damned_institute | Day 34: Lunch

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Day 34: Lunch

Yuffie bounced all the way through collecting her lunch, all the way to a good seat- one with a nice view of the whole cafeteria, which was something she'd been missing out on during the past day or so that she'd been stuck in the Institute- and hell, she even bounced into her seat.

A good mood? No, really?

Despite the occasional blip, talking to Sagara had been awesome. He was a fun guy; he wasn't a prude, didn't have a stick shoved so far up his ass it was poking out his eyeballs, and he'd actually had a conversation with her. One that hadn't revolved around doom, gloom or how much life sucked. If she could find other people like that and keep in touch with Sagara, maybe there was a little hope for this place.

After a quick gulp of pink lemonade, Yuffie settled to munching through her food and keeping an eye on the door.

[Waiting for Dean, I think? :x]

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Raising an eyebrow at what appeared to be an awed expression on the youth's face, Cloud glanced behind him to see if there was someone else stood in the youth's line of sight. When it became apparent that it was him who was on the receiving end of that sort of expression, it was actually kind of refreshing. Denzel often gave him that look, but it felt like such a long time ago that he had received it. It almost made him feel uncomfortable.

Chewing on a piece of chicken, he nodded his head. "Everyone seems to have that look when they first come here, so you should not concern yourself too much." It was strange to be considering himself a veteran in this place when he had only been here for a week now. "This place tends to muddle people when they first arrive. My best advice is to arm yourself when the night time comes," he offered.

He had lost one of his prime weapons the night before in a single shot. He would need to get himself another baseball bat tonight. He also thought about better arming Yuffie as well. "Monsters here are not very nice when the lights go out. If you cannot fight yourself, I suggest you find someone who can."

Dropping his arm back down as he watched the other glance back over his shoulder, Yuuri felt himself relax and grinned at the blonde man as he nodded. "I heard earlier today that there were monsters running around here in the night." From the looks of him, the other man seemed to definitely be a fighter time. His body physic reminded him so much of Al's as he continued to stare at the other man. If only he could be more like a hero, but he was stuck being a demon king.

He wasn't a very good fighter, but he had been improving with all of his training against Conrad and Wolfram. He wasn't anywhere their level yet, but he didn't think he was that bad with a sword now... even if Morgif said otherwise. Yuuri's expression subtly changed at that thought as his entire demeanour turned dejected momentarily. Ahh even Morgif was against him at times.

"Thank you for the advice, er--" Trailing off with his words, Yuuri blinked when it appeared that he didn't even know the other man's name. "Ahh sorry I don't even know your name yet. I'm Shibuya Yuuri."

Standing up, Yuuri reached over the table with his hand while he introduced himself. Yet even as he waited for the blonde man to answer, he couldn't help but be awed by the mass of blonde spikes sticking up every-which-way from the other man's head. "Woah! Your spiky hair is impressive. How long does it take you every morning to get it to stay up like that?" He asked all bewildered.

Well, that was good that the youth was getting informed on the situation here. He just hoped that the boy knew to find someone to travel around with, but he supposed that kind of information would have been given out. He wasn't sure if this boy was the fighter kind, but it did not exactly look like it. He would offer, but he had his own plans for tonight and there was no point in bringing harm to a new recruit to this place so early. "Good luck to you in avoiding them then" he offered as he pushed around some of the food on his plate.

He tilted his head to the side and nodded, reaching out to firmly grasp the offered hand. That was a better introduction than he normally experienced in this place. "A pleasure to meet you, Yuuri. I am Cloud Strife," he murmured and took another bite of his chicken. "Do you have any questions about this place?"

He blinked at the sudden enthusiasm and question, lifting a hand to push aside one of the spikes that fell over his eyes. That was the first time someone had come out to ask him that lately. It was really only the youth's enthusiasm that caused him to answer honestly. "Ah... well, my hair just naturally stays like this. It is the hair I was born with... it never lays flat." He patted down the damp locks and shrugged as if nonchalant.

"Ahh yeah hopefully. I've been learning how to wield a sword by a few people close to me, but I'm afraid I'm still much better at controlling a baseball bat rather than a weapon." Yuuri said with a slight sheepish edge to his voice. Typically he had Wolfram or the others around with him to help him out, but he believed that he was more than capable of walking on his own now. Besides, he wouldn't want any of them to be in this situation with him. No, he could get out of this one himself without risking any of his comrades lives.

