damned_institute | Day 38: Patients' Library

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Day 38: Patients' Library

The intercom rang out, disrupting what had turned out to be a rather pointless breakfast conversation, at least in Brainiac 5's eyes. He couldn't wait to put more distance between himself and Scar's blather of how logic, of all things, might not work the same way in this dimension. It was almost enough to make him believe that the man may very well have been a lion originally after all, as he'd never heard anything so very... ignorant and uneducated.

He quickly finished up the fruit he'd been nibbling on - he was no longer as hungry as he had been - and looked around automatically to see where Clark was. Unfortunately with the press of people around, some being led off to the library and others to the mentioned 'therapy sessions' - if that was what they really were - he had lost sight of the Kryptonian. Still there wasn't many places he could go, so Brainiac 5 would be able to catch up with him eventually to check on his condition and try and learn more about what had happened last night. That the Chapel had healed him - admittedly by passing his injuries to another - was interesting, but far more important in his eyes was what had happened to Clark and his powers. They hadn't been working correctly and that worried the Coluan boy more than he would normally have admitted. Without Clark's abilities... he wasn't sure what they would have to rely on in order to escape.

Another problem he would have to deal with was Grell... or, if he was to believe the notes on the bulletin board, the person pretending to be Grell. But that was going to require more careful planning before he made a move. Come to think of it, he had agreed to meet another in the library today on that same post that had sparked this whole mess. At least then he would have something of interest to look forward to, as he doubted any of the 21st century books were likely to be worthwhile to someone of his advanced intellect.

Following the nurses led him to what must have been the library; a reasonably large room filled with a range of archaic books on tall shelves, a few tables and chairs interspersed around the room. The Coluan boy couldn't refrain from wrinkling his nose in distaste as he entered the room, not liking the cumbersome books and the dust that he knew would have gathered on them; he much preferred the clean arrangement of his C.O.M.P.U.T.O. systems back in the Legion headquarters. It was much more practical then shelves and shelves of books on fictional worlds and dated information.

Trying to avoid as much of the room as possible, Brainiac 5 settled himself down on a chair to wait, keeping an eye out for a tall, dark-haired man with a red... something on his forehead.

[for Homura]

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"Well, I'm not sure," Sora clarified as he rubbed the back of his neck, hoping that he wasn't giving Clark the wrong idea. He believed this, after all, and so he wasn't trying to lead the other boy astray. It was up to Clark whether he agreed with it or not.

"But when people come from the same world, sometimes they'll be from different times. Like, someone will come from another person's past... except that for the one from the future, that person never left, y'know? Uhh, I don't know if I'm making any sense." He was sure that other people could explain it better than him, so maybe it would be best if Clark just asked on the bulletin about it. But Sora was doing his best!

...I think if the Evoker fired bullets, I'd be pointing it at my head right now.

"...I see. So someone scared both of you with a story about monsters that attack someone that's a virgin, and that's why you asked." He rubbed at his temple, trying to stave off the headache that was starting up, but to no avail.

"Well, as for why they'd twist the discussion like that, some people think that stuff is really funny, and giving people wrong information about it is just as funny. Don't ask me why, but they do. Anyway..."

That picture. Akihiko had half a mind to find the guy who'd posted it and punch him in the face right about then. After that, he'd make him handle the more difficult parts of this, with a punch for each time stuff wasn't quite right. That sounded really good right about then, and it was a shame he didn't know what the guy looked like. If he did, he'd be getting right on that.

As it was, he didn't have that luxury. "Well, the picture took some...very creative liberties," he began, shifting in his chair again. "It, uh, doesn't really work like that most of the time, because it would likely be really uncomfortable for the people involved." Not that I'd know...

Akihiko trailed off and took another deep breath. "Well, uh. Number one, it's best to wait until you're a lot older before you start thinking about having sex with anyone. That's because there are a lot of things to keep in mind - most importantly, uh, well. If it's with a woman, there's the risk of pregnancy to worry about. There are other things, too, but you weren't asking about that right now, so..."

He paused again, sighing and looking everywhere and anywhere but directly at Ken for a minute before keeping his eyes firmly planted down on the table. "Yeah. Anyway, uh, the way it works between a guy and a girl, who care about each other a lot, is that they go off somewhere private, and he, well."

