Day 37: Breakfast

[scarletspeedstr.livejournal.com]

[for Sylar, I believe]

At the sound of the intercom, Wally jerked awake and blinked around at the room. He’d fallen asleep. He should have been up and keeping an eye open for ZEX, but he’d fallen asleep waiting on his bed.

“Idiot,” he groaned, ruffling his hair and sighing in annoyance. “Way to help a guy out, hotshot.” Hopefully ZEX hadn’t dropped by and thought he’d left or something, or wouldn’t be too mad at him for just forgetting about it like that. If he was lucky, he’d be able to catch up with the other patient at some point and explain what had happened.

Rolling himself a little awkwardly out of the bed, Wally took the opportunity to stretch his injured leg and test how well it was holding up. It was feeling a bit better, not so much that he could abandon his crutch or that it didn’t pull painfully if he wasn’t careful, but better. Tony had apparently made it through the night in one piece as well, which was a relief. He really didn’t feel comfortable about the thought of his roommate wandering about on his own with an injured arm. Not when Wally himself could relax and fall asleep in the apparent safety of their room.

Yeah, he wasn’t going to let himself forget that one in a hurry.

It was at that moment that the door swung open to admit one of the nurses. She seemed surprised to find him awake and ready to go already, but smiled warmly. “Hungry, are we Mr. West? Well in that case, let’s get you to the cafeteria. The staff have provided some delicious French Toast as well as a range of other foods I’m sure you’ll like. Now will you be needing a hand with your leg, dear?”

“No thanks, I can handle it,” Wally replied, smiling back. After all, it probably wasn’t the nurses’ fault that this place was so messed up, so it wasn’t like picking fights with them would do anything. With a cheery wave goodbye, Wally slowly made his way to the cafeteria, keeping a tight grip on his crutch all the while. Obtaining a plate of food was only slightly less difficult than it had been yesterday – he didn’t have the painkillers to work around this time – but he managed well enough, coming away from the buffet with a tray containing a plate piled high with slices of French Toast and slathered in maple syrup, butter, and sugar, as well as a glass of juice. Not quite as good as some coffee would be right now, but the sugar would hopefully make up for it. And, with how few people were here at the moment, he could afford to take more food than might have been considered ‘normal’ – he’d have most of it gone by the time anyone came to keep him company, then he could just worry about how many extra serves would be allowed before he aroused suspicion.

Feeling pretty happy with how things were looking so far, Wally hummed faintly to himself as he dug in to his breakfast.

Comments

[full-score.livejournal.com]

Claude nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the intercom sound. For a brief moment, he didn't know where he was, or what had happened, but then reality came crashing over him.

He hadn't made it to Ashton's room. After he'd dropped Guy off, he'd been on his way, and then...

Can't I do anything right? he grumbled to himself as he threw the covers off of himself. As if out of habit, he lifted up the mattress as soon as he jumped out of bed. Sure enough, he was greeted by the gleam of Ashton's sword. His heart sank.

Of course, he didn't have long to ponder what all of this meant. The blond was forced to abruptly drop the mattress when the door opened and his nurse stepped inside.

"Good morning!" she greeted him brightly. "My, I didn't know you were such an early-riser, Thomas! Why don't we get you some breakfast?"

To be honest, Claude wasn't hungry and could have just as well done without breakfast, but he knew he'd regret it later if he didn't at least eat something. Once he got to the cafeteria, it didn't take him long to grab some French Toast and bacon and find a seat to himself. So far it looked like he was one of the first people to arrive, but maybe he'd spot one of his friends soon.

Picking up his spoon, he squinted into his upside-down reflection, trying to figure out if his black eyes were any better. They didn't seem quite as dark, but they were certainly still noticeable. A raccoon-face -- kind of embarrassing, really. As for his nose, that was a little harder to assess, but once he pressed the splint, Claude instantly regretted the sharp wave of pain that washed over his face.

Spoon forgotten now, the blond focused his attention back to his French Toast and cut into it, perhaps a little more aggressively than he'd meant to.

[For Anise?]

[gald_digger]

Anise rolled out of bed with a groan that morning, feeling less than delighted about the night's lack of success. Even after going that far and searching that long, they still hadn't found anything good! And even worse, she soon discovered, she left her radio on the table back there. Now that was gone too. How unlucky could one girl be?

Well... maybe it wasn't all unlucky. Nothing was still better than getting smacked around by monsters, right? Anise still had that to be grateful for.

As per her usual morning routine, the girl stashed her metal pipe under her mattress, hung Tokunaga on its usual place on her back, then straightened her pigtails to the best of her ability. It wasn't long until the nurse entered her room, smiling her usual smile, ready to escort her to the usual place. Anise gave a strained smile in return, just to be polite to the hag.

The smell of good food was enough to improve her mood a bit. The girl grabbed herself a few slices of French Toast, lightly coated in powdered sugar, with a side of strawberries. Anise had been hoping she could find Ion this morning, but maybe it was still too early. She hoped he had seen the bulletin yesterday and knew where she had gone. What if he hadn't? He didn't go out looking for her again, had he? Now she was getting worried. If she didn't see him around this morning, she was going to leave a note for him. And if he didn't reply...

No, she wasn't going to think about that.

Pushing her worries from her mind, Anise spotted a familiar face among the seated patients and gravitated towards it. She stopped once she was across from Claude, smiling brightly as though she didn't have a care in the world. "Good morning, Claude!" It wasn't until after she delivered the cheerful greeting that Anise realized this familiar face didn't look quite like she remembered it. Yikes. Despite her best efforts to keep it up, the smile faltered for a moment.

[hismastersdance.livejournal.com]

Joe was led out of the endless hallways into a bright room, and through there to what was clearly a cafeteria. He got a tray and some food and sat down to eat while he puzzled out his situation. Not having his V-watch was a bad sign - after all, he'd been given the watch by Captain Blue himself, and he couldn't finish saving the world a third time without it.

But no-one had attacked him so far, just told him to forget about movies and superheroes. Maybe it was some distraction or trap?

...at least the french toast tasted delicious.

[secret-orchard.livejournal.com]

To say Armand felt frustrated at finding himself back in his bed when he felt the night had barely begun would be an understatement. All three of them had arrived late, but no one thought it was that close to the end of the night. He could even recall Dr. Landel's taunting words.

He lay a moment and contemplated the Head Doctor's new words, but then ignoring the other side of the room as if it weren't there, he shoved his covers aside and went to get his hair ribbon from his closet. He'd be forced to endure the ordeal of public showers today. Leaving it down afterward was the fastest way of drying it but for now, he wanted it back. In contrast to how it normally felt, the strands crackled, coarse and dry, against his fingers. Living here was not healthy.

The nurse didn't even appear to notice the hair ribbon this time. "Let's hurry, Gilles," she said. "There are new people to meet, and the staff are all very busy. Come along, like a good boy."

He followed her, muttering that he wasn't a child. He didn't even attempt to fake his usually cheerful smiles, nor even was he crashingly depressed. He was some kind of angry, and in Armand that hardly showed at all. He wasn't a stranger to being angry, but today, it was more a cloak and shield for him, protecting his thoughts and self, than it was a weapon to lash out at others.

The toast purported to be French. He'd never seen toast like that before he'd arrived here. He suspected Sir Percy was more French; at least he'd been to France. The nurse commented that he looked a bit thin and filled his plate with the high calorie, rich foods that he usually avoided. "Now eat up. You want to stay strong and healthy don't you?" Armand nodded, still not speaking directly to her. He wondered if she cared.