Taking the hand as the gesture was returned, the young Maou grinned widely as he felt the strength behind the handshake. Cloud was so awesome! Ahh if he could ever be a hero he would so definitely be like him, or Al, both of them were the image of being a hero. "No no the pleasure's all mine, Cloud." The grin remained on Yuuri's face, however, even though Cloud retract his hand and sat back to eat his food, Yuuri remained half-standing.

"Natural?!" The young Maou exclaimed loudly while almost falling out of his seat when Cloud explained that his hair was all natural. He'd seem others have really long hair, like Gunter, but he'd never seen anyone with hair like Cloud's before. It was mesmerizing Yuuri so much that he actually reached over the table so he could feel the blonde spikes.

Yuuri's expression turned into one of amazement the moment his fingers touched Cloud's hair. It was still damp from the shower, and true to Cloud's words, the blonde hair stubbornly wouldn't sit down. "Waah! There really isn't any gel in it! It's so cool!" Moving to sit back properly in his chair, Yuuri reached up to tug at a few black strands hovering over his eyes as he murmured, "My hair's... really boring compared to that."

Fortunately he didn't have to worry about hiding his appearance here. The last thing he wanted was anyone here trying to kill him just because of his hair and eye colour.

Well, it did not seem like Yuuri was much of a fighter, though the youth seemed visibly atheletic. Not everyone here had the means to be a physical force in a fight, and even he had his share of troubles when it came to battling. "Well, you are in luck then," he commented. "We cannot get real weapons per say here. We do with what we have... if you make your way to the Recreational Field in the northwestwest of the Institute, there is a shed. Inside are two kinds of baseball bats, aluminum and wood."

He could not help but be slightly amused over Yuuri's reaction about his hair, shaking his head. It was not often that people reacted with such enthusiasm towards him, and it was nice to be around someone so care-free... even if it was about his hair. He took a sip from his glass, but his eyes were drawn upwards when he felt fingers not his own feeling his hair. That was more than a little enthusiasm. "Ah... you would not say so if you had it. At least I do not have to worry about bed-head... since I always look like I have it."

This youth was quite amusing. He regarded Yuuri's enthusiasm as something innocent and a testament to such youth. It was a rare gift, though the kid looked like someone to regularly get into trouble for all the wrong reasons.

"Eh really? They have baseball bats?" Yuuri asked with an excited smile. Sitting back in his chair, Yuuri folded his arms over in thought as he considered the location. It was all over his head at the moment, and he was already confused with just where to get them. He was just glad that they did have baseball bats here that he could use, and would seek them out tonight. "Ahh I wonder what brands they have." He murmured wistfully. Turning his attention back on the blonde, Yuuri smiled happily as he murmured. "Thank you for your help Cloud."

Chewing on the next bite of chicken, Yuuri sat there watching Cloud quietly as he ate before swallowing. "Ahh you're probably right. I've traveled a lot where I'm from, but I've never seen anything like it." He said with a cheerful grin. Sitting there watching Cloud made him think a lot about Al, and he wondered how his heroic friend was doing back home. He hadn't seen Al since all of that trouble with Soushu and Al's stolen holy sword.

"You remind me a lot of this guy I know back home." Yuuri murmured happily.

Nodding, Cloud thought that it was simple enough to inform Yuuri about it. He just hoped that the kid's strength was not like his own, since he might have over-done it on his baseball bat. Still, his old one had never shattered into a million pieces like the one he had found her, so they were obviously low quality. "Just be careful if you actually get one. They are low quality here... I had one explode in my hands last night and it was wooden. I suspect the aluminum ones dent easily." He frowned deeply. "This place is notorious for a lack of quality for us to defend ourselves with."

Despite himself, he found the corner of his lips rising in a small smile before falling away again. "It not the most common from where I am from, but I have seen others with... spiker hair without the need for styling." Both he and Zack had similar hair types, though his to the more extreme. "You have the hair and eye colour of someone from Wutai, though I think you are from a different world entirely."

Raising an eyebrow, he hoped that was a good sign. "How do I do that? How do I resemble this person?"

