screwthegods (
screwthegods) wrote in
damned_institute2008-07-30 09:03 am
Entry tags:
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- meche,
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Day 34: Breakfast
[starting off in M13]
The last part of the night was little more than a blur in Homura's mind. The men had rushed in, but not joined them, instead staying off to themselves. Before any of them had a chance to react, however, a voice sounded through the air, mocking some other person Homura had never heard of, and the patients themselves.
To Homura, whoever that man was, he sounded a great deal like a god.
But before he could ask questions, the demi-god found himself no longer in the chapel, but some strange room on a bed. Is that what Kenren had meant from his earlier warning? Homura sat up, glad at least that the world didn't spin when he did so. Then the same man from before began to speak again, with a completely different tone. It was confusing to hear him talk that way, calling them patients instead of prisoners as he had before. Homura listened quietly as the announcement was made, then got out of bed.
Maybe he wouldn't have to go anywhere yet. It wasn't like Homura knew where to go anyway, and that meant he had time. If this was his room, and if he had been here as long as Kenren had said, there was a chance he could find something with answers. The Taisho had even told him that Homura had seen Rinrei. Certainly he would've written something down, made a map, something that could let him find her again! He started with the desk at the end of his bed, first finding a small stack of notebooks. Picking up the first, he flipped through, turning the pages with quickening desperation as he found each one to be blank.
The last part of the night was little more than a blur in Homura's mind. The men had rushed in, but not joined them, instead staying off to themselves. Before any of them had a chance to react, however, a voice sounded through the air, mocking some other person Homura had never heard of, and the patients themselves.
To Homura, whoever that man was, he sounded a great deal like a god.
But before he could ask questions, the demi-god found himself no longer in the chapel, but some strange room on a bed. Is that what Kenren had meant from his earlier warning? Homura sat up, glad at least that the world didn't spin when he did so. Then the same man from before began to speak again, with a completely different tone. It was confusing to hear him talk that way, calling them patients instead of prisoners as he had before. Homura listened quietly as the announcement was made, then got out of bed.
Maybe he wouldn't have to go anywhere yet. It wasn't like Homura knew where to go anyway, and that meant he had time. If this was his room, and if he had been here as long as Kenren had said, there was a chance he could find something with answers. The Taisho had even told him that Homura had seen Rinrei. Certainly he would've written something down, made a map, something that could let him find her again! He started with the desk at the end of his bed, first finding a small stack of notebooks. Picking up the first, he flipped through, turning the pages with quickening desperation as he found each one to be blank.

no subject
She was lagging behind the nurse, taking in the view of her surroundings with an increasingly disappointed eye (she had eyes again. Being alive reopened up a wealth of metaphors that had been kind of awkward for the last four years). At least the DoD building had had good upholstery. The cafeteria she was standing in now was all too earthly--the muted green walls and lines of tables could have come straight out of any hospital where she'd ever volunteered.
But if this was a hospital, where were the monitors, the IV drips, the gurneys? Quite a number of the other...patients?...in the room were obviously injured, but things still didn't quite fit. If she didn't know better, Meche would've said she was in a mental hospital.
And that just didn't make any sense at all.
Domino, she thought a little wildly. This must be one of his little games. But Domino was dead (in at least two different ways), and surely even he and Hector, with all their machinations, couldn't have brought her back to life. She wanted to believe in this place--to trust it--but she was a lot more cautious now than she'd been the last time around.
"Go on," the nurse prompted, seeing her charge standing still in the doorway. "Go get yourself something to eat."
So Meche moved forward mechanically. As she walked, she scanned the crowd--and realized that if she was alive, of course Manny would be too. She wondered what he'd look like with skin. Come to think of it, she hadn't even seen her own face yet. Maybe he wouldn't think she was pretty enough, especially not without at least a touch of makeup. Her old instincts were coming back.
But there.
Starting to pick his way through the crowd, not all that far from where she was standing. Still shorter than she was, even without the heels. Brown hair, just beginning to go gray. And it would be hard to miss the shape of that skull. She couldn't see his face, but even so. Had to be, had to be.