Then she led him to a table where a youth sat, obviously enjoying the food. Armand sat down and arranged his dishes, then started cutting up the strange toast. "Good morning," he said. He didn't feel it was a good day, but he still couldn't make himself be rude. "Tis likely the best part of our days here. In the morning, one still has hope. Sometimes." His was all dried up and dead.

[if you were waiting for someone, please let me know, and I'll move on]

[ellectriclights.livejournal.com]

After struggling all night to remain conscious, Elle was deeply reluctant to wake. Why, she wondered dimly as she scrunched her eyes shut, had she fought this so hard? She was warm, and comfortable, and this was where Daddy wanted her to be.

A nurse rapped her knuckles lightly on the door to get Elle's attention. "It's time for breakfast, Miss Cardinal," the woman said, stepping over to the bed and gently pulling the covers down. Elle tried to roll over on her side, but the sudden movement tugged sharply on her shoulder, and all the pain medication in the world couldn't stop it from throbbing angrily. Wincing, she raised her hand to the wound, relieved to find it bandaged and in a sling once more.

"You must be more careful, Jaye," the nurse scolded her. "That was a nasty accident you had."

Right, an accident, Elle though bitterly, sliding out of bed. No, she shouldn't think like that; Daddy had put her here to make her stronger. He'd said so. He wouldn't have put her here if she wouldn't be better for it.

Once she had made her way to the cafeteria, she grabbed a few slices of french toast and a glass of milk and carried her tray to a table. It was awkward, trying to balance the tray with one hand, but she managed. No point in accosting a guy and getting him to carry it for her - Daddy would find out and be upset.

[for her favorite puppy Peter Petrelli]

[human-sponge.livejournal.com]

This made one more day he was going to spend in this place, and Peter had still made barely any progress. He hadn't even been able to track down Claire last night, when that really shouldn't have been so difficult.

Meanwhile, Sylar was running rampant through the institute and Nathan had been completely brainwashed - it was hard not to feel like the odds were stacked against him. With only him and Claire left, how were they supposed to help everyone else?

Peter had thought he was a hero, but when he couldn't even watch over his brother (who'd given up so much to help him), when he didn't even have his powers to make him feel like he was meant for something...

Well, it wasn't always easy.

Still, he dragged himself out of bed at the nurse's urging. He felt fine physically, and he knew he should be glad for that at the very least. As he made his way into the cafeteria, he couldn't help noting that he barely knew anyone else in the room. There were a few familiar faces, and he saw that Tyki was back to his "daytime" self (and speaking with a girl that Peter had once had a very brief, very confusing conversation with), and--

There was Elle. He hadn't spoken to the girl since the first time she had come across him, even though he'd since found out that both Claire and her dad knew her. And apparently Mr. Bennet and Elle's father weren't on good terms. He didn't really understand all of it, but that just gave him more reason to want to get some more answers from the girl.

Besides, it didn't look like Claire was around. Otherwise he would have made a beeline for her.

First, though, he made sure to get himself some food: French toast, sausages, and fruit would do him until lunch time. With his tray in hand, he went to sit down across from the girl, hoping that she wouldn't put her hands all over him this time. Maybe they had been involved in the future, but the fact of the matter was that he didn't know for sure, and they weren't there yet.

"Long time no see," he greeted as he ate a strawberry. There was no reason not to be polite, after all.

[forgot-my-life.livejournal.com]

Takaya sat up at the ding of the intercom and glared at the door as his nurse came in, two shadows right behind her. Escorted out into the hallway, she gave him astern lecture on his behavior the previous day, about how he shouldn't trick his roommate into untying him, andhow he would be watched today.

Breakfast was pushed on him and he was taken to a seat, where the two orderlies could keep both an eye on him anda clear path should he snap again.

This was so fucked up.

[contentincloset.livejournal.com]

If Kurogane hadn't wanted the stupid crutches yesterday, then he definitely didn't want them now. Of course, that meant the stupid woman in white wasn't going to take "I don't want them, dammit!" for an answer.

The moment he was in the cafeteria he went to whatever seat and threw the crutches on the floor. He didn't care much if he got breakfast for now, but the woman would probably be getting him something. Things that were sweet again since she always seemed to think he needed stuff like that in the morning.

The night had been annoying between the magician and the girls, so Kurogane had no mind to even look for them this morning. He did notice who he'd managed to sit somewhat near at the table though. That man from a few nights ago, when the magician had been hurt.

[lostonlifesroad.livejournal.com]

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/509612.html?thread=40851372#t40851372). Free for the taking.]

As he had walked along, Kakashi was very careful to memorize everything he could about his new surroundings. No matter the circumstances that had led to his being there, there was no excuse for being careless. At a moment's notice he could be attacked, or need to initiate an attack. So he was ready for either possibility, though someone watching him probably wouldn't think so for the casual way he walked. His pockets were big enough to slide some fingers into, his pace was lazy, and he deliberately slouched a bit, all just enough to give people the impression he wanted them to get.

Now he was in a cafeteria, left to fend for himself once he promised the nurse that he really did understand how such things worked. Her need for that particular assurance only raised further questions, and Kakashi needed to find out the answers. With so few people, however, his options were pretty limited to start. Not so much in regards to the food, though. Whatever else may come, he wasn't going to starve for want of a meal. Plus, Kakashi doubted they'd go through the effort of setting up such an illusion only to poison him less than an hour into it.

He got a well-balanced breakfast, though it wasn't the kind he usually went for, then picked out an empty seat for himself. There was no telling how full things would get, but the number of staff and the size of the place suggested that there were a lot of people. And he'd gotten there early enough to leave empty spaces around him on purpose. That way, if someone sat near him, it'd probably be because they chose to, and that meant they'd likely be more willing to talk. Still putting on the impression he was, Kakashi needed to be able to inquire without coming off too suspiciously.

So he'd wait for some company, and eat in the meantime. Strange to do without a book, but there wasn't much choice about that at the moment. Kakashi lowered his mask, keeping it off of his face for the amount of time he needed to eat.

Which, for Kakashi, wasn't very long at all. Only a minute later, and the strange covering was back in it's place. He pressed his hands together, said a polite thank you for the meal, and let out a small sigh. Now he really did want his book to read.

[diamondstorm]

[if you don't want let me know... ^^]

Renamon finally woke up, for once her night had seemed full, and she could let herself feel accomplished. It only lasted a minute though, and then she was up, stashing the various items she had procured in the time before in the hiding spots around her room. She'd have to talk to the person who gave her the job on the Bulletin Board soon.

Being led to the cafeteria, she started to pass on the food again, before her stomach growled. Renamon assumed she'd reached her human limitations for non-consumption. Sighing, she resigned herself to taking a few plain pieces of the toast as well as some of the fruit. She then allowed herself to be led over to a man who was wearing a mask quite like the one she had found in her possessions box. She looked at him once, then starting eating, wanting to get the activity over as soon as possible.

[captain-hunam.livejournal.com]

[Teisel~!]

... He needed to stop doing that.

Another morning after another night of things he definitely shouldn't have done, no matter how much it made ZEX feel better and himself feel good.

