damned_institute | Day 35: Twin Pines Restaurant

Artemis laughed, internally relieved that Badou hadn't looked at him like he was some sort of monster. The man didn't seem the type, but telling people what his true nature was always constituted some shaky nerves.

"I think that is quite a ways off, but you have a point. Still, I think you'll find the longer you stay here, the more you become a part of the building itself--unable to move."

Artemis ran his finger around the rim of his glass, eyebrows furrowed in thought. Yes, if he were given the option to leave now, he wouldn't be able to. Not when he had Haku and the Captain and Renji and Sora and everyone else to worry about. How had this happened? In the span of eleven days? Unheard of.

"For some of us, who have created ties stronger than those that hold us here, leaving will be the ultimate test. This experience will scar us all, possibly for life. Unless one is able to leave as soon as one arrives.

"Strangely enough," Artemis moved his water glass more to the right. "Because of this inability to leave comfortably, I would give up a 'comfy' seat at the top of some company for what has happened here. Despite the fact that this is sheer and utter hell in the most poetically ironic and mortally fatal forms. Do you find that strange?"

He'd never really thought of that. He'd only been here a few days, and he liked Alkaid well enough, but he didn't really have a problem with going back to his own...world. He'd miss the food, maybe.

So what happened if he got stuck here for a few weeks? Haine would probably kick him in the face whenever he got back. Maybe he wouldn't even last that long and just die for nicotene withdrawl.

Man, his attention span was too short for all of this poetic stuff Artemis was going on about. "It's called 'making friends'. That can happen anywhere." He rested his arms on the table, slouching again. His eye drifed down to the scar running through the back of his hand. "Just like leaving people. Being forced to if you want to get out. Whatever. The point is it's not something special about this place.

"You're making a big deal when this isn't even close to hell."

Artemis smiled, "Yes, you're right. This isn't hell, it's New Jersey. My mistake."

Cracking jokes. Another thing this place had done to him. But it wasn't anything he'd give up, just as he wouldn't give up his memories of meeting those he cared about. That still wasn't going to make leaving them any easier. Except Haku. He wouldn't leave Haku behind to die again. Never.

The waitress came back with their food and set each man's meal in front of him. She smiled and bustled away. Artemis picked up his fork and took a tentative taste. It wasn't up to par with Rome, of course, but what had he expected?

"It's good," he commented. Artemis didn't want to think about leaving anymore.

Ok, so that joke was as old and dry as time. Badou still grinned a little.

He leaned back a bit when the food came so his arms weren't taking up half the table. "Didn't think I'd ever hear that from you." Badou commented, cutting into his fried steak. It was actually pretty good given that it was fried steak.

"Lowering your standards for free food?"

Artemis shrugged, "Perhaps I was too harsh. It is, after all, a free lunch. And not a bad free lunch at that."

The boy watched Badou cut into his steak. He suddenly felt ill. Just a little. He shook his head slightly, trying to remove the feeling.

"I suppose one shouldn't have any expectations when free food is in play."

"Depends on who's offering the food."

Seeing as how the first piece hadn't poisoned him or anything, he cut off a bigger one this time. Artemis didn't look like he could stand to watch. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't make The Face." He paused, his question sounding a little weary. "Are you ok?"

The boy shook his head again as though to clear it. "Yes, I'm fine. I just... felt ill for a moment. Excuse me."

Artemis took a sip of water, which seemed to help. His mind began working. He was disgusted by meat suddenly--why? He'd had no reason to before. Perhaps he was having some sort of psychological break.

The boy took another bite of salad, testing his stomach. Fine. He wasn't ill. Just... having an allergic reaction to meat. Wonderful.

"So, what do you do back where you come from, Badou?" Change the subject, talk about something else, don't look at his plate.

Being the nice guy that he was deep down, Badou made an effort to chew with his mouth closed. Most of the time. He wanted to finish his steak without the contents of Artemis' stomach drizzled over it.

"I'm a Private Investigator." Plus occasional intermediary, whipping boy, hitman, and grocery store clerk. "Mostly."

Artemis grinned, "Mostly. I find that the part that excludes 'mostly' is often the most interesting part. Such as, 'I am a fourteen year old, mostly'.

"But a private investigator. That must be an interesting job," Artemis took another sip of water. "Do you deal in unfaithful spouses, or mafia rings?" he joked.

Well, he had a point.

"Both." Badou replied, grinning. It was damn uncanny that he managed to bag it in one go. "Preferably not at the same time. Ever again."

Artemis' eyebrows raised, and he burst out laughing. "Well, I haven't been this on top of things since ten days ago!" he chuckled, marveling at his haphazard guess.

"At the same time... I could barely handle the Russian mafiya, but an unfaithful spouse would have been far too much."

Considering that the unfaithful spouse, in that situation, would have been his father.