You know how this works. Just close your eyes and say it, dammit.

Akihiko took another deep breath, closed his eyes, and very quickly said the last part: "The guy puts his penis inside the girl's vagina." Hopefully no one would notice the fact that he was now the color of the sweater-vest he usually wore.

Ken, honestly, was inclined to dismiss the first explanation. Granted, he could not speak for the anonymous tipster, but he was dead sure both Alita and himself found a vampire attacking virgins to be serious and valid. The bounty hunter wouldn't mislead him; if she wanted to, she had plenty of opportunity to do so from the beginning.

Regrettably, since that part was supposed to be under wraps, Ken would have to stay quiet.

He focused instead on the latter end, noting with growing concern that Akihiko was more or less beating around the bush. Like he was hiding something or worse, lying. The boy heavily doubted the presence of any lies--the senior was not the type to make stuff up--but he looked so uncomfortable. The guy appeared to be on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Uh, are you all right, Senpai?" He contorted his lips, worried. "It seems like you're bothered by the conversation. Did you have a bad experience with sex?"

Only Sync would be able to use that kind of logic, seeing people as obstacles and tools rather than human beings. It was probably why he had been so skilled at using the curse slot, come to think of it.

The God-General had implied that he did have something to do with the disappearances, but Guy couldn't be sure that Sync wasn't just doing so in order to provoke him.

Before he could question the boy any further, though, the intercom came on. He let out a silent sigh of relief, realizing only now that he was able to get away from Sync how much just interacting with the boy tired him out.

Sending the God-General a warning glare, Guy didn't say another word as he moved toward the library's exit to meet with his nurse.

Akihiko had been silently preparing for the 'so, have you done that with someone, Senpai?' question, and so the one he was met with instead caught him particularly off-guard. He had to quickly grab at the edge of the table to keep from falling out of his chair in surprise.

"I'm fine, Ken," he said, quickly regaining what he hoped was some semblance of composure. "And no, it's really nothing like that," he said. "It's just that it's a rather private topic, and some people are a lot more comfortable discussing it than others. But really, I'm fine."

He didn't think he really needed to say that he fell into the latter category.

Raine wasn't falling for it; Sheena had no reason to lie to her about this, but Soubi did. "Almost. What treatment has the staff given you?" As much as she hated them, the nurses did do better work than she could here.

"I won't ask you what happened, but if Sheena's concerned about the injuries you took, she has a reason for it."

"Who says I'm not going to demonstrate on you?" Schuldig purred. "Of course, I'm not sure if I'm even capable of being nice enough to the staff to get permission for that, but...no one seems to be paying anyone too much attention here, do they?"

"Guy?" Dias guessed, raising an eyebrow. It seemed like the logical choice; Claude would need to meet with the other man to give him the sword anyway, and that would result in there being three swords to three swordsmen. Not a bad set-up for an exploration party. And, besides that, Claude seemed to spend an awful lot of time with Guy these days. "You can ask him."

It felt kind of strange not to call an adult by a slightly more respectful title, but if Kio insisted, there was little he could do. It would be rude not to. Then again, hadn't Rukia and Renji been the same?

"Oh, um, I'm not injured," he replied, wiggling the fingers of his left hand a few times to show that they moved perfectly well in spite of the bandages.

"That's a... a long story," he explained, not going into much detail. "But the nurses insist I wear the bandages, so it's just easier to comply I suppose."

"Sorry," he said a little sheepishly when Kio caught him again using the more formal address. "I, um... about a week and a half now I think? Maybe two weeks? It's hard to keep track after a while."

_{[sldfjlfg I should be saying that. XO]}

Reflexively, manners won the war over personal feelings: he froze in the middle of a step, having been addressed.

No, he really did not want to deal with any of those onlookers from the cafeteria the night he, Sasuke, and Naruto had dealt with that little cow, not even if she was his biggest and brightest fan. (And honestly, that would probably have made it worse.) It wasn’t possibly having to explain how fast the stab to the lung had healed, but that he’d been caught in a moment of undeniable physical weakness at all. The noble recoiled at the idea of being recognized because of it.

He turned to look at her only because it was polite. “No. It’s nothing. I made a mistake,” Aidou replied lowly, as though he’d merely mixed her up with someone else. Which he had, in a way.

How stupid.

