damned_institute | Outside M-35, Nightshift 20

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Outside M-35, Nightshift 20

Tamaki was growing used to confusion being his default state. Nearly everything that happened to him just confused him further. But he was going to learn how to fight! And then he could protect Haruhi! If she needed it, his mind promptly reminded him. Only if she needed it.

The idea that there were women who didn't need his protection at all times was one he was having difficulty coming to grips with. But he was trying, since his conversation with Riza. And Haruhi had survived here longer than any of them. He'd protect her - and all the people he cared about - if they needed him to.

But first things first! Tamaki got his flashlight and emerged out into the hall, looking about.

"Azel-kun?" he called, deciding he ought to get his friend's room number. "Ed? Hikaru? Kaoru? Anyone?"

He still hadn't mastered how to be quiet at night.

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His session with Dr. Crane had given him a great deal to think about. He'd spent the brief time he had, before being escorted back to his room, sitting quietly and letting the new information sink into his mind. He ran over and over the conversation he'd had with the man, trying to figure out what exactly he could do about his current situation and if the doctor would be any help or hindrance toward that.

Azel remembered that he'd promised to train Tamaki, at least as much as was possible, in the basic use of the sword. He knew that the other boy had a burning desire to protect those he cared about; and it seemed Azel himself fell into that category, although he was just as much protector as protected.

He stepped out of room M30. "Tamaki. Over here."

"Azel-kun!" Tamaki reacted with joy and pleasant surprise as his friend called out to him, and he spun and made a beeline for the smaller young man.

"Did they make you see a doctor today? Did anything happen? I met someone from Ed's world after lunch and I don't think she liked me much..." He was babbling, as he tended to do. "I don't know where anyone else is. We're lucky our rooms are so close! I don't like to think about what this place would be like if I hadn't met you that first night!"

"I'm sure you would have been fine, Tamaki. After all, there are other people from your home here, aren't there?" He pointed out, but hugged the blond anyway. He was glad to see him, and it showed. He'd taken to the other immediately, worried about him, and wanted to protect him and be protected in return. He would trust Tamaki with his sword techniques, but only as far as the other proved himself a trustworthy companion.

When Azel took to someone, it was for life -- or so it had always been in the past.

"They're my friends," Tamaki said, returning the hug. "But... they're like me." He scrubbed a hand through his hair, looking almost sheepish. "We don't know much about some things." Like how to survive in a dangerous situation. "We wouldn't know what to do here on our own." He gave a little laugh and grinned. "Lords have people to protect them, we don't know how to protect ourselves! And... I don't like being alone. Hikaru and Kaoru are nice, but sometimes they tease me. They don't mean to be mean, it's just how they are. They didn't even know how to be friends when I first met them. And Haruhi..."

Haruhi was complicated. She teased him, too, but it was different. Tamaki didn't really understand how to put it inot words.

"I'm very lucky I met you, Azel-kun!"

"The twins? They were teasing me, too..." Azel was no stranger to that kind of taunting, but he still didn't like that. And he wasn't sure he liked the twins -- there was just something about them that put him off. He felt as if he were being mocked with their every word. And why would they want to make fun of him? Was it just their way of coping with the situation at hand? Or did they get some pleasure out of making others feel bad?

"Well, I told you before, Tamaki." He put a hand on the other's shoulder. "I'll protect you. Even when you can protect yourself, I still will. Because that's who I am."

"I told them to be nice to you," Tamaki said, sighing. "They sometimes forget that other people have feelings the same way they do," the blond pointed out. He frowned thoughtfully. "And sometimes I think they get jealous. They used to tease Haruhi, too. They don't make friends easily. That's just how they are. I won't let them tease you again." He understood the twins but that didn't mean that it was okay for them to lash out like that.

Tamaki slung his arm about Azle's shoulders companionably and smiled brightly. "And I will protect you, as well! We'll protect each other. Come on, we should get started before something happens...."

The first thing Soujirou had come to the conclusion about this place was that it was dark. The second was that he was probably lost. Probably being a somewhat relevant term as he was almost positively sure that he was lost... well, you could never be sure!

The light in his hand was quite useful, even if he wasn't quite sure how it worked. It was a nice tool and he was flicking it on and off as he wandered down the hallways. They all looked the same, and the doors looked the same and he had yet to encounter anything of particular interest. Actually, he had yet to encounter anything.

Which was all really about to change. The tenken blinked twice and turned the light in his hand towards what sounded like voices. And was indeed voices. The customary smile on his face widened, a little.

Azel leaned against the blond, smiling sincerely; Tamaki probably would never realize how much better the words made him feel, how much more reassured and centered. He took a deep breath and was about to suggest they head back to his room for the training when he heard the approach of another.

