damned_institute | Day 36: Intercom, Evening

The intercom's jingle rang out and the somewhat uninhibited movement that was going on between the main activity rooms halted as the Head Doctor made one of his usual announcements.

"Good evening everyone, and I'm very pleased to see so many of you in such high spirits after meeting with your loved ones! However, like with all good things, it can't last forever, so I ask now for nurses to escort our patients in the waiting rooms and in the main areas back to their rooms, where they will be treated with a special Sunday... steak! That's right: today, we'll be serving juicy, delicious steak with fries and cooked vegetables on the side – simple enough for everyone to like and good enough for everyone to thoroughly enjoy! (Our patients with specialized diets will receive their alternate meals, of course.) Our usual beverages are available, and for dessert, we'll be serving warm slices of apple pie.

"After all, patients, t's always wonderful to see all of you cooperating with the staff even when given so much freedom, so I'd like to personally thank and congratulate all of you for helping us, your family, and more importantly, yourselves. Hopefully, we can help you to a speedy recovery so that you can see your loved ones more often, but first... dinner! I hope to speak with you all again soon."

The intercom clicked off.

[ All room threads go in response to this post; please post your character's room number as the subject line of the initial post. Thank you!

On an added note, just wanted to clarify to players of characters who are canonly vegetarians and the like that you get to decide (within reasonable and realistic limits) what kind of diet your character gets from the staff. :3 ]

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Soubi nodded. He was beginning to feel a little unwell. He had to save some energy for Ritsuka, even if the boy just wanted him to rest tonight. Until that boy was safe in this room, Soubi was going to keep himself awake. He'd heard Ritsuka even when the Beloved name was taken and even as he lay bleeding on that slab with a new one. There was still a bond.... Soubi repeated that to himself in his head a few times. There was still a bond.

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Demyx again, forcing a smile. Show him...? Oh! Of course. Hmmm. "I'd have to ask Ritsuka's permission," he said.

Soubi leaned over to the side, beside Demyx. Reaching under his pillow, he pulled free a cigarette and the book of matches. He was running so low, but it'd be worth sharing this once. If he could get Demyx to smoke it for him....oh just to smell the nicotine right now. If all else failed, he was smoking it himself, even if his neck split open from coughing and his head hung off his shoulders. Of course...there was a risk Demyx would become addicted and steal Soubi's smokes, in which case they would enemies.

"Care to start?" he asked. No point worrying about a life you didn't have, right?

Soubi wasn't liked by a lot of people, but before he went to Ritsuka he had only been openly hated by a select few. He supposed it must be quite awful to have the world against you. And understandable that you might cling to the few people who'd put up with you. "Hm," was about all he could say. It still didn't excuse the friendliness. Usually people were easily put off Soubi. Perhaps it just took a lot of pain to make Soubi human.

"Oh." Demyx tried not to show his disappointment too obviously, but it was hard to simultaneously feign an emotion without making it obvious. (And he couldn't just not act disappointed, which would've been the obvious solution; he lived in a constant state of unease that if he stopped reminding himself what emotions felt like and in what situations they were appropriate, he'd forget entirely.) He wasn't sure how likely it was that Ritsuka would grant permission. All the more reason to meet this guy, if his sitar was riding on him.

He watched curiously as Soubi fetched what turned out to be a pack of cigarettes. "How'd you get those past the nurses?" he asked, genuinely intrigued. Hell, where had they come from to begin with? Hiding them would be the easy part.

At the offer to actually take one, he hesitated. A part of him that remembered his old life, his old self, was appalled by the idea - lung cancer came prominently to mind and refused to go away. But a larger part of him - namely, the part that always wanted to please people and make friends, which was naturally larger since that had been part of both his old personality and continued to be part of his personality as a Nobody - didn't want to turn down a gesture of friendship from Soubi, not so soon after they'd become friends in the first place. Especially not from Soubi, who didn't seem as though he made friends every day. "I guess...?" he said finally, pushing aside his unease. "Thanks."

Soubi really didn't know what Ritsuka would think of the request. He'd probably be angry that Soubi asked, but...perhaps glad that Soubi was helping other people?

"They don't know," he smiled. Sadly there was a little of his old troublesome self in that smile. It was lopsided and lazy. "I got them from Patient Possessions..."

Soubi continued to smile as Demyx accepted the offer. He pulled one out the pack and held it up to Demyx, striking a match once it was taken. Ooh he could already taste it. The smell of the match burning sent a shiver down his spine. He'd needed this all day.

Oh, good. Demyx relaxed. If Soubi had gotten them from Patient Possessions, that meant that he definitely knew the way to where his sitar was. He supposed even if Ritsuka forbid his roommate from taking him there, he could always just get directions to follow on his own...even if he was still rather wary of venturing out alone at night.

Recalling various after-school specials from his old life, Demyx's first inhalation on the cigarette was cautious rather than overenthusiastic, and as such he only coughed a bit at the unfamiliar sensation of smoke filling his lungs. He almost asked why Soubi wasn't having one before realizing it might not be a good idea, what with his injuries and drugs in his system besides.

Soubi leaned closer and breathed in deeply through his nose, a look of bliss trying to cross his tired face. So much better. He began to sway, barely able to hold himself up as he leaned closer still, eyes closed.

Demyx's eyes widened when Soubi swayed. "Hey, you alright?" he inquired worriedly. He didn't quite pick up on the man's proximity to him having anything to do with a cigarette yet; for all he knew, it was just another symptom of his roommate's balance being out of whack.

Soubi smiled, eyes still closed, and nodded. Leaning back, he rested his head on the bed and inhaled again. oh to relive that first ever smoke...

"How is it?" he asked.

Demyx looked down at the cigarette for a moment, then back up at Soubi. While he wasn't as brilliant as the other Nobodies - most of whom, after all, were scientists after some fashion, or who'd been incredibly dedicated men in life, which he'd always felt had sort of made him seem stupid by circumstance - he was still observant enough to put two and two together. (That, and he was quite familiar with the concept of being used by other people to get what they wanted; he was only a plaque and a corner office away from being the Organization's official patsy.)

Someday, maybe, he'd have a heart, and it might hurt to think that his newest friend hadn't actually offered him a cigarette out of any sort of charity. But for the moment...he was still eager to please, and Soubi looked happy. So he shifted slightly closer, aiming the smoke more in his roommate's direction.

"It's great," he replied, with fairly convincing enthusiasm. It might dampen Soubi's pleasure somewhat to hear a blunt observation of 'smoky'.

Soubi's smile grew and he nodded, looking at Demyx. He was already thinking of hiding places for the rest of them, but he was glad his new friend was enjoying it for now. Because Soubi certainly was.

He blinked hard and reminded himself to try and stay away.

"If I fall asleep...please wake me."

Day 36: Intercom, Evening

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