"Exploding baseball bats?!" Yuuri called out loudly as his hands slammed on the table out of shock. He'd never heard of exploding baseball bats before - just what sort of sports did this world play? Settling back into his seat, the young Maou sighed as he said. "That's dangerous! Did you get any splinters in your hand because of it?" He asked with concern highlighting his voice. It should be a crime of have such poor sports equipment. Exploding wooden bats, easily dented aluminum bats, what's next? "So I guess they're not that useful huh?"

Yuuri thought that Cloud looked quite good with a smile as he caught sight of it, and he couldn't help but smile happily in response. "Ahh I know what you feel like. I'm sorry, but I've never heard of Wutai before. Is it in Japan?" The young Maou asked. He was pretty certain that he'd heard of all of the main cities and towns in his homeland, but maybe this was a small village or something. Reaching up to poke at his own hair, Yuuri laughed as he muttered. "My hair and eye colour are a rare thing when I go and visit my friends, but back home everyone has these colours."

Slipping another piece of chicken into his mouth, Yuuri cheerfully chewed on the piece of meat as he got the raised brow and question in response. "You both have the same kind of feel around you." The Maou announced after swallowing the mouthful of food, "Al's a hero who fights against evil with his holy sword." At the mention of the holy sword, Yuuri's eyes began to shine brightly with awe as he murmured. "Ahh I wish I could have a holy sword - they're so cool." Shaking his head to get his mind back on topic, Yuuri smiled happily towards Cloud. "Just sitting with you reminds me of him a lot."

Leaning back when Yuuri suddenly shouted, Cloud raised an inquiring eyebrow as to that sort of outburst. It seemed that he should have used less action type words with this one, or he would be having a very excitable kid on his hands. He also not wish for the nurses to come over to inquire what they were talking about to make Yuuri jump around so much. "It will less dangerous for me then it was for the giant barbarian that I was fighting," he said off-handedly. "I only have a few old injuries and some new bruises. We heal in this place faster than normal... but if you look around, you will see those who have been injured more severely than others. It is a hazard of going out at night."

He shrugged. "They are useful. You just have to be aware that they have a small life span, that is all. They are a good weapon to carry nonetheless."

He shook his head simply. "No, I cannot say that I am anywhere near Japan. I come from a place named Gaia," he replied. Well, Yuuri's 'Japan' did sound quite a bit like Wutai, but it could not be since their worlds would be completely different. He had come to know that there were more worlds out beyond his skies that had all manner of people and spirits.

A holy sword? He could not say he had ever wielded a holy sword before. The closest would have been Ultima Weapon which had a direct connection to the planet. "I do not much about holy swords aside from in fairytales, but I also use a sword." He paused to take another sip of his juice before adding, "mine just happens to be almost six feet tall and as wide as I am." He regarded Yuuri for a moment before waving a dismissive hand in the air. "Wielding a holy sword is only so good. I am certain you have a unique characteristic that makes you just as much a hero as this Al character would be."

"Giant barbarian?" Yuuri blinked at that, and found himself looking over the other patients in the room. Cloud was right, and there did seem to be a lot of other people in this place that were injured. He felt his heart clench inside of him at the sight, and he wondered just why all of this was happening in the first place. All of the excitement that the young Maou had previously shown disappeared in that moment, and as he turned his attention back to Cloud, his head down turned until his bangs covered his eyes. "What is the point of all of this even if people do heal faster in this place? I don't understand."

Yuuri remained silent for only a moment longer as Cloud spoke of where he'd come from. Glancing back up, the saddened air around the young Maou disappeared as he blinked in surprise. "Gaia? What's it like there?" Yuuri asked as his smile returned. "Woah that sounds like a nice place."

He felt more like himself as the conversation continued - although it seemed as though Cloud had never wielded a holy sword either. Yuuri doubted they were a common thing, but to even wield any sword was always amazing in his eyes. Yuuri paused, however, when his mind caught up with the conversation about just what type of sword Cloud used. "EEeeeeh?! Six feet?!" He exclaimed loudly. Looking down to Cloud's arm muscles and back, the young Maou blinked a few more times in surprise before grinning widely. "That's so awesome. You must be really strong to be able to use it? How do you balance with such a sword? I have enough troubles trying to wield Morgif."

