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damned_institute2008-11-20 12:50 am
scarletspeedstr.livejournal.com) wrote in damned_institute2008-11-20 12:50 am
Entry tags:
- adelheid,
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Day 37: Breakfast
[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.
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.
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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.
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It might have sounded shallow, but he hoped the damage wasn't permanent.
Thinking too much about all that was pointless, though, wasn't it? He hadn't seen Anise since their bus ride together back from Doyleton. It was nice to get another chance to chat with her. Hopefully the last couple of nights had treated her better than himself and Guy. "How've you been lately?" The blond gestured to the chair across from him and smiled. "Why don't you take a seat?"
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"I'm doing good!" she replied with enthusiasm, though it was something of an automatic response. It was mostly true, though! She was under a lot of stress, but she was getting by. It was hard to complain when so many other patients were in way worse shape than she was. "I've been keeping busy, but I haven't had much luck with getting stuff done." She stopped there for a few moments, pausing to chew a forkful of breakfast.
It was hard not to stare at Claude's injuries, even though Anise knew it was rude. It wasn't long until she couldn't contain her curiosity anymore. Head tilted to the side, the girl blurted out the question on her mind.
"What happened to your face? You look terrible."
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"Have you been going after radio clues?" he added instead. Lately there were a lot of rumors about all that floating around, weren't there?
With the way Anise was staring at his face, it was easy to notice. Self-conscious now, Claude rubbed the back of his neck and glanced around the cafeteria. As sudden as the question was, however, it hadn't been unexpected.
From what Claude could tell, Guy hadn't told Anise about what had happened after all. Did that mean the responsibility fell to Claude, or did it mean what had happened with Sync was something Guy wanted to keep from her? He'd never told Claude not to mention it to any of his friends, but Claude had also gotten the feeling that this was something that wasn't supposed to involve him. Of course, that had changed the moment Sync had lured him into his trap, but it probably went without saying that he still didn't know the whole story behind everything.
"'Terrible', huh...?" he echoed dryly before turning his full attention back to her. "Ah, well..." How was he supposed to put this? Claude didn't want to lie, but it probably wouldn't be good to tell her everything so bluntly, either. "The truth is, one of the patients attacked me the other night. I'm all right, though. Really, it looks worse than it is."
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"Yeah, I got put on radio duty again," Anise replied without missing a beat, despite the wandering her mind was doing. Reminded of the disappointing result of the previous night, she groaned. "We didn't find anything again. I hate the radio!"
Claude's discomfort wasn't lost on Anise, and the girl wondered for a moment if maybe she should have worded her question more politely. Oh well! Too late now.
Anise crossed her arms and frowned somewhat disgustedly at Claude's answer. "A patient? Seriously? Ugh. I can't believe some of the creeps you can find around here!" Though Anise didn't know Claude that well, he didn't seem like the kind of guy to go around picking fights. And what kind of person would keep on hitting a guy's face even after giving him a black eye or a broken nose or whichever came first? A real bastard, probably.
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Still, he knew how frustrating it was to put so much time and effort into something, only to get nothing in return. "Sorry that happened to you, though," he added. "Maybe they'll ask you to do something besides hunting for radio clues next time."
At Anise's indignation, Claude couldn't help but sigh a little. "That's an understatement." The blond grew silent, and he couldn't hide the concern on his face now. "Which is why you should be careful, Anise. Some people here are pretty dangerous." He paused as he took a sip of his juice. "But I guess you know that, so..."
He hoped Anise knew Sync was here, anyway. Maybe he ought to bring it up to Guy the next time he saw him. After all, the whole reason the disaster from the other night happened was because of that same kind of miscommunication, right? The last thing Claude wanted to see was someone like Anise getting hurt...
Without thinking, Claude's gaze briefly swept over the cafeteria -- and he saw Guy sitting next to Dias. It was hard not to stop and stare at them, or wonder what it was they were talking about, but Claude did his best not to let his focus drift away from Anise too much.
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The girl returned Claude's look of concern with a doe-eyed, curious look, which abruptly broke into a wide grin. "Oh? Are you worried about me?" She giggled. "I'm touched! Although I think I'm doing better than you are, lately."
It was true, wasn't it? Despite her teasing, though, it really was a nice feeling to have people looking out for her. As long as they weren't worrying too much. Still smiling, she added for Claude's benefit, "Don't worry. I'm always careful!" Mostly. This conversation reminded her that she still needed to go out and actually get a new flashlight, maybe. 'Being careful' didn't work so well when she couldn't see past two feet in front of her face at night.
She didn't think anything of Claude's lack of focus, particularly since just around that time, a couple of patients decided to start flinging food at each other. Yuck. Anise stared at them for a moment, but then turned back to her food and her company, consciously trying not to give them too much attention. One of them seemed kind of familiar, though... Where did she see him before?
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"I heard it was really dangerous, but...if it's the only way home..." The blond trailed off. In his mind, any risk was worth it if it meant they could get out of this place and go back to where they came from. Because he had a feeling that even if they escaped the Institute walls, they'd just be left to wander 21st century Earth for the rest of their lives. Not exactly the most pleasant thought.
Claude couldn't help but laugh a little when Anise assured him she was all right. Yeah, it was probably ridiculous for him to go telling people to watch their backs when he was the one walking around with a broken nose. And Anise probably was pretty careful if she was able to go on radio clue duty and make it out in one piece. Still, Claude knew Landel's had a way with throwing unexpected surprises at people.