Suddenly makeup didn't matter; she was tearing through the room.
"Manny!"
no subject
Relieved as he was to hear it, he didn't whirl around with bated breath for what he was about to lay eyes on. The knowledge she was there was enough to unwind the tension, and whatever predicament they were in, they were together and out of harm's way. That had been his main concern. Striking that off his priority list left the detail of not knowing where the others were, whether they were here with them or further down the line.
His expression didn't betray relief or joy, but a quietly keen air of satisfaction. Someone was making a beeline for him. A thin smile appeared as he observed. She was gorgeous without skin, so he was hardly surprised by what he was seeing. Without a shadow of a doubt, that was the woman he'd spent two years chasing like nothing else. Though he didn't move forward to greet her, he raised his arms a little. Maybe in case she accidentally fell into them.
"Buenos días."
no subject
Not conventionally handsome, maybe, but all the good looks she'd ever need, she thought. His face felt familiar almost as soon as he turned around. Like it had always been this way.
It only felt like a matter of minutes since they'd been on the Number Nine--she couldn't think why these hot pressures were building up in her throat and behind her eyes. Don't be silly, Meche, she was thinking, but she couldn't hold back either the smile or the first couple of tears. This place was so different. They were so different. But that confidence she'd felt back there was starting to come back.
She stopped in front of him--close enough to touch, but not quite there yet. "You're not the nurse," she said softly.
no subject
Manny didn't budge, though the twinkle in his eyes also hadn't faded yet.
"If I'd known this was where we'd end up, I'd have taken you on that ocean cruise first." It wasn't that he was sour about the outcome - he was just a sore loser. That and he couldn't shake the inexplicable feeling this wasn't their final destination. This wasn't what Meche deserved.
no subject
Her fist had already slammed into his jaw before she'd even realized it was moving. Not quite the tender reunion she'd been hoping for, but Meche was too far gone to care. "You mean you didn't even know where that train was really going?! 'The Ninth Underworld,' you said. 'The Land of Eternal Rest!' You knew we might end up in some kind of crazy hospital, and you just didn't think it was important enough to mention?"
She couldn't believe it. Sure, he hadn't known whether they were going to be together in the next life, but she'd just assumed an ex-reaper would know what he was talking about with his own damned merchandise. Would know he had tickets for the right train, at least! Never trust a salesman.
Whatever she'd been about to say next, about the angelitos or the nurses or how incredibly glad she was to see him, flew right out of her head.
She knew she was going overboard here. It was just that she couldn't slow her anger down. Manny still looked like he was reeling, and she wasn't done yet. "All right, mister, start talking," she snapped. "If this isn't the Ninth Underworld, where is it? And what other little surprises weren't you planning on telling me about?"
no subject
"Hey!" he shot back a little helplessly, the abruptness of the blow stunning him into silence. What shocked him more than that was the thought that followed: this was probably going to leave a mark. Lifting a hand to the point of impact, dazed by what had to be the ache of a bruise forming, he touched his fingertips to it as he heard Meche out.
The tingling wouldn't stop. After so many years without any blood canals to speak of, the pain was rather distracting, but it didn't take a lot of effort to keep a firm stance. She was upset. This was only going to get worse if he didn't console her.
"We didn't have sources on this," he said calmly, a hint of impatience seeping into his tone. "The brochures never went as far to tell us salesmen what 'Eternal Rest' really meant."
no subject
"Look, I'm sorry," she sighed after a minute, running her fingers through her cropped hair in a nervous gesture she'd forgotten she used to have. She was still tense, but the anger was draining. "It's just that this is a little overwhelming. It's not what I expected, but that's not your fault."
With a Herculean effort, she extended a hand to him. "Come on, looks like people are starting to leave. Let's get some breakfast while we still can, and afterwards we'll look for the children and the others."
no subject
"I think the meal can wait," he answered evenly, squeezing the offered hand a bit tighter than he realised and starting to lead her outside – as far away from her newest fan as this place would permit. Left unspoken was a silent promise; no way he'd let her go until he knew the crazy pacifist wasn't tailing her.