Well... Zelnick sighed. Well, at least he hadn't done too much with ZEX, and making out a bit-- a lot-- was... was... er, making him blush after the fact, apparently, and he should probably stop thinking about it. At all. Because thinking about it meant he might think it wasn't so terrible and that maybe he should do it again, not that he wanted to. It would just be to make ZEX feel better. Right.

First things first, though, breakfast was calling to him, and he went with the nurse to the cafeteria, grabbing his usual mix of the main course and fruit before settling near the door, per usual.

[no-barbarian.livejournal.com]

"Gah!" Where was that voice coming fr- Oh. It was just this again. Lying back down, Teisel listened to the announcement, though Pencilneck wasn't really saying anything useful. His ears did perk up at the mention of showers. His hair was dry now, but it still smelled like pond.

Catching sight of something white on the back of his hand, he held it up and wondered who had felt the need to tape a square of gauze over the scrape. That was weird. Weirder still, when he pulled a corner of the guaze back, the wound looked pretty much healed. It was still a little sore, but otherwise it looked like it'd be fine in a day or two. Feeling similar wrappings on the deeper scratches and punctures in his side, he peeled the gauze off to find they were okay, too. After being clawed by a rodent and doused in dirty water, he was expecting them to be at least a little nasty-looking. How bizarre.

Still puzzling over the gauze, he ignored the nurse the entire walk to the cafeteria. He felt a little boorish, ignoring a lady like that, but it couldn't be helped. He'd just have to make a point of talking to her later on.

Teisel wasn't really used to fancy breakfasts. Eggs were familiar, so he filled his plate with those, and carefully selected one piece of french toast and a strip of bacon to set on top. He wasn't so sure about eating something greasy first thing in the morning, but pork was expensive; if he was stuck here he wasn't going easy on them. On a whim, he grabbed a couple oranges as well. Hardly anyone around here knew he was a pirate, so he could eat them in peace without any "scurvy" jokes.

And hey! He'd managed to sit across from an adult this time; the morning was looking up. With a grunt that may have meant "good morning," he dug into the eggs. He was used to feeling hungry, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

[youlackmascara.livejournal.com]

Itachi jolted awake at the sound of the intercom, mentally cursing. Not only did he have Jiraiya's suspicions to deal with now, but he had not discovered much of anything at all last night. Or was it last night? His body felt stiff, as it did on the rare occasion when Itachi had injured himself enough to have to rest for a long period. But he could not recall being injured, and certainly not being knocked unconscious for an extended period of time. Perhaps he had just slept in an incorrect position.

Itachi irritatedly made his way to breakfast, indiscriminately taking a few pieces of sustenance and finding a place to sit away from the others. Irritation was entirely too much of a constant state for him by now. He had been here, what, a week? That was completely unacceptable. He had intended to have found a way to defeat his captors within a span of a couple days. And what had he been doing all this time? Letting himself be led around by the nose during the day and scrambling around like a lost child at night. This was impossible; he was better than this. It was time to take stock and review his position.

Itachi sat there pondering his options, stabbing at his food with slightly excessive force and keeping a constant watch on his surroundings. He did not exactly expect Sasuke to come flying at him with a fork, but he did not really want to be disturbed by anyone just now.

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

It seemed the worst of times to black out, and it was almost like a little skip in time that brought her to morning. How had she arrived there? Was this some kind of joke? She might've thought it all a dream if the bat wasn't tucked in at her side in the bed.

She picked it up and walked over to the door, ready to run back through the halls, but this time the exit was locked. Now what was she supposed to do?! It didn't look like there was any chance of picking the lock from the inside, so she gave the door a few sharp raps. “Hello?” Sakura called. “Hey, can anyone hear me? Who locked the door?!”

After a moment, she could hear someone fiddling with the door lock and took a couple of steps back, ready to defend herself if she had to. What was there to fight with? Just the metal stick from Archer. She didn’t have any shuriken or kunai, the closest thing was a couple of pens on the desk. Tucking one away, she prepared herself for a fight.

The door eased open to reveal a woman in what looked like some kind of uniform. She was followed by a larger, much more intimidating man. So she was outnumbered. Off to a great start, she thought dryly.

“Who are you? What do you want?” she demanded, brandishing the babat.

“I thought she might be feisty with hair like that, but who left that baseball bat in her room?” the woman clucked her tongue and spoke to the man almost as if Sakura wasn’t even there. She shook her head, not at all bothered by the pink-haired girl waving a bat around.

“Courtney dear, you need to settle down or we’ll have to give you some medicine. You don’t want to be all groggy on your first day, do you?” This part was actually directed at Sakura, and was wrong for all kinds of reasons, making it really difficult to pick just one. Archer had said something about this last night, that the place was like a real hospital during the daytime.

She lowered the bat, holding it limply at her side and the orderly wasted no time in taking it away from her. She still had the pen at least. “What’s going on?” She could be completely rational when she had to be. Of course, heaven help them if they didn’t give her a good enough answer.

“This is an institution, Courtney,” the nurse seemed relieved that Sakura had stopped waving the bat around. “You’re here because you’re sick. We want to help you get better.”

“I feel fine,” Sakura replied cautiously, “and my name isn’t Courtney, it’s Sakura. You’ve got me confused for someone else. Can I talk to your supervisor or something?”

“I’m afraid not, we have places to be Courtney, you don't want to be late for breakfast, do you?” the nurse continued, not at all bothered.

Sakura was escorted out the door, but that didn’t stop her from pouting angrily as she was lead from the room. At least the hallways were well-lit this time and she could see where she was going. They reached a cafeteria and it wasn't until she'd placed a few things on her tray and given the empty tables a good look around (Sasuke might be here after all) that she noticed someone she knew.

He was an Uchiha, but definitely not the one she wanted to run into. Her hands tightened on the tray and if she'd access to even an ounce of her chakra, the plastic serving dish would be in pieces by now. As it was, she was sorely tempted to throw the thing at his head.

A quick analysis of the situation told her that might not be the best course of action, and if they were watching her like a hawk, then they had to be watching him too. The good thing about that was it made an even playing field. Still, she wasn't about to just let him get away, not when she had a chance like this. Sakura stormed over and slammed her tray down, a loud and angry noise in the former quiet of the eating area.

"You," she all but spat the word for all the venom in her voice. "I should've known Akatsuki had something to do with this. What the hell's going on here?" She was scared, yes, but that wasn't enough to keep her from facing this horrible person. More than fear though, was the anger. This man was the one to blame for what Sasuke had become. It was for this person that he'd sought power from someone as vile as Orochimaru and denied himself any happiness.

[themotherreborn.livejournal.com]

Eileen was delighted to hear the selections for breakfast. As silly as it seemed to be delighted over anything in the nightmare hospital, she found it was best to hold on to what bit of normalcy they had. And if all she could find to be happy about was French toast after a night in the terrible hallways, well.... At least she had that French toast.

Tucking her chin length hair behind her ears, Eileen took a seat, surprised to see she was one of the first in the cafeteria today. It was funny - every time she was brought here, the only thing she could think of was high school.

Probably because it was a cafeteria. And it hadn't been that long since Eileen had been in high school herself. She couldn't help but wonder if the same sort of social pyramids and everything applied here or not. Didn't they take hold anywhere? She vaguely remembered something about that from one of her sociology classes.

Oh well. For now, it was daytime, her curse was quiet, and she had a heaping tray of french toast and sausage. For now, she was just going to enjoy the daytime.