Glancing up as Cloud waved a dismissive hand, Yuuri tilted his head to one side as he listened. "Me? A hero? Aaaah that would be a nice thought," He said with a contented smile after a moment. "I'm afraid I could never be a hero like he is, but I'm happy with my decision."

"He was not the nicest to face off against," Cloud murmured in a low voice. He had a few new bruises that he cared not to speak over, not to mention the loss of his baseball bat. He watched Yuuri look around the room and frowned at the sad look that the dark-haired youth. It seemed unlikely that they would find out any time soon why this was all happening. "Because someone here has power, and they choose to abuse their power by dragging so many people here out of their worlds to be killed and experimented on."

He thought for a moment about how to best describe his Gaia and shrugged a little. "It is a place where the essence of the planet has been harvested for energy once. We have put a stop to that now, but... it is a cross between rural areas and high-technology. There are different cultures there, and they do not tend to war all that much... not as much as other places that I have heard of." He was not sure how to describe the place where he came from. "It is a nice place really."

Slowly and subtly, his lips quirked upwards at Yuuri's reaction to his sword size. Everyone where he was from idolized those kinds of swords, but there was the chance that anyone could wield one. It was their weight that was the most difficult to keep balanced. "Ah... I have been told that I am pretty strong. It only weighs about a hundred pounds, so not too bad." He had lifted heavier objects before, like Fenrir. "One just has to be trained to keep their weight under the sword or have the arm strength to toss that weight around." He rested his cheek against his elbow. "I cannot say that I stay on the ground all that much when I have to use it."

He again waved his other hand in the air. "Maybe not a hero with a sword, but there are many types of heroes in all the worlds. Sometimes, being a hero is simply standing up for what is right and standing by your beliefs." His eyes went up and down Yuuri. "You seem like you have it in you to be a hero like that, if you are not already."

"Where's the justice in that?" Yuuri's eyes narrowed determinedly at his words after Cloud spoke. Clenching his hands into fists at his sides, the young Maou's head ducked down a second time. He had seen it many times in Shin Makoku, and had even looked within himself and the power that he held. "People who have power should be looking out for those weaker than them. It's just not right regardless of how much power you wield."

Glancing up at Cloud when he spoke of Gaia, Yuuri smiled softly as he listened to the blonde's explanation. He didn't understand much about the 'life-essence' Cloud spoke of, but felt as though he knew what the blonde was talking about. He had felt as much throughout Shin Makoku. "Sounds like an interesting place." The Maou said with a large smile. He never thought much outside of Japan before heading over to Shin Makoku for the first time, and now he'd come to see Shin Makoku as his home. To know that there are other worlds and dimensions out there excited the young Maou.

Laughing at Cloud's last comment about 'staying on the ground', Yuuri shook his head and grinned towards the blonde. "I have enough trouble keeping my feet on the ground with the sword I use. I can hardly imagine how much work it would be to carry around one of those. I think that even Conrad would have trouble handling a sword that large." He said with a chuckle. Yuuri couldn't help but grin at the image of Conrad wielding a sword that large, and his amusement only grew when he tried to imagine Wolfram. He'd have no doubt that sight would be amusing to see.

Yuuri sat there with a bewildered look on his face as Cloud began talking about what it was to be a hero. Nodding his head to Cloud's advice, the young Maou smiled. "Thank you Cloud," He murmured. "I doubt it everyone believes in what I do, and sometimes I wonder whether it's right or not myself, but I can only try to do what's right and believe in those around me to stop me if I do anything stupid."

"There is no justice in it," Cloud replied simply, passing the subject off completely. If there were any real justice in this place, they would not all be stuck here fighting for their lives. It was because there was no sense of justice - that he could see anyway - that this place ran the way that it did. It felt like his days under Hojo's experimentation. "I agree, but they may think that they are doing that. Their logic on this matter has never been openly spoken."

Nodding, he found that statement understandable. It took practice to be able to wield a normal sized blade, but his was not normal sized. He dared not mention that his current blade was comprised of six that fit together by locks and mechanisms to make a very large sword. He missed the First Tsuragi. "Conrad is a friend of yours? A swordsman?"