"Well, you can't blame me, right?" Claude said as he rubbed the back of his head. "But if you ever get in a bind, don't be a stranger, okay?" Of course, he figured that she'd probably be more inclined to go to someone like Guy or Jade if she was in a real pickle, but he wanted her to know she could come to him, too. One could never have too many friends in a place like this, after all.
The flying food was enough to draw his thoughts away from Guy and Dias, and Claude's eyebrows raised. It was kind of crazy, the different ways captives found to let their frustrations loose. He just hoped he didn't get hit with anything -- or that the nurses would calm people down before it escalated into an all-out food fight. Claude kind of felt like he had enough excitement going on his life at the moment, so he much preferred eating breakfast with Anise in peace.
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Ion... Anise whipped her head around for a quick look around the cafeteria. Still no sign of him. She told herself it was still too early to worry. Ion was fine; he just slept in, or was sitting behind someone tall, or something.
When her focus returned to Claude, she recovered her bright smile in an instant. "You mean it? Okay, I'll remember that!" Anise certainly hoped she wouldn't have to go running to Claude - or anyone - for help anytime soon, but it was a small relief to have that extra safety net. Anise hated to admit how powerless she was here, and she definitely wasn't going to say it out loud, but she knew she could use all the help she could get.
She was still trying not to look at the commotion. Maybe it would go away if it got ignored. The other patients knew better than to start another mealtime riot, right?
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He didn't entirely notice or mind when Anise quickly looked around the cafeteria, as if she were searching for someone. It was at that moment Claude himself stole another glance of Dias and Guy, and he frowned a little. He doubted Dias was good company today...especially today, but Guy seemed like the easy-going sort, so maybe it would be all right.
Hopefully they weren't talking about him again or anything.
"Of course I mean it," he replied suddenly, returning the girl's smile. "Even if we don't know each other all that well yet, you're a friend of Guy's, so you're definitely a friend of mine."
As for the food being thrown around, Claude decided not to worry about it for now. If things got out of hand, he supposed he and Anise could take shelter under the table or something. But maybe he needed to eat a little faster in case something did happen...
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The girl frowned, sinking a little in her seat. "But if it's the only way, then we really have to try... well, I mean somebody does." It probably wasn't right to say 'we' when Anise wasn't going herself. "I'd go myself, but I'm probably better off sticking to club assignments and stuff."
The reason she gave was technically true, but only a tiny part of it. Most of all, Anise wasn't going to go to the basement because she couldn't bring Ion down there. If it was more dangerous than the rest of the building, then it was totally out of the question. She wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him behind and heading down herself, either. Besides, club work was important too! All those people heading for the basement wouldn't get very far without good weapons.
It was hard not to smile when Claude declared her a friend of his, not just because of the warm fuzzy feeling that came with making new friends, but also because his grinning, battered-up face looked so funny just then. "Hee hee. Right! I guess that makes you a friend of mine too. So you can come to me for anything, too!" Except that there weren't a lot of grown men whose pride could handle going to a little girl for help. But saying that he could made Anise look good, at least!
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"We'll never know what's down there otherwise," the blond agreed. But it'd also make sense that some people would opt out of going, especially considering how busy a lot of the captives were without factoring in basement patrol. "I'll bet some clubs have chosen people to go looking around in the basement, but with those stories about someone dying, they might be a little more careful."
People could get desperate, though. Especially if it was true that the basement was the only way home.
Claude's smile only brightened when Anise returned the sentiment, not quite realizing how funny his face looked to the girl right then. "That's kind of you to offer. Thanks, Anise!" Of course, he wouldn't want to burden her with any of his problems, but it was always nice to know he could depend on her if he were in a bind. He suspected she had combat experience, what with that spell, or whatever it was she'd pulled off, during their fight in the music room. Anise was probably a bit like Leon in that they were both young, but were made out of tougher stuff than they looked. Come to think of it, he and Guy had talked a little bit about that during Doyleton, hadn't they?
"Oh, you know, I should introduce you to a friend of mine sometime," the blond added. "Maybe you two would get along."
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Clearly interested, she leaned forward on the table with a girlish giggle. "Is he handsome?"
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But it was best to focus on the lighter topics, so he smiled. "I'd say he's pretty good-looking," he replied. "And extremely smart, too. He was one of the highest ranking scientists for a king before he joined up with me, you know."
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How did Claude know that was her type of guy? He didn't, did he? He wasn't even intending to play matchmaker, it seemed, despite Anise's own motives and intentions. So there just had to be something he thought Anise had in common with this mystery friend. But that was a good thing, too! It would be easier to get to know him that way.
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As for whether they'd hit it off, those sort of things were trickier. Guy had initially suggested they meet, and the more Claude thought about it, the more he figured it wouldn't hurt, at the very least. The blond couldn't help but smile at the girl's bright eagerness. "Well, I don't know for certain, but it'd be nice if you guys got along. I think having someone like you to talk to would do him good. And, anyway, you can't have too many friends in a place like this, right?"
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"Someone like me, huh?" the girl echoed, her bright smile still plastered on her face. Someone like what? Someone cute? Or maybe it was her cheerfulness - which wasn't always genuine, but it did tend to cheer other people up. If that was the case, then he certainly would benefit from her company! And Anise already had an idea as to how she could benefit from his. "Right! I'd love to meet him."
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"Great!" he said with a nod. "We'll just have to arrange that in the next day or so, then."
He was still grinning a bit as he wiped some syrup from the side of his mouth. Sure things were pretty gloomy around here, but that didn't mean they couldn't keep their chins up, right?