[wantsyourzex.livejournal.com]

He woke up, as always, alone. At first ZEX was irritated that they'd again been interrupted before they'd had a chance to become more intimate, but when it passed he found that unpleasant doubt from before resurfacing in its place, now that he had no human to distract him. It didn't exactly give much credence to nightly happenings being real, if every morning he woke up in his bed as though nothing had happened... were they all dreams, delusions? He was still human, and his Captain hadn't really provided him with any proof as to his identity (not that he would complain about all the pleasant touching instead).

Feeling somewhat out of sorts, he made his way to breakfast as he'd done all too many times now, trying to focus on something other than an unanswerable question. It'd do him no good to dwell on things, after all.

ZEX again tried to get a sample of each type of food, wondering if he'd catch sight of his human Captain, and instead saw a familiar face. Eileen, if he recalled correctly. He hadn't spoken with her in some time... no doubt she'd be pleased to speak with him again! Who wouldn't be, after all?

But it did pay to be polite. ZEX stood near her table, trying to smile correctly. "Hello again! I don't suppose I could join you?"

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

Now that had been an interesting night.

Now that's an interesting color.

Beatrix frowned when she rolled her pant leg up to inspect her knee to find it a combination of colors thanks to the previous night. Between the initial dislocation and then the repositioning of her kneecap, an impressive bruise had radiated from underneath her kneecap. It was also a bit swollen and sore, but that was about it. The Bride replaced the elastic wrap about it and then quickly hid her weapons before the nurse arrived as her other injuries were minor in comparison.

Her limb was almost undetectable as she allowed herself to be herded to the cafeteria. Finding an empty table after acquiring herself a tray of food, the Bride ate slowly as she replayed the events of the previous night over in her head. What an interesting night.

[for Ophelia]

[shallweplay.livejournal.com]

If the room she had woken up in and the hallway had been a little strange, this expansive room full of tables and people clad in the same foreign grey fabric as she was baffling. She had never seen a place like this in her life. There was sunlight streaming in through windows, sure, but where was the rest of the light coming from without torches or candles? The white, glowing boxes on the ceiling didn't look or smell like fire at all. She frowned, wondering if it was some sort of new experiment the organization had cooked up.

With the "help" of the two human women who had come to fetch her (though Ophelia was loathe to call it such), she was given a flat tray made of yet another unfamiliar material, and on top of that she was given a plate full of sweet-smelling bread and hot, steaming meat. Ophelia expected not to care much about the food, but surprisingly, she could feel her stomach growling and her mouth salivating for it as she was lead over to the tables. So in addition to losing all her strength, she had regained a human appetite. Interesting, but still frustrating.

As they neared one of the tables, Ophelia quirked an eyebrow when she noticed a woman with blonde hair. By her build, she looked like a fighter. She couldn't see the woman's eye colour yet and she wasn't able to sense yoki anymore, but maybe, just maybe this could be another warrior of the organization. And hopefully one that would be able to tell her what the hell had happened to her.

The human women seemed to notice Ophelia's sudden interest in the other woman. "Here, why don't we sit you down and let you get to know one of your fellow patients," one of them cooed, taking Ophelia gently, yet firmly by the shoulders and steering her over to the table where the other blonde sat. Ophelia only gave the woman the barest of nods over her shoulder as she took a seat across from the blonde. The two slipped back into the crowd, watching Ophelia from a distance.

The first thing she thought now that she had a closer look at the woman: damn, blue eyes. So this was just another stinking human. Oh well. She would make due with what she had found.

Ophelia put on her best "friendly-but-not-really" face. "I don't suppose you have any idea of where we are, do you?" she asked the human woman, not expecting much of an intelligent answer.

[valyns-shadow.livejournal.com]

Shadow woke feeling as though he'd been run over by the large metal carriages they called buses here. His head was throbbing and he had the distinct sensation that he was missing something, though what that something was he wasn't entirely sure. Perhaps Val would be able to help him figure out what it was though at the moment, all he wanted was something to get rid of this pain in his head.

He followed the nurse as she took him to the cafeteria, following the same steps he always had. He put his hand on his head as he walked in, grabbing a piece of fruit and staying away from the sweet smelling bread. Shadow lifted his eyes and scanned the area looking for a familiar face. When he didn't see one right away he took the nearest empty chair and sat down, closing his eyes. Something was off and it bothered him, increasingly nagging at the back of his mind. What could it be?

[notmyfather.livejournal.com]

Valyn, on the other hand, was feeling particularly well rested. Most likely because he had fallen asleep not long after the night had fallen. He hadn't meant to, of course, but the nights and days took their toll. And no one had woken him up, so he assumed nothing monumental had happened.

When breakfast came, he took his morning meal and spotted his cousin immediately. The place was still empty enough that it was easy enough to pick out the younger man in the lack-of-crowd.

"Good morning," he said, taking a seat across from Shadow. "What did you get up to last night?"

[mizuhomaiden.livejournal.com]

Sheena wasn't sure she'd get used to this suddenly waking up in her bed thing. The ninja sighed and kicked her covers off, letting her hair down before finger combing it and then pulling it back into its unruly ponytail. With a flick of her wrist, she produced the cards she had left over from the previous night, only to find the writing blurred and the cards unusable.

With a sigh followed by a grumble, she crumpled the now useless cards and tossed the ball into Elena's trashcan on the other side of the room. The wadded up balls sailed into the receptacle and Sheena went through a quick series of stretches to work the kinks out of her muscles before the nurse arrived.

Eggs and sausage were the breakfast selections for one grumpy ninja. Last night... Raine had pushed too far. She'd gotten too personal and didn't seem to realize she'd done it. The half-elf meant good, but she just didn't know when to let things go. She always thought she knew best and that she could help with or fix every problem. Raine wasn't the world's mother and she needed to understand that she doesn't have the right to force things out of people, just because she thinks they need to talk.

So, with a vicious bite of her sausage, Sheena grumbled and tried to focus on something other than her desire to kick Raine in the face.

[distraction coming in the form of one New York clown]

[jokers-wildcard.livejournal.com]

"Ms. Dumas, please," her nurse said with an exasperated sigh, trying desperately to sound patient. "You have to eat something. It's not healthy to skip breakfast so much."

Had Harley been really paying attention, she might have argued that she'd only skipped breakfast a few times, but at the moment her nurse was the least of her worries. Harley was nearly panic-stricken.

She hadn't made it! Last night, she never made it to the lab! Another night wasted away from her sweethearts. When her nurse had opened her door, she had attempted to burst through and make a run for the lab again. She hadn't gone beyond her doorframe before two orderlies hooked her by both arms and kept her still. After her display during visiting hours, they were cautious enough to have orderlies ready for her the next morning. The threat of another sedation kept her compliant as they led her to the cafeteria.

Her head was spinning. If it wasn't too late last night, it very well might be by now. They could be dead, or worse! Everything Crane had said the previous night... she didn't want to believe any of it, but it was true! All of it!

Unaware of her care's plight, the nurse placed a full tray into Harley's hands and led her to the closest table. She gently pushed Harley down into a seat near one of the other patients with an obviously fake smile. (At least to Harley it was obvious.) "Here you are, darling. Try to eat everything, okay?"

With that, she wandered off, leaving Harley to stare blankly at her tablemate while she tried to comprehend what had just happened. The girl across from her didn't look like the jolliest camper around herself. She sighed exasperated. "Darlin' my butt... They sure got some nerve, don't they?"

