That was okay. He was fairly sure he could beat Mello up with little problem. Drugged or not.

"I don't think he'll mind. Well, he might mind you. But we should be all right." Sai could be rather blunt under normal circumstances. It didn't help that he now had less reserves.

"Sure," Mello said. That was a safe option, though he was surprised Sai would suggest it. "What do we need done?" Usopp had wanted to do most of the work himself, if he remembered, and he doubted Sai's friend would appreciate them using up stock without specific permission. "I don't think we have everything we need to set up the trap. Rubber gloves to braid as elastic, and glass beakers if we're going to do anything chemical." They could use a sink, possibly, but even the bathrooms were dangerous at night if he recalled.

"Have you gotten any more supplies?"

"Ah. Right." That was true. They shouldn't just go taking things from the storage without Usopp being there - especially after the pirate had just sorted through and made lists of everything. He didn't like the idea of leaving their things alone and unguarded, but they might not have any other choice if they needed to get the proper supplies for their door trap.

"Don't think we got anything new." Sai smiled again, reaching over to pat Mello a couple times on the shoulder. "We'll just have to go get what we need, instead. You're kinda weak, but I'll protect you." The blond would have to come with him and point things out, after all.

These drugs seemed to hit Sai a lot harder than they had hit him.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Traveling with an unarmed, untrained person is no different from traveling alone." Aside from dividing an attacker's attention between two bodies...but that certainly wasn't a job Mello was going to sign up for. He needed Sai and Usopp as allies, but not badly enough to risk life and limb, especially without any evidence that Sai was a competent fighter. Mello had fast reflexes, but when he was unarmed it was hardly a feat to pin him to a wall.

Sai's smile was more than a little creepy. There was no point in faking an emotion if you couldn't pull off the subtleties.

The comment seemed to sober Sai up some, and his smile had half faded when he regarded Mello next. "Not the best of ideas, no. But... Usopp came on supply runs himself, and he's not the best of fighters either."

He leaned in closer to the blond, expression blank. "It's a matter of trust, isn't it, Mello-san? And you could still use more of ours."

Then he pulled away again, resituating himself in his seat. "I will need your eyes."

"Regardless of whether I come with you, you're still going to consider me a thief," Mello said, leaning back as well. "I can't gain your trust, and I don't plan to. I'm not looking for friends. All you need to know is that I'm reliable, and I do what I say I'm going to do. I said I'd help you build weapons, and I said I'd help you protect your stash. I didn't say I'd help you fight monsters. It's an inefficient use of resources." Even drugged, he expected Sai to be rational. If he was a ninja, he should know a bit about strategy.

"You're a fighter, and I'm sure you have allies other than Usopp. I'll make a list of what you need, but you should go with another group that's gathering supplies."

"The less people that are involved... the better. My list of allies is small, and I have traveled with only a couple - neither of which are available." One was Usopp, and Sasuke... well, there'd be no working together tonight. Not after what had happened over dinner. "The others could fight just as poorly as you, for all I know."

Sai rubbed a hand over his face. There was Haku, but given the tenuous neutrality he was holding with the boy, it wouldn't be a good idea to get him involved in anything Sasuke was involved in. Who else? That John Trick person? No, he knew too little about him. In a way, he trusted that blond less than this one.

"And I wasn't asking you to fight monsters. If I can't handle something, we'll flee. Your safety would be my main priority."

Mello took a long, tired-sounding breath, although he wasn't low on energy. "You're asking me to put myself in a lot of danger to protect something that isn't even mine," he said. Usopp's loot wasn't his, nor did he particularly want it. It was too early in his plan to need those kinds of weapons.

However...there were quite a few other things he needed.

The plan started to form, but Mello's demeanor didn't change. If he did go along with this, he'd want it to seem like he was doing Sai a favor. "Where would they keep that kind of stuff, anyways?" he asked.

Sai smiled again. That last comment had been promising. The first was ignored. It was the future investment that mattered.

"Most've the storage's on the second floor, 'cept for food," the ninja slurred. He'd lost some of his focus, and he paused for another moment to rub at his eyes again. Stay more alert! He'd been conditioned to deal with such situations, hadn't he? Where had that conditioning gone?

"Chemicals," he bit out more clearly. "One of the closets." He could advise the best route up, also, for the least amount of travel and thus less chance of running into anything.

Although Mello didn't know much about the movements of the monsters in this place, the second floor seemed like a pretty big risk. He closed his eyes for a second to review the map, and wished L had been more prompt in his efforts to chart the movements of the monsters. He'd been here for how many days, and what had he accomplished?

Not that Mello had been doing much better, recently, but at least now he was taking initiative, and based on the conversation Homura was having a few feet away (one he'd been sure to listen to), L hadn't taken the most effective route.

"I'll go with you, but we'll need to stop in a few places to get everything we need," Mello said. Hopefully, Sai wouldn't question his expertise and he'd be able to slip a few of his own requisitions in with what Sai and Usopp needed.

"Right," Sai agreed with another smile. "Good. Of course." They would be far too lucky if they found everything they needed in one place. The Institute wouldn't be so kind. (The ninja wondered when he'd begun thinking of the Institute itself as a being.)

"Your room is... M3, isn't it?" He confirmed. If Mello had lied originally he'd need to know now. His promise to keep the man safe began the moment the blond stepped into the hallway. "I'll meet you there."

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Day 32: Sun Room (4th Shift)

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