Clark frowned, trying to think this over. He wasn't really sure that was proof...but then again, he hadn't met anyone from his time; only a few people claiming to be from other versions of his world or from another planet entirely.

"I guess it makes sense," Clark said slowly. He chewed the edge of his lip, "I wish there was a way to make sure though. Like, get a letter out or an e-mail or something."

Computers were a no go. He'd learned that last night with Kvothe when they'd investigated the doctor offices and found out the computers couldn't be used. The phones, too, hadn't worked. It'd be nice to believe his parents didn't know he was gone, but at the same time, he'd like to know for certain.

"Uh, well..." Claude laughed a little, rubbing the back of his head. "I did have Guy in mind, but it's possible he made plans with some of his other friends. If that's the case, I can ask someone else." He smiled. "I'll just have to see when I talk to him later."

Hopefully he'd say yes. Given how much of a loner Dias usually was, the fact he'd agreed so readily to having Guy along said a lot. Finding someone else who Dias could tolerate just as well could be a little more difficult.

"Anyway, how does meeting in my room sound?" he asked. "I'm in M44."

Travel once he returned home? Hardly. He'd be put right back to work and be stuck in London once more. Death gods were usually busy, but with the recent staff shortages for one reason or another, Grell had been run exceptionally thin. Everyone was on duty at all hours of the day, no breaks. It was really no wonder why he'd jumped at the opportunity to stand by the Madam's side. It was a lot more fun and 100% less paperwork. "...if I can find time, perhaps, but once I return to London, I should get back to work."

That was, of course, hinging on whether or not he had been fired.

Now, most interesting was where this Doctor had been. He certainly wasn't lying when he said he'd been around. Britain, America, Norway? History, Grell could do without, having been around for most of it. Then again, he hadn't been around for Greece's history, so that could be fun. They had been a bloody lot, hadn't they?

Blinking, Grell turned to the Doctor, both incredulous and somewhat confused. "....there's a planet called Barcelona?"

"Mild painkillers," he answered, honestly. They'd offered more, but Soubi had kicked up a bit of a fuss. Not so much that they saw fit to sedate him, luckily. They had decided to let Soubi have his way, expecting him to be overcome with pain and beg them for more. He was hoping it was enough to beat the fever that was trying to set in.

"She's being oversensitive," he said, stubbornly. "Let me put it this way. If the wound closes before I see fit, I will tear it open with my bare hands." A little TOO honest, even for himself to hear, but he wasn't going to back down. He turned to leave, hoping he could leave the matter there.

Edited 2009-01-15 19:11 (UTC)

[backthread?]

Ah. So, she'd seen. Shito personally thought that the logical thing to do, after seeing something like that, was to leave the person alone to recover. But this girl clearly disagreed. At least she didn't ask if he was okay, since clearly he wasn't; the question she did as was pretty dumb, too, but at least not insulting. "... Yeah. During dinner." These were not memories Shito particularly wanted to re-examine.

Perhaps it was better for the question not to be raised, and perhaps that was why Roland followed up his comment so quickly, almost as though he'd realized his mistake. The matter with Greg was a sensitive one, and one he sometimes referenced without thinking. But had he done so... well, that was in the past now. Roland tried his best not to think about his friend unless there was some liquid courage to help him down that path.

Still, the answer was what he'd expected, and he nodded at the explanation. Roland himself was certain that his visitor was real and not some mere copy that the Institute had made, which weighed the problem even more in his mind. How could he abandon Greg again? It seemed like Peter understood... more than Roland would admit out loud, anyway. "I agree; I'm of the opinion that our visitors really are the people we knew before. Which is why I asked what I did. If..." He paused for a moment, trying to think of how to ask his question before he finally decided, "...the world you came from was worse than where you are right now, would you really want to take Nathan back?"

_{[Aye aye! We rock the backthreads. Though maybe this might be our last post? :O]}

During dinner. Which meant that entire incident had been considered part of the “sleep study,” and also… that he’d been up there all that time. What did they do? What did they want? How often did they do such things? Why did they pick who they did?

It wasn’t that Tsubaki didn’t know what else to say, but that there wasn’t anything she could say.