[a_sin_for_him]

At least, Lust reflected, as she picked at the offered food to cobble together a breakfast, the previous night had been eventful. Though she would have to look into this young woman that seemed to rouse Luxord to such heights. She was simply...curious.

While nothing of significance had been accomplished, the company had been pleasant and Lust had a few more tidbits of information about the patients also trapped in the institute. Information was always worth having.

Taking an empty seat, the former homunculus began picking at her food, keeping her eyes on the cafeteria. She wondered who would be missing come this morning....

[Unknowingly waiting for Scar!]

[longlivetheking]

For the first time in a long while, Scar felt accomplished. Though gaining information was a rather small thing to gain, the meeting with Mello had proved to be more fruitful than any night he had ran around within this facility.

More pleased than usual during mornings, the King acquired his food and randomly picked a seat. It just so happened this particular seat was across a female.

"Good morning." he said politely before (attempting to) taking a bite from his meal. Never let it be said that Scar couldn't be proper.

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

The reality of Renji's death smacked Momo once again when she woke up inside the institute and the other vice captain's reiatsu was absent. She hadn't been expecting to find it, but a part of her had hoped that perhaps she'd been mistaken or perhaps she'd been too far away. No, she'd been correct. Renji was dead.

For the second time, Momo cried. This wasn't the silent tears of the previous night where she'd had to contain as much of the emotion as she could being on duty, but the vocal sobbing of a woman who had lost one of her best friends. She was still crying while she hid her sword, still sniffling when the nurse arrived. She didn't care enough to protest when the nurse cleaned her tear-streaked face, merely put up with it and then collected her journal and pencil before slowly making her way to the cafeteria.

A tray of untouched food sat before the small shinigami. She sat there, her journal open to a blank page, pencil in hand as if she was about to begin a new drawing. She was having trouble focusing on which of her myriad emotions she wanted to put down onto the page, so she sat there, staring at it, in limbo as she tried to decide.

The thought that kept creeping into everything else, though, was what are we going to do now?

[Raine]

[per-ardua.livejournal.com]

Morning again... no more life-or-death emergencies, but no more of the night's limited freedom, either. Raine wasn't sure what she preferred.

At least she rarely had to force herself to eat anymore. The eggs here were always a little bland, so she poured on some maple syrup--it made for a slightly odd texture, but the sweet stuff was a rare treat at home.

The first person she saw (that probably didn't want to bite her head off) was Momo; even from behind she looked sad, but if anything she'd probably want company. "Good morning," she said, setting her tray down. When she saw her face, though--"What's wrong?"

[remedying.livejournal.com]

[Freeeee.]

The night always picked the most inconvenient of times to end, didn't it? Okay, not always-- Yukari was actually lucky she accomplished what she needed to do for the night most times, but when she didn't it left her frustrated enough to claim so. Yeah, yeah, it was illogical, but as long as she didn't complain about it out loud, she was good.

But there was always tonight (and the next night, and the next one, and another one... how many "next nights" would there have to be?) to get things done, and Yukari knew that with any luck, things would start off rather well. It almost made her look forward to this particular night.

For now, breakfast, like every other morning. As soon as she came in, Yukari glanced around to see if she could spot Kaito, but it didn't look like he had arrived yet. She didn't get worried over it, though; it wasn't as if either of them had gotten hurt or ran into anything dangerous. He'd be as fine as she was, so without another thought Yukari did the usual thing and picked a seat somewhere.

[kagurazuki.livejournal.com]

Night had ended before she'd gotten much done, but she was glad that Bridget was healed a little and that she'd been able to help Mello out with the things she'd found. She picked a light breakfast and a glass of juice before she tried to decide where to sit. Most everyone was already talking with someone else and even now it was hard for her to make new friends.

After some internal debate, she walked over to a girl who was sitting by herself. "Is it alright if I sit with you?" she asked, waiting for a response before she set her tray down.

[felled-hero.livejournal.com]

Hughes was still feeling down and a touch lost when he woke up the next morning. The toast had helped, at least with closure, but the fact remained that Roy was gone.

He couldn't afford to get lost in grief, though. Not when there was so much left to be done. He needed to get reports from the handful of people who had gone out last night, needed to organize the weapons list, and needed to see if he could get more people in the Cooking Club.

He wondered if this was how it had been like for Roy, when he had...been lost. Now the situations were reversed and he was the one left behind to try and pick up the pieces. It was almost ironic - he wondered if Roy would have made some joke about equivalent exchange.

Ah well. Taking a seat, Hughes pulled out his journal and flipped it open. He'd just do what he could, and hoped everything worked out. He'd see the other man again someday, one way or another.

[For Celes!]

[lady-general.livejournal.com]

When Celes awoke that morning, it was with a frenzied suck of air. How dare they use her against the patients of the Institute! How dare they! It was quite fortuitous that few people had chosen to charge through Cafeteria, and there was a nasty, purplish bruise on her side from Arlenesan's kick. Celes ignored her nurse and walked into the cafeteria with her eyes downcast.

What a foolish thing to do last night. From what the board said, many people involved in that so-called special counseling were forgiven, but with varying levels of success. Carrying her tray along with her, filled with a hearty meal or bacon and french toast, and a tall glass of milk. She sat down across from a middle aged man and murmured, "Please pardon me if I am disturbing you, sir."

[rope-victim.livejournal.com]

[Sousuke and Subaru?]

Miku woke up, upside down on her bed. Her arm was numb from sleeping on it awkwardly and it took a few minutes' furious wiggling of her fingers to set it back to normal. In the middle of the furious shaking and wiggling to encourage blood flow, her nurse walked in and chuckled. Since Miku didn't seem to be in any pain, despite the floppy, sleepy arm, she wasn't so loathe to try and correct her.

"My, my, look at you, Alice, did you have a bad dream? Your bed's just turned about, isn't it?"

"I..." Miku began, sliding off the bed. "No ma'am, I dreamt last night I was running... at the Olympics, that's all." Miku fixed her hair and went to breakfast, and let her nurse chirp on and on about how the last Olympics were ohsoexciting.

"And do try to cheer up Akihiro. He seemed so upset yesterday. Don't fight with him, now." The nurse cooed and led Miku to feed herself. Picking a modest breakfast of fruits, a glass of pulp-free juice and French toast covered in powdered sugar with just a bit of butter, Miku sat down at the table and gave her meal a stubborn sort of look. She would finish it... mostly, she promised herself. Still, the photographer kept one eye out for Sousuke, hoping he hadn't woken in any strange position.

[broken-babylon.livejournal.com]

Much as he'd expected, Subaru woke to find a nurse looming over him with a pair of crutches. He'd hoped to get away with just a cane, but apparently it wasn't to be. Not in any mood to argue, Subaru silently accepted the crutches and followed the nurse to the cafeteria.

Breakfast was a pleasant surprise, though--plenty of vegetarian choices, even aside from the always-nice fresh fruit. Good thing, too, as Subaru had foolishly managed to forget to bring his snacks with him the night before. So he took a sizeable--for him, in any case--breakfast of one piece of french toast, piled with fruit, and a glass of juice.