"Someone's coming." He said, already shifting to half-step in front of his friend, should it be something like the thing they encountered last night.

"Oh?" Tamaki turned, clinging close to Azel just in case.

"H-hello?" he called out, wetting his lips and swallowing had. He hoped it was someone friendly. He hoped it wasn't a monster....

Two people, rather, Soujirou noticed. Neither looked particularly threatening, though it would probably be very hard to look threatening in the get up they were wearing. Which, actually, Soujirou was wearing as well, now that he noticed his clothes.

"Hello!" He offered up with a quick bob of his head, in exchange for a bow.

Another prisoner. It was funny how he thought of that word immediately -- not patient, but prisoner. He supposed it was Darman's influence.

"Who's there? Who are you?" Even he knew to be wary; Tamaki could feel the tension in Azel's body as he prepared, even now, to attack. He knew the allies of this place could wear a friendly face -- he had been controlled by them, made to hurt his friend, an act which ultimately seemed to end their involvement, since now Darman did not want to approach him, now that the clone had the information he required.

It hurt, that. "Identify yourself."

It was just another patient! Tamaki relaxed, even as Azel tensed up. The blond's hand found his friends, giving it a friendly squeeze. The person coming towards them didn't seem dangerous at all! But Azel-kun was nervous, and Tamaki couldn't really blame him.

"I'm sure it's okay," he said, brightly. But people shouldn't go out alone at night....

He stopped a few strides away from the pair, head tilting to the side a little. He had never met them before, which wasn't entirely unusual (had the situation not been ... different), but caution wasn't exactly in Soujirou's vocabulary. His smile brightened, "I'm Soujirou Seta, it's nice to meet you." This time he actually bowed.

Everything in his body language said 'unconcerned'. Or 'simple', depending on who was doing the observing. Of course, the more intelligent observer might see something else too, but either way Soujirou didn't care.

"I'm Azel." He replied, leaving it up to his friend to introduce himself. He still wasn't convinced that this man wasn't under Special Conditioning; however, it didn't seem that the other was making demands of them just yet.

He relaxed a bit. "Are you aware of where you are, Soujirou?"

"I'm Suou Tamaki," Tamaki said, offering a small wave. This person really didn't seem like a threat. But Tamaki had always been too trusting. It had caused him problems in the past, even ones he wasn't aware of.

"Should we be standing here? What if something comes...?"

"It's a pleasure, Azel-san, Suou-san," Soujirou nodded, as if this were a walk in the park and he had happened upon these two for casual conversation. Environmental stress was something he excelled at managing. "Where I am? I haven't any idea!" Tamaki's question, he assumed, wasn't directed at him. Even if it was the answer was rather simply, if something came it could be eliminated. Unless it was stronger than them, but Soujirou didn't think that was a possibility.

Azel glanced at Tamaki -- the other had a point. "Let's go back into my room for the moment. If we're out of our rooms, we'll probably be attacked sooner or later." He turned back toward M30.

"We'll try to explain the best we can, Soujirou, but it'll probably be confusing, even so."

"Soujirou-san! You're from Japan!" Tamaki's voice was certainly happy at hearing that. Someone else from home! He nodded to Azel, smiling brightly.

"We're safer in the rooms," he agreed. "And I'd like to see your room, Azel-kun! I'm sure we can explain everything we know to Soujirou-san!"

A polite inclination of his head was given to Tamaki. "Ahaha, I take it not many people are?" He asked, and followed Azel and Tamaki as they headed back to a room.

"I suppose since explanation is forthcoming I shouldn't ask... but what are we 'safer' from?" Soujirou inquired. He wasn't too bothered by the preceedings, however.

"Monsters." Azel said shortly, as he led the way into his room and made sure the door was securely shut behind them. He sat down on the edge of his bed, looking at the floor.

"And you have to sometimes watch out for other patients too. They do strange experiments to people here, brainwash them, make them work for whoever runs this place..."

"This isn't a very nice place," Tamaki said, frowning some. "They do horrible things here. You just woke up here, didn't you? We all dud." He sat down beside Azel, folding his hands in his lap. "I haven't been here long, but...." He took a deep breath, trying hard not to let things get to him.

"But there are nice people here, too, that are all trying to help each other!

He wasn't laughing, but his expression was close to. Soujirou nodded along with Tamaki and Azel's words, confirming that he was listening. Monsters, patients, horrible things, it didn't sound that bad. "I bet it keeps this place interesting!"

No other comment was given. Soujirou didn't have anything else to say.

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Outside M-35, Nightshift 20

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