damned_institute | Day 35: Bus 1

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Day 35: Bus 1

Sanji woke up groggily to find his nurse already in his room. He gave a sleepy and half-hearted "Buh?" before realizing that nurse meant dayshift, and he'd fallen asleep after dinner.

"Shit!" He sat up abruptly, which gave his nurse a start. "Nami-swan!" How had he allowed himself to sleep through an entire night? What if she'd tried to return to the basement? What if she'd been waiting for him to appear and protect her? He'd let her down!

"There, there. Calm down." His nurse set a familiar flannel shirt down on the bed and Sanji eyed it with confusion. The last time he'd worn that had been... "Sorry I didn't knock or anything, but I was so excited~!" A pair of jeans followed the shirt. "Today is the field trip into town! Aren't you looking forward to it?"

The chef had to admit, the town had been an interesting enough place the last time he'd been. If he could find Nami early on he might even be able to lead her around... So he didn't complain too much as he changed into the other outfit (which he really wished they'd let him keep - anything was better than the regular gray) and was led out to the first of the buses.

He took a seat near the front, hopefully easily visible to any of his crew - especially to a certain member of his crew.

[for Usopp!]

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Well, this wasn't so bad, was it?

Brooklyn fingered the edge of the, admittedly worn, jacket he was given for the day. It was kinda biker-ish. He could get used to it. The jeans weren't bad either. He'd always found the material used for jeans rather interesting. After the last time he'd spent the afternoon outside, his nurse had been kind enough to get him a pair of sunglasses. This meant that overall he looked like he'd just walked out of an early nineties afternoon special, but in his mind he came across pretty cool.

Breakfast was lacking in quantity, but he could always go for fresh fruit. So, all things considered, he was fairly content for the moment. He could almost forget that he was being held in a crazy, monster-filled insane asylum against his will. Almost.

Jiraiya woke up in his bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondered what the hell had just happened. One second he was dropping Sasuke (quite deservingly) and the next second... Jiraiya sat up quickly, pulling up his shirt to reveal that his injury had been bandaged. The hell...?

And the next thing he knew, his nurse came, and he was sent out in.. In a raggy red trench coat and gray sweatpants. And then he was led up onto this mechanical thing, and he found himself sitting next to another white-haired man.

Then, they started moving. Jiraiya actually let out a shout, staring out various windows as he turned his head to watch the scenery start going by. This wasn't anything he had ever experienced in his travels of the world. It took him a long moment to realize that they might be on something he had only heard about, briefly. An automobile. He thought it was just rumors, to have a thing with an engine that wasn't on tracks, or that wasn't construction equipment. Something made to move people. It made sense, considering this thing was on wheels, was metal, and was now moving.

And then, he schooled his expression, and turned quite calmly to his new companion. "... Excuse me, but are we on an 'automobile'?"

((XD; Kishimoto said that he might include aircraft and automobiles in his story, but since we haven't actually SEEN any yet, I'm going to assume that they're only starting to get used in a foreign country. I know they have 8-bit computers, though.

Sorry for the edits! Forgot that they have construction equipment in Naruto...))

"A bus," Brooklyn corrected. "But that's a kind of automobile. Yeah." Not that he'd been in many himself, being a gargoyle and all, but he'd at least seen enough of them around New York to be able to distinguish between various types. (He still preferred the motorcycle to anything.) "Never been in one before?"

It was a silly question to ask, as the answer was already obvious. He was used to most humans taking vehicles like this for granted, but here in the Institute you never knew what someone might have been before they arrived, or when and where they'd come from.

"This one doesn't have seat belts, so the ride might be a little bumpy," the gargoyle added as though he knew what he was talking about.

"No, I haven't," Jiraiya stated, answering the obvious question and looking around the vehicle some more. "I've heard about them, and I've seen construction equipment, trains, and boats, but not a... bus."

He glanced back at his companion quizzically. "I've never heard of seat belts before." Some sort of belt that had to do with seats?

Well that was interesting, to have heard of some vehicles but not others. The gargoyle tried to mimic the motion of fastening a seat belt in order to better get his point across. "It's, uh... like a strap. With a buckle. They're attached to the seats so if the vehicle gets in an accident or something you don't go flying through the window."

Tapping the glass next to him, Brooklyn smirked slightly. "I guess it's not so much of a problem here. I don't think I'd even fit through this one."

He pulled out his apple slices, giving the paper bag a little shake afterwards. "If you're not feeling well I guess you can always use these.

Jiraiya made an appreciative noise at the explanation. "Makes sense. Flying people can kill others if they collide correctly, as well as die themselves once they hit an obstacle." He grinned slightly. "I don't think either of us have to worry about flying through windows."