Spotting Tsukishiro-san, Subaru almost went over, but it looked like the other man was already involved. The next familiar face Subaru spotted gave him a pang of guilty conscience, as he realised that he had been avoiding that particular conversation for days now. Swallowing his nervousness, Subaru approached her table and bowed, carefully balancing his tray as he did so. "Good morning, Hinasaki-san. May I join you?"

[never-learns.livejournal.com]

It took a long time to force himself to actually get out of bed the next morning. He wasn't tired exactly, not in the proper sense of the word, but he felt old and like it was an effort to do anything. Talking with Schuldig and Ken had helped, at least a little, and he wasn't planning on leaving them, but there was that little thought in the back of his head which wouldn't leave him alone and said hat things would be better if he just gave in, and wouldn't it be nice for things to be easy for once?

Hah, easy? Yeah, like that had ever been an option for him. Life just didn't favour him that much.

He finally pushed himself out of bed and headed into the cafeteria with his nurse when she came. She gave him a plate of French Toast, practically drowned in powdered sugar and syrup and watched him like a Hawk until he'd eaten at least a few bites. They sat heavily in his stomach and he didn't really want to eat anymore. Surely there'd be something more appetising at lunch? He'd never been a stickler for traditional Japanese food, but some miso would have been much more preferable to this stuff.

[Free!]

[not-rly-fai.livejournal.com]

A good night's rest did him a lot of good, and when morning came, he didn't have as much trouble walking the halls and reaching the cafeteria. The nurse helped him fill a tray, though he wasn't sure he'd be able to finish it or not, and escorted him to an empty seat. He didn't much mind. New people were easier to deal with than those who might ask him too many questions. So when she seated him across from another man who looked to be around the same age, he gave a friendly wave and a bright smile.

"Good morning!" he chirped, pouring syrup over his french toast. "I hope it's ok if I sit here."

[screwthegods]

There had been no further progress made after they left the room; time spent searching for Kenren was fruitless, and the night was over not long after their departure. In its own way, that was good. Homura would need time to put together a team to defeat the monsters there, the goals of course being to minimize injury and claim the items he had seen. Particularly if that one thing was what he thought it was.

There was no way to be certain at present, however, and the notes he'd left before his memory loss meant the subject wouldn't be brought up immediately, provided Kenshin and Kenren both arrived around the same time. The more urgent matter in regards to that pair was being certain word of Okita's illness didn't spread any farther than that group. Sagara would need to be addressed as well, but Homura decided to leave that to Himura. The man was the obvious choice to lead his friend, and it would be easier to dismiss only one person in order to talk to Kenren privately.

His muscles were stiff, but Homura's injuries could have been much worse, given what had transpired. He got his meal for the morning, then took a seat where he could be seen. The two he had called on weren't the only ones he watched for, however; he wanted to check on Okita as well.

[opposingheaven.livejournal.com]

Kenren had slipped out of the room as soon as he was certain that Sanzo was asleep and unlikely to do something insanely suicidally stupid just to prove how self-sufficient he was. Kenren really couldn't help but wish that he had Hakkai or Tenpou to back him up when it came to the monk. They were both so much better at bullying him than Kenren was.

He still woke up in his room the next morning. Zelnick was already gone which was a shame because it would've been fun to ask him how far he'd got with the other guy last night.

He spotted Homura when he entred the room and took his meal over to the other god, slipping into a seat near to him. "Morning," he said, cheerfully enough.

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

[For Jiraiya~]

Naruto let his nurse lead him to a sitting spot, smelling the sweet syrupy smells around him. He hissed as he sat, the burns on his side and back bandaged but still stinging. The water he'd wet his shirt in had probably not been the cleanest, and not helped with much but relief of the pain.

He looked at his plate a little funny, having never seen something like that before. It smelled good, but it looked strange.

For once, his nurse didn't say much, leaving him there quickly as he grabbed a fork and took a small bite.

[toadally4boobs.livejournal.com]

Upon waking, Jiraiya's thoughts only centered around last night for less than a minute before they were roughly shoved aside. He would have to explain himself to Naruto today, and it would probably be the second hardest thing he'd ever gone through.

His nurse led him to get breakfast, and he hardly paid attention to what was put on his tray. Even as his nurse chided him for his inattention, Jiraiya's eyes were already scanning above the crowd for Naruto. And there he was, sitting by himself.

When he finally reached Naruto, and his nurse left, Jiraiya placed his tray nearer to the boy instead of across the table like he normally would. He wanted to be able to speak quietly to him. It was important that only Naruto heard what he had to say.

Jiraiya didn't know what to say, at first, and suddenly it came to him; he sat down next to Naruto as he began to speak, his voice gentler and sadder than what Naruto would be used to. "Losing your... father was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I tried to tell you so many times, but the words would--" He swallowed softly, pulling out the photograph to give it back to Naruto. "--would never come. I could only say how you were like him."

His eyes were distant now. He was remembering Minato's voice, his beaming pride when he announced that Kushina was pregnant, and how he had announced Naruto's name. But was remembering Naruto, too--his cries, his sleeping face, his....

[kanpekinasenshi.livejournal.com]

[For Leon]

Seiya woke up abruptly, still not used to the strange sensation of being returned to her bed when moments before she'd been fighting or talking. Michiru had been more trustworthy than expected, even if just to the extent of helping Seiya get out of immediate danger. It was something to be grateful for, considering Seiya herself had been less than reliable as help. Even if her body was mostly recovered from last night's excursions, the doctor's voice announcing more patients last night and then practically booming at them to wake them up in the morning had conspired to give her a headache. Patients returned home... wherever Usagi was, she definitely hadn't peacefully returned home. She wouldn't leave Ami behind, much less Michiru, and knowing Usagi probably not Seiya either if she could help it. And for brainwashing, if the doctor had any reason to get something out of convincing them of these fake lives, why would he bother with the rest of the Institute and its daytime and nighttime changes?

But it was still possible something else was going on. Usagi might have been sent away, back home, against her own will, the same way she'd been brought here. All the talk about alternate timelines or worlds on the bulletin boards gave Seiya a headache too, and she pushed those thoughts aside. She really wasn't suited to think about... temporal displacement... or whatever it would be called. Seiya was at her best in action. If she could just find something meaningful to do now, it would help.

At least the doctor was considerate enough to give them french toast. Led peacefully to the cafeteria by a nurse, she took a tray and picked out her breakfast carefully. Carbs to help boost her back to full strength, but not too much, and a little fruit on the side. For the first time, she really took notice of the lack of coffee or tea available, and found herself annoyed by it. No sense in taking it out on the poor people who thought they worked here, though; she smiled nicely at the cafeteria staff before finding a seat by herself to start working through her food. Hopefully the headache would go away on its own.

[for-marian.livejournal.com]

Leon woke in his bed, surprised to find himself uninjured despite the close call with the... thing... the night before. And, he supposed, he should be grateful that they did not dream in this place, because he knew he would have dreamed of his own time prisoned in a dead body, after running into that. Clark was already gone, too, so Leon couldn't even ask him if he'd managed to hang onto any of the metal. All in all, it did not leave Leon in a good mood.

The smell of french toast, on the other hand, helped Leon's mood a bit. He loaded his up with fruit and copious amounts of syrup, then looked for somewhere to sit. Spotting a familiar face--and he needed to talk to her today in any case--Leon headed on over to join Seiya. He didn't bother with the niceties today, not yet recovered enough from last night's unpleasantness to muster up his budding manners. "Morning."