What powers people did have seemed to be repressed, there were strong, dangerous creatures roaming the halls at night, and the people imprisoned inside were ill-equipped with both weapons and information. Everyone was… limited. “I’m sorry no one was able to do anything for you,” was what she eventually said, putting her hands behind her back so that he wouldn’t see she was still squeezing the book. “I’m sorry.” The calm tone of voice belied what lay underneath her apologies.

And because that was it, she shifted her weight, smiling faintly as though to say All right, I’m going now, and decided to leave him in peace.

Ed sighed softly when Adel turned away, setting his book aside and leaning back in the chair. He was beginning to see how frustrating it could be to deal with someone who wouldn't accept help. How had Al dealt with him half the time? "We worry about you," he said quietly. "But as long as you're alright."

"'Them' are the other people from my world," Kenren began to explain. "It's kind of a complicated situation, but they're from about five hundred years further on than I am, and I'm not who I'm supposed to be in their time. It gets confusing." And if it was confusing to someone living it, it had to be worse for someone who didn't understand all of the nuances of reincarnation and gods and youkai.

Those words rubbed Adelheid the wrong way, if he was going to be honest with himself. He'd never liked people worrying about him, or admitting that they had; most of the people who did so died shortly thereafter, and what was the point in the worry, anyway? It was just a distraction, and besides, it wasn't like anyone had worried enough to stop by after being told. What was the point of worry that wasn't put into action?

Those were the thoughts running through his head, but instead of voicing them, he simply shook his head again. "I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me."

A letter? Did Clark really think that would work? How was a letter going to get all the way back to his world? For someone who had been here for over a week, Sora found it hard to believe that the other boy still believed this was his home world...

"Yeah, I wish we could make some contact," he said, since he still agreed with the sentiment, even though he wasn't sure it worked that way.

He puzzled over whether or not he should try and explain to Clark, but before he could decide the intercom came on and there wasn't any time left. "Ahh. Anyway! It was nice talking to you, Clark," he said with a brief smile. Waving, he made his way back across the library so the nurse could lead him to the cafeteria.

It was a relief to find someone else who agreed with his view of things, and Peter relaxed when he heard it. It wasn't enough to make everything that had happened better, but it helped his mood just slightly.

But the hypothetical question got the gears turning in his head. Roland had to be asking this for a reason, after all, which probably meant that wherever he came from wasn't somewhere he necessarily wanted to be. Peter had never considered that someone would be in that situation, but he could understand how hard it would be to come to terms with.

"You mean... stay here?" he asked, glancing around the room they were in, but meaning that whole building. "Or just... in this world?" Beyond Doyleton, he didn't know what the rest of this world was like, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they could just get out of the institute. He personally still wanted to get to his real home, but in Roland's case, maybe it took some more thinking.

"Haven't thought that far ahead," he admitted with a wry smile, "I've only seen the outside at night time, and I haven't even gotten to town except for those few bus rides. Could be the same as it is here." In which case the question was academic, wasn't it? One change was the same as the others, there was no real difference to be found. Except that in town there would be a few more freedoms during the day, perhaps.

Ah well. It seemed like Peter was listening, which was all Roland needed. Just someone to listen to him think out loud and see what happened after that. "...of course, it could be better as well. I suppose it depends on how far the influence from this place goes, doesn't it?"

The smile on Sai's face became a touch softer, and he leaned forward in his seat. "Something like that." It saved him an explanation, anyway, if she made all the assumptions herself. "I've been working on regaining some of them. My emotions, that is."

She came from another world in which ninja weren't common, then. It wasn't the first time he'd heard someone say that there weren't many around anymore. It would be interesting if she came from a time further ahead than his own, but it was more likely that she was from a different world entirely.

Edited 2009-01-16 03:26 (UTC)

"Pretty much," Peter agreed. But there wasn't really any way of figuring that out, seeing how the furthest they ever got to go was to Doyleton, and he doubted that much ground could be covered even during the night shift. Which meant that the only real option was a true escape, but the solution to that problem seemed as elusive now as it had when he had first woken up here.

That didn't mean he was going to give up, though, especially when he knew people were relying on him. Peter realized that he kept telling himself that, but it did make him feel a little better.

"I guess it doesn't matter either way if this place is already better than home, though," he pointed out. It was hard to imagine a place worse than Landel's, but he also wasn't surprised that such a place existed.

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Day 38: Patients' Library

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