He shrugged his shoulders and went back to picking at the remainder of his meal. "Sometimes, all it takes is for one person to believe in something. A goal can be reached so long as there is at least one person to fight for it." That was what he had come to believe after fighting for the planet for so long.

What they were doing here was wrong regardless of the doctors reasons behind doing this to them. Shaking his head when Cloud spoke of their logic, he looked at the blonde with seriousness in his black gaze. "It doesn't matter. That doesn't change the fact that what they're doing is wrong, and I won't just sit by and watch them continue with this."

Glancing down at Cloud when Conrad was mentioned, the seriousness within his gaze dulled, but otherwise remained as he murmured. "He's both. He's known as the best swordsman in Shin Makoku, and he's saved my life many times." His demeanour shifted subtly at the though as a soft smile spread across his lips. He was glad that none of the others he knew was stuck in this situation and that they were safe back home.

Pushing himself up to stand, Yuuri glanced around to find a nurse. "I need to put a stop to this before anyone else gets hurt."

It was just an inkling that Yuuri might be planning to get himself into trouble, if that look in the youth's eyes said anything about it. He had perhaps gone a little too far in his attempt to explain the logic that he knew nothing about, but seemed like such a waste to get Yuuri in trouble when the kid was only trying to figure things out. It was much too early in the game for the dark-haired youth to get messed up already.

He climbed to his feet when Yuuri did, and he was pretty sure he knew what the boy was up to. In a flash, his right hand shot across the table and seized the dark-haired youth's shirt collar. He jerked Yuuri so that they were practically face-to-face. "Do not be rash. Choose your battles wisely in this place... a sense of honour and a need to stop suffering is only going to get you killed in the Institute."

He did not give Yuuri a chance to reply right away as he hauled the youth over the table to his side before plunking the kid down on the floor. He seated himself and pointed at the chair next to him, shoving the remainder of Yuuri's food in that spot on the table. "Sit down and do not do anything foolish. You do not wish to be sedated... I will not let you."

Yuuri barely had time to react to Cloud rising up next to him when he found a hand grabbing at his shirt collar. "Cloud, let g--" The young Maou called out as his eyes widened in surprise. He needed to put a stop to this injustice! Blinking up into those softly blue eyes as their faces were brought up close to each other, Yuuri opened his mouth to ask Cloud to release him before closing it again as he spoke about not being rash. He wasn't being rash - he was never rash.

There wasn't enough time for Yuuri to say anything against Cloud's warning before he found himself being pulled right over the table. Losing his balance as he was placed back on the ground, Yuuri stumbled down to the ground before glancing up to Cloud with a shocked expression.

"Cloud," The sound came out soft as Yuuri spoke the blonde's name. Although they'd only been speaking for a few short minutes, Yuuri almost couldn't believe his eyes as he saw the swift change in Cloud's demeanour. Watching in stunned silence as Cloud sat in his seat and pointed to the one next to him. Glancing between the blonde and the seat, Yuuri found himself shaking his head as he stood up and firmed his resolve.

"And you just want me to sit by and do nothing while they treat everyone like this?!" Yuuri demanded. "What if someone else gets injured or dies because I just sat by and did nothing? I won't sit by and do that when I try and stop this."

Watching Yuuri out of the corner of his eye, Cloud waited for the young man to get up and do as was appropriate in a place like this. The kid was so much like Denzel when determined that it was shocking, and it made him ache for his young adopted charge again. He could not place those feelings on Yuuri though, but the dark-haired needed to know the value of waiting until the opportune moment as well. Hot-headed actions would only get them all into trouble.

He turned his head when Yuuri finally rose, and he could tell immediately that the dark-haired youth was going to try to fight him on this. Slowly, he rose to his feet as Yuuri's words washed over him, and though their heights were almost identical, he still managed to look down at the younger male. "Yes, I do want you to sit down and do nothing," he confirmed softly.

Grasping a chicken tender from Yuuri's discarded plate, he stuffed the food into the younger male's mouth and raised an eyebrow. "Listen very closely... everyone here has the ability to protect themselves. You are not about to play hero now, Yuuri. Do not do this, not now... not here. You do not know what you are dealing with."