[scalyfishman.livejournal.com]

Depth Charge allowed himself to be led to the cafeteria. Playing along with the human seemed to be the best option available to him, and anyway, he needed a few moments to try and get his head together. That he was human was itself enough to set him reeling. Gone was the powerful gleam of metal alloy and steel, the reassuring weight of his limbs, the pure strength in his entire body. He'd refused to let himself drop his guard since Colony Omicron- now it looked as though some had dropped it for him. Eyeing his new spindly arms and legs he felt a stab of unease. If he was here, X could be here too, and he wouldn't let a little thing like being human hold him back.

Eventually, the seemingly endless parade of hallways came to an end and the nurse stopped in front of an open door. The room beyond it, to Depth Charge's surprise, was full of people- more humans, milling about by a metal counter or sitting with plates of food.

The female nodded encouragingly at him, as if he were a particularly special pet. "Breakfast is served here every day- just take a plate and help yourself to the food at the counter. If you're not sure, feel free to ask the other patients for help."

Depth Charge narrowed his eyes. "Look, lady, I don't know what galaxy you're from, but the last time I checked? 'bots don't eat."

"Now, Mr. Price, don't start that again!" She gave him an indulgent smile. "You're just as human as I am."

And with that little number she checked her watch, gave a cry of surprise at the time and swept out, leaving Depth Charge wrong-footed at the door. He clenched his fists tightly, knuckles whitening at the pressure. So. This was how it was going to be. Scanning the room briefly (and manually, to his annoyance), he took a seat near the wall and tried to work out just what the slag he was going to do- beyond learning how to eat, of course.

[runner-up-robot.livejournal.com]

Forte woke up with a start, to the chipper voice of the head doctor. After taking a moment to recall what had happened the night before, his anger and frustration rose again. He was muttering under his breath when he realized he didn't even have his dog to confide in. He hadn't even thought about Gospel much since arriving in this nightmare, but he realized he missed the mutt for more reasons than fighting ability. He wouldn't admit it to himself, but the way his training session had ended just made him feel useless again. If he couldn't even fight, or block a single real punch after training to do so the whole night, what was he good for?

He ignored the friendly voices of the nurses as they led him to the cafeteria, and got in line for food. A small blessing, he piled bacon and sausage onto his plate, with a small amount of some cubed form of fruit for nutrition. At least there was one measly thing he was finding he could enjoy. His eyes lit up - or at least, eased their sullen glare - just the slightest bit as he walked past a man that protested he didn't require food. He changed course to sit at the same table as the newcomer.

He put his plate down and started to angrily stab at his meat. "It's terrible, isn't it? The raw power robbed from your limbs. Solid alloys replaced with soft, weak flesh. Precision construction replaced with... with organic replacements?

[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

[For Kaiji]

In retrospect, wandering aimlessly to explore in the dark with only one crewmate he barely knew was probably not the best idea Usopp had ever had. At least they'd finally woken up, which was a relief, since Brook had been clearly freezing and he hadn't felt so great himself. That was all firmly blocking out of mind the last horrific sight that had come distantly into view before the night had ended. He'd missed being around water, but whatever that had been in the distance, it couldn't have been water. Pushing himself out of bed and shoving his now rock-heavy bag into his closet, the nurse came in to take him to breakfast.

Usopp was feeling decisively glum in the line, waiting for food. Dead patients...? He had to concentrate, remember that Zoro and Sanji had left, then returned safely though without their memories of this place. Nami would be all right too. It was just an issue of time, that was all. Maybe they'd even meet new crewmates in the meantime, like Brook, who was a decent guy if kind of uncool compared to the great Captain Usopp.

Hadn't even gotten to the shed. Frustrated, he asked for extra sausage links. Luffy ate too much meat and he was always strong, maybe there was something to that. It couldn't hurt, anyway.

[missedfortunes.livejournal.com]

Kaiji's roommate must have loved him: like an honorable and dutiful rooster, he always without fail responded to the morning arriving. If the sound of the Head Doctor's voice blaring over the intercom wasn't enough to wake someone up, surely the reflexive nearby crowing of 'Fuck you!' in response to it was.

Actually, Kaiji was in one of his better moods so far today. He wasn't about to go waltzing up to anyone and spouting pleasantries by any means but he was reasonably calm and unshaken, especially when food was placed before him. He had basically been plucked from the streets, after all, and was easily impressed in this manner. It was actually the source of some frustration for him that cycled through his head almost constantly: he wasn't supposed to like anything about this place or have any doubts about leaving. Really, though, would things be much better on the outside?

As he was seeking out a place to settle, Kaiji spotted what he thought was a familiar nose. It had to be that guy from last night. Really, how many people could possibly exist who have noses that look that way? "So much for that, huh?" he said as he haphazardly set his completely mundane breakfast on the table. Whatever 'that' was, he didn't seem to be all that disappointed about it going wrong. "There was no way it was going to work anyway."

With his relative apathy regarding whatever had happened last night, Kaiji was comparatively enthusiastic about his food. Well, he seemed to be at least somewhat pleased with it as he sat and started impatiently sawing apart his syrup-drizzled French Toast.

[theycutitout.livejournal.com]

And in the very instant, the longest of all seconds, that River felt herself falling into a dizzy oblivion, swirls of autumn and the cold mist of colorless winters spiraling around her. She'd wanted to touch the leaves as both of them fell, but nothing had been real. Nothing she touched was real.

In and out of the blackness, River shot up in a bed. Her sides, arms, and throbbing head sending her into a fit of panic automatically. The other. The other one. The other one that had done this to her. The white room. The bed, the desk, the barred doors. Every last inch of it screaming with false voices as she fell back against the pillow. She could hear them all. The woman sleeping beside her. The millions of them walking the halls like tired dead. They were all screaming and saying nothing at the same time.

River jerked back away from the heavy door as it opened to reveal a woman in white. The panic became a dragon in that instant, and it threatened to swallow her whole. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. She shrank back into the mattress, fingers digging into the nasty bruise gracing her left eye. It was real. The pain was real, but how could it be possible when everything else wasn't? They were here. They were here, and they were real enough to hurt.

"It's not time. It's not time. Wasn't supposed to go back. Stay away. Get away. No more needles," she whimpered through her hands, her mask. The woman only came closer, reaching out and actually touching the trembling girl.

"Come now, Summer. I know you've had a rough night, but you're okay. You didn't hurt yourself badly enough so that you can't get up and come to breakfast." Fake. The smiles. The woman. Them. It was them. River peeked through her hands at the nurse.

"Not summer. Autumn. The leaves are falling, and it's cool. Almost cold. Almost," she mumbled quietly. Didn't make sense. Didn't process. The woman just smiled, tugging her out of her sitting position as gently as possible.

"Come on now, Summer. Let's get you something to eat. You're just wasting away as it is!" River eyed her suspiciously, every moment looking as though she were about to burst into tears. Still, driven by a something that couldn't be touched, she rose with the nurse and took small, careful, precise steps toward her destination.

The halls were long. White. Like winter only without the snowmen. River was careful to observe as she walked, wishing her feet were bare so she could really see, with arms clenched tightly about her small form. When they opened the large doors that would lead to the cafeteria, she cringed back. Not from the noise that bombarded her ears. No. The noise that pounded meaningless nothing into her head over and over and over again until she knew the nothing by heart. So many. Too many. It wasn't normal.