Badou's eyebrows shot up. "Is there anything you haven't done yet? I don't remember the part of the story about the Russian mafia."

If that was the case, his first guess about Artemis might be right too.

Artemis chuckled, "It was a long time ago. Nearly two years ago, actually. The mafiya was holding my father for ransom, so I took him back."

It hadn't been the smoothest of operations, to be certain, but in the end his father had returned home safely--and a changed man at that. Artemis was beginning to see how near-death experiences had an effect on a man.

"And I'm sure there's something I haven't done. Like taking over a small country."

Badou could hear Artemis' voice in his head. 'It's no big deal. I was twelve back then.'

He remembered his steak and cut of more of it, reminding himself to eat between snatches of conversation. "It's because you've already taken over a large one, right? When I was thirteen my biggest accomplishment was learning how to knit - and if you laugh I swear I'll choke you with this fork."

"Knitting?" Artemis leaned forward a bit. "That's intriguing. Why did you learn to knit?

"Oh," Artemis blinked. "And I haven't taken over a large country either, but it is on the list," he joked. "Now, why did you learn to knit? I haven't figured it out myself."

Badou had to laugh at that one. "Figures." Of course, the mysteries of knitting were the one thing that still baffled Artemis. At least he wasn't being laughed at. Maybe the world wasn't full of assholes, and it was just Haine. And Naoto. And everyone he associated with on a regular basis.

Or maybe Artemis had enough self-preservation instinct to avoid risking death-by-fork.

"I was raised by a delinquent." Badou replied flatly. "I figured I should pick up anything that might be useful. Knitting was slow and boring as hell, but he bet me I couldn't learn how to do it and I was a stupid kid."

Artemis nodded, "We do amazing things when people tell us we can't. When people don't expect great things from us, we deliver. I can empathize with you on this point."

That was one of the better things about being his age. People didn't expect what he could deliver. Though the fairy world was beginning to catch on. Humans were really dumb, weren't they?

"And those who believe that they have no potential, that they are worth nothing, end up being worthless in the end."

"I was just clinging to someone's bootlaces. You don't seem like the type to empathize with that."

He was starting to understand Artemis, or at least that part of him. Being constantly underestimated meant he could and would prove everyone wrong as long as it was within his power. No wonder talking to him in the beginning felt like picking a fight.

His steak finished, he finally took a sip of the water to help it down.

"It doesn't sound that way to me," Artemis said with a chuckle. "It sounds to me like you learned something from the experience, and that is invaluable, in my opinion. Plus, you showed this delinquent-person that you weren't going to take his insults lying down. On the contrary, I like you better for it."

"Huh. I guess it came in handy after all. That's about the only thing it's ever accomplished for me, minus one really ugly scarf."

Artemis might think it was all of that, but that wasn't the way he saw it at all. He'd learned his lessons a little too late, roughly at knife point, and he was still the kind of person who lived too much in the past. The most he'd accomplished was playing into a prank and not falling for the same one twice.

The boy chuckled again, "And we all need at least one really ugly scarf, I suppose.

"And also, surprisingly enough, these," Artemis handed over the transcripts he'd copied--all of them. "It seems these are in higher demand as of late. Any idea why?"

Badou took the transcripts from Artemis. He flipped the journal open to paw through the contents, but he gave the boy's question a half-shrug. "The guys on top are trying to outmaneuver eachother." He replied absently. "I don't know how long that's been going on, but it seems like a good reason to start paying attention."

When he looked up again, it was to give Artemis a skeptical look. "You're handing me all of them just like that?"

"Yes," Artemis confirmed. "I know I said half before, but I don't want to seem too shrewd all at once." The boy smiled.

"Besides, if I felt you would not uphold your end of the deal or just weren't interested in me at all, then yes, I would have withheld half."

This was a risk that Artemis had only done once before, with Near. And even then, he couldn't withhold portions of transcripts as Near gave Artemis his impressions. It would take forever, and soon there wouldn't be anything left to give. No, rapport had to be established, and what better way than being generous and showing some intellectual value?

Badou grinned, tapping the book against his shoulder. Under normal circumstances, this was the part where he ran for the hills (then across some rooftops, down an alley and past the dumpster if he was lucky) because he couldn't, or didn't want to, pay the information fee. He was such a trustworthy guy.

"Right. I'll grab your stuff tomorrow night." And if that corridor was guarded by anything larger than a Dorito, Artemis was screwed.

The waitress chose that moment to reappear and collect the plates. Badou passed her the free meal coupon. It was about time they got going anyway. He still wanted to try bumming a cigarette off some kind and generous soul.

The boy smiled up at the waitress as well and handed her the coupon. It did feel nice to not have to pay for the meal, at least. And yet another connection had been made.

"Excellent," Artemis said. "Please be careful. I hear that the room can be heavily guarded. You should go with another person. Afterwards, perhaps we could meet for breakfast and discuss when I can come to pick it up?"

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