He stared down at the youth before glancing over towards the nurses and orderlies moving around the outskirts. So much like Denzel... "Do you wish to see, Yuuri? Do you want to see what happens to those that step outside the rules here during the day? Night is our time, but day... we much play their game."

Yuuri stood his ground when Cloud stood up to face him. He ignored the fact that Cloud was so much stronger than him, and the fact that he was being looked down on. He kept himself firm in his resolve as his question was finally confirmed. "I can't do tha--" Yuuri's words were cut off as he suddenly found his mouth being occupied with one of the chicken tenders from his plate.

Spluttering while he tried to get his mouth around the piece, Yuuri was too busy trying to chew the piece of chicken to retort back to Cloud's words. He could understand where Cloud was coming from, but he felt like something just had to be done. What was the point of coming here if he was just going to sit back and do nothing? It was just something he couldn't do.

Swallowing the piece of chicken, the young Maou shook his head at Cloud asked him if he wanted to see. He didn't miss how Cloud looked over towards the nurses and orderlies, and even despite him being oblivious at times, Yuuri could instantly tell what the other was thinking. Reaching out, Yuuri grabbed Cloud's wrist as he stared seriously up at the blonde.

"I won't allow others to sacrifice themselves because of my own actions." He said with firm resolve. Glancing over to where the nurses and orderlies were looking in their direction, Yuuri's entire demeanour lost its determination as he finally sighed. Perhaps now really wasn't the time, but that didn't mean he'd simply sit by and do nothing if he saw an unjust act occurring. Looking back towards Cloud, Yuuri released his wrist as he smiled towards Cloud.

"It seems like I've caused you trouble," Clasping his hands in front of him, Yuuri bowed his head between his ams as he murmured, "I'm sorry."

It seemed foolish for someone like Yuuri to be running off in an attempt to solve the injustness of this place, especially when the kid was new at this. The Institute during the day was not the time for heroics unfortunately and wiser men and women knew when the pick their battles. Making demands that the nurses felt they had no right to do would only make life more difficult for the dark-haired man.

He knew that it would be simple to break Yuuri's hold on his wrist, but it seemed like he had gotten his point across. He could feel the nurses' eyes on them, and he was certain that they were pondering on if he and Yuuri would break out into a fight. He had no plans to harm the younger male.

Shaking his head, he gestured to their seats again. "Just remember that there may come a time where there will not be someone to sacrifice themselves because of your actions. You had best to choose your battles very carefully here... all the powers you once had and think you had may be stolen from you or reduced to such a level that it may shock you." He waited for Yuuri to sit. "No need to be sorry... I was just making you see reason."

Looking over to the gestured seats, Yuuri didn't hesitate in taking the offer this time. Moving around to take the seat beside Cloud, Yuuri sat down without a word as he listened to the other man's words. He half smiled at the advice given to him, before he gave a small nod. "Ah, yeah." Yuuri murmured as he was reminded of Gwendal and the others. They were often there to stop his more brash ideas, and it seemed as though he was about to bite off more than he could chew before.

Glancing up at Cloud after the other had finished, Yuuri smiled brilliantly at the blonde. "Thank you Cloud." Turning his attention back down to his food, the young Maou continued to smile as he decided to go back to his lunch.

"I want to save everyone." He murmured after a short moment, and after ignoring the remaining chicken tenders on his plate, Yuuri once again turned to face Cloud. "It might not be either of my worlds, and the people not from them, but I won't sit around forever and let everyone else remain suffering here just to protect myself."

He would have been worried if Yuuri had refused to sit, but it seemed like any upset had been averted. He seated himself down next to the dark-haired youth, but he simply pushed the rest of his meal away and leaned his elbows on the table instead. He hoped that the youth would think about actions pretaining to attacking or going out of the way with the nurses. He doubted that they took well to a stern talking to.

"Ah," he said to Yuuri's appreciative words. The kid was bound to be a handful if no one deterred such views of idealism in places where reasoning was impossible. One had to know the enemy before it could be combated.

Raising a blond eyebrow at Yuuri, he frowned a little at such words. He supposed that everyone needed to have a goal, and he was certain that the youth had something beyond words to back up that wish. "If you fight for that goal, it will someday come true," he murmured. He had once had such thoughts himself. "Just remember that should something happen to you, people would be sad."

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Day 34: Lunch

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