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.

[identity profile] per-ardua.livejournal.com 2008-11-22 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
You have no idea. Raine sighed. "Yes, that's certainly true. Sometimes there's no choice, but someone sacrificing themselves deliberately... should only be a last resort."

She'd explain about Colette later, if she was asked. Now felt too much like changing the subject.

[identity profile] hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com 2008-11-22 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
"That depends on the person's duty and whether they fully understand what their sacrifice accomplishes," Momo replied. "I, for example, am well aware of my duty and understand the circumstances in which my life means nothing compared to the situation around me."

She sighed. "But people are passionate, emotional creatures. We rarely ever take the time to think things through before acting. Even shinigami are like this. I'd say that had to do with once having been human, but the nobles are even worse about it than a commoner like me."

[identity profile] per-ardua.livejournal.com 2008-11-22 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't know about that. The Chosen of my world, Colette, was born to be the Sacrifice, and she's as ready as she can be for it, even knowing it's more of a stopgap measure than anything else. But she's still only sixteen, and being born just to die for the people of her world..." Raine shook her head.

Through it all... distractions were good. "The noble class among shinigami were never human?"

[identity profile] hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com 2008-11-22 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
Sorrow touched the shinigami's eyes. "That is a cruel fate she endures."

Her thoughts on that subject were rerouted, though, when Raine asked about the nobles. She frowned a little. "I'm not 100% sure, but no, I don't think they were." She thought for a moment.

"You see, most seated officers, and nearly all captains, are nobles. It is rare for commoners to reach rank given the differences in the average reiatsu levels." She hmmed a moment. "Remember, we're spiritual beings. Commoners are souls that move through being human and then dying and returning to Soul Society. It's a continuous cycle for us. A commoner soul doesn't actually die, it reincarnates and is born as a human."

She set her pencil down. "I don;t know what happens to nobles when they die, but us commoners suspect they actually die - the soul snuffs out never to return. Nobles are generally so much more powerful, as if traversing through the cycle of life, death and reincarnation dillutes a commoner's reiatsu."

She sighed. "The nobles keep all that information closely guarded and are the ruling class of Soul Society." Her gaze shifted to look at the other shinigami again. "My rank grants me equal status to the nobles."

[identity profile] per-ardua.livejournal.com 2008-11-22 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
Raine blinked. "That must cause some severe class divides. From what I've seen of the upper classes, I'm glad I live in what's mostly a village of equals. Technically I'm of the lowest class, being a half-elf, but to Iselia I'm the schoolteacher who happens to be an elf."

She still didn't want to think about what would happen if they knew. Was Iselia even home for her and Genis anymore?

[identity profile] hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com 2008-11-22 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
"It does create some class strain, but anyone is welcome to take the entrance exam for the Academy and anyone with the right work ethic and ability can achieve rank," Momo replied. "Take Shiro-chan - he and I grew up together, so he's a commoner, and yet he is also the youngest captain the Gotei 13 has ever had."

Momo pursed her lips. "But I also grew up in the First District of Rukongai, next to the ivory walls of Seireitei. I know those that grew up in the outskirts had it much harder and therefore hold the nobles in great contempt."