"Summer..." The nurses's voice trailed off, bordering on slight annoyance now as though dealing with the troubled girl had become a regular event. "Just get in line, and find a place to eat. There are a lot of people here, people who need help just like you. Why don't you try and make some friends, hm?" River stared at her for a moment, reading the emptiness in her shimmering eyes, before she moved away slowly, never shaking but always holding herself close, to move to the line.

One more soul to the line. One. Two. Three. Four. One by one the cattle had their plates filled up. Aside from mumbling a bit about the snow not being pure when offered powdered sugar on her toast, River managed somehow to acquire a small portion of nourishment and juice before wandering into the loud nothing and finding a place to sit.

And sit she did, staring into the nothing as she remained motionless on her bench. The girl didn't even move to eat, but it was a sensible thought even amidst the chaos of autumn and winter clashing in a great battle.

After all it could be poisoned.

[tyki-pon.livejournal.com]

Even despite the lack of blood-spilling or even getting remotely anywhere, tonight hadn't been entirely wasted. The things he had learned of the man named Sylar were interesting, interesting enough for Tyki to decide to try and seek the man out sometime.

Shoving the pair of thick glasses on his nose before he left his room, knowing far too well it was his white side's turn right now. No things about Noah, no blood-spilling, no thrill that came with watching the life spill from his victim. Just a regular human from the streets.

One that was fed three times a day as long as he didn't get as fat as the Millennium Earl. He carried his plate over to one of the tables and sat down across a brown-haired girl.

"Good mornin'." he greeted cheerfully, typical to his human side.

[loyal-despair.livejournal.com]

Upon setting foot in the cafeteria, at least one familiar reiatsu struck Kira where he stood. But it was weaker, harder to discern than it ever should have been - even in the human world. Even so, he knew it, and his eyes paused on the tiny, slumped figure across the room.

For a moment, his confusion over his sudden situation dispersed, replaced by a hollow sensation.

The nurse gently tugged him out of his reverie, pulling him over to where tables were laden with food. None of it was appetizing in the least. He took a plate and some of it to placate her, then made his way silently to a mostly-empty table and sat down. Without eating, he looked around, considered straining his apparently muffled abilities to try and figure out where he was, let his eyes rest on the doorway where more and more people, all dressed in the same outfit he was in, came in to eat. They all seemed fairly settled, not bothered by where they were. He saw no outcries, no attacks, no violent uprisings ... just people, moving around and talking.

It was almost too normal for him to bear.

He wasn't in Soul Society. That was enough to put him on his guard immediately and refuse to remove it. Hoping he would eventually find someone to explain this place, Kira stared down at his breakfast and pondered for a moment exactly what it was.

[traitors-smile.livejournal.com]

It would be a lie to say the evening had been uneventful. The feeling of the other shinigami's reiatsu fizzling out into nothing had certainly had an effect on how things had gone. It didn't bother him, it ought to make things easier without certain people around and it was likely only a matter of time until their little club fell apart.

They'd lost a few of their numbers over the last few nights, so he supposed he shouldn't have been too surprised that a couple of new faces might appear to take their place. He hadn't been expecting the familiar reiatsu though, when he entered the cafeteria. Of all the people to show up...

At first he pretended not to notice, picking up things from the breakfast line and placing them on his tray without seeming to think about it. In truth he was choosing words, trying to decide what to say when the inevitable confrontation occurred. With so many others it was easy to lie, easy to say what they wanted him to say, but with this one... like Ran, he'd have to be careful. They were the ones who knew him better than any other.

[enigmaticmedium.livejournal.com]

[For Brainy~]

Xelloss was in a good mood when he woke up, even if the doctor's enthusiasm at waking them was a little rude. It was too bad he hadn't had time to take the picture, but it had just been an idle urge and not any kind of real need.

Better, as usual, breakfast was warm and featured sweets. As he stood in line, he looked around to try to see any familiar faces, but it was slowly becoming likely that he'd have to assume Lord Hellmaster was gone. If that were the case, it'd mean he was operating strictly under his own control, which had its benefits and downsides. Xelloss had already thought it out, although much of that thought also involved Zelgadis, assuming the ex-chimera would maintain calm enough to speak with him.

Beyond that, it really didn't change much. Xelloss had always kept in mind the need to maintain a certain degree of autonomy. Working with the Cooking Club had been enjoyable enough, if they hadn't made progress on their 'orders.' Too bad he hadn't seen Anise in action, but announcing his regrets at not being attacked would probably be taken as a bit more strange than announcing himself to be mysterious.

Extra french toast and syrup, then some scrambled eggs and lots of fruit, and Xelloss was ready to start the first and allegedly most important meal of the day. It was good he didn't intend to stay in this body, or it was possible he'd grow to be a bit pudgy. Then again, Lina and the others managed to burn it off, didn't they?

[emotionl4arobot.livejournal.com]

Brainiac 5 turned to respond to Elle’s continued insistence that everything in the area had some kind of grudge against her... and opened his eyes.

He was back in the room he’d initially woken up in. That was unexpected and unusual. Had he lost consciousness and been brought back here at some point? It seemed to be the only explanation at the moment. Whoever had brought him here hadn’t taken the bottle of liquid he’d found away, but they had bandaged his injured leg. That was interesting. He wasn’t sure what, if any, relevance the bottle and its contents had, but the fact that he’d been allowed to keep it indicated it might be of some importance. Hopefully he’d be able to find out more about it and this place at a later time.

At the sound of footsteps outside, Brainiac 5 pushed the bottle underneath his pillow and out of sight. His flashlight had also been returned there, he noted. The door swung open to admit a nurse who smiled kindly at him.

“Good morning, Michael. Now I know this is going to be a little confusing for you, but you’re in Landel’s Institute now. You’re here so we can help you get well again,” she said in the practiced voice of someone who had been over this countless times with other people.

Brainiac 5 didn’t bother looking around. He already knew the room was empty aside from himself, so therefore the nurse had to be referring to him. “My name is Brainiac 5,” he said calmly, noting how those simple words changed her expression from carefully pleasant to sympathetic. Apparently she had reason to believe he didn’t know what he was talking about. While Elle the night before had been decidedly unhelpful in explaining what was going on, he was beginning to think that his assumptions about this facility being a type of mental hospital were correct.

“Don’t worry, dear, you’re in the best of care now,” the nurse continued soothingly, and with that she ushered him out of the room and into a commissary of sorts, already filled with several groups of people enjoying breakfast. The nurse kept an eye on him as he joined the queue and Brainiac 5 also noted several other nurses and orderlies around the place keeping an eye on everyone. Best to play along for the time being and try and learn more about his situation, he decided.

Accepting a tray to which he added a bowl of the most healthy looking cereal he could find, several pieces of fruit, and a glass of juice, Brainiac 5 allowed the nurse to lead him to an empty chair.

“Why don’t you talk with Dwayne here,” she said. “I’m sure you two will get along just fine.”

He nodded mutely and kept an eye on the nurse until she left. Then he turned his attention to his new companion. Taller and older than Brainiac 5 was with an unusual hair and eye colour for normal humans, though that didn’t discount artificial means of alteration. He supposed he could have found someone worse to talk to.

“Have you been in this place long?” Brainiac 5 asked, not wanting to waste time with pointless introductions. He needed to find out what was going on here and how he came to be human. Then he could find a way to undo the changes and return to the Legion.