He shook his head, taking out his apple slices as well and began to eat. "I've got a stronger stomach than that. I'll be fine. ... and I'll need my strength for later, anyways."

Jiraiya then smiled. "... by the way, I'm Jiraiya."

"Oh! Brooklyn," the gargoyle introduced himself in return. He extended an arm as humans and gargoyles both tended to do when greeting one another. "Good to meet you."

Jiraiya was an interesting name. He couldn't exactly place it like he had a couple of the others, so he wasn't going to make a guess and possibly embarrass himself.

Jiraiya took his hand and shook it. His grip was firm but not over the top. He thought Brooklyn's name was just as interesting, as he never heard a name quite like it, but he didn't decide to ask about it, either.

"So have you been here for long?" Jiraiya asked, watching the scenery go by some more--he wanted to know the way back and forth between the Institute and the town, just in case. "I want to learn more about this place, but don't have many sources of information, yet."

Brooklyn was used to the gargoyle method of greeting - grabbing the other's wrist. There was less shaking involved, and he'd forgotten how humans only grasped the hand. He went with it, smiling back at the man.

"I've only been here a few days," he sighed. That was more than enough for anyone in this place, but he knew others had been around for much longer. "I suppose I can share what I know, but I'm not sure you haven't already heard anything I'd have to say." He'd been successful in some areas, but unsuccessful in others. Not to mention he hadn't even tried any viable escape plans.

"I haven't heard much myself," Jiraiya stated with a shrug. "I'm still fairly new here. I arrived yesterday."

Jiraiya didn't hesitate in giving out that sort of information, knowing that letting people feel they had some sort of power over you allowed their tongues to be user. But Brooklyn didn't seem to be of that sort. He seemed rather friendly, actually. They even had similar hair.

"I'm mostly interested in the monsters at night and information about the various things that happen during the daytime. If they consider this place to be an 'Institute' of sorts, then they must have doctors who do something with the patients during the day..." Jiraiya glanced outside for a moment, then glanced back at Brooklyn again. "Do you know if they're giving the patients any medications?"

"I've seen some of the doctors' offices, and I've heard of patients that had them, so I know they're here." Brooklyn looked thoughtful. Some of the offices had their oddities, but most didn't look all that abnormal. Still... Eyeballs in jars wasn't something anyone was about to forget.

As far as medications went... "I've only known of one patient who was put on medication while here, but I haven't spoken with everyone." And even then, it was just the sedatives that had put him out of commission that night as far as he knew. "Though I think they prescribe normal pain meds for headaches and injuries. Why?"

"If they consider everyone clinically insane," Jiraiya stated, crossing his arms in thought. "Then I thought they'd be forcing us to take something. That'd at least explain why we can't use our powers, here. ... Nightshift ended so suddenly, and then I awoke in my room. It'd be the perfect time to give us medication to keep our energies subdued. After all, they bandage us then."

He was surprised that they didn't have them on more medication than just that, if that's what they were using. Although his chakra wasn't available to him, he still had the full use of his mind, and there were others who still had access to their abilities.

"... It'd be much easier to keep us captive if they kept us drugged enough to addle our minds," Jiraiya stated, frowning a bit as he considered it. "... The fact that they haven't, and the fact that they send monsters after us every night, means that they have ulterior motives, and that fits in with the experimentation they do on patients. They're probably observing us, too, which would explain all the nurses. ... I'm just not sure why, yet, but it can't be good."

In fact, they were possibly listening in right now. Jiraiya knew there were many types of recording devices... But they were also in a bus full of people, which would make it hard to overhear any one conversation.

Brooklyn shrugged. There was a lot he probably wasn't taking into consideration, but sometimes the answer was simpler than people tried to make it out to be. He didn't know if this was one of those situations, but... "I think there's something more supernatural at play here. Some of these patients weren't even human originally. If you have the power to change someone's whole form, why bother with drugs?"

And when it came to reasoning, well... He'd known plenty of villains who got joy simply from toying with their victims.

"... Really?" Jiraiya sounded surprised by that, then tilted his head as he thought. "Now... there's a technique in my world called Henge that allows people to change their shape, but it's, for the most part, self-only. And you have to concentrate on it or the technique will dispel."

He leaned back, sighing. "As for our abilities... If they don't have some sort of all-powerful technique or artifact that suppresses energy, then it'd be easier to use some sort of medicine or potion. I've been under the effect of one before. It's simply easier to mix a medicine into the food--everyone has to eat--than to expel that much energy to keep everyone."

Jiraiya frowned for a moment. "Although, judging by what I've learned so far, they might indeed have that much energy at their disposal."

[[Sorry this is a little late! I've been extremely busy with homework until now...]]

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Day 35: Bus 1

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