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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Last time he'd been in the library, the Doctor hadn't gotten to do much reading thanks to Donna. He wasn't in the mood to read as much as he'd been the other day, but he plucked the copy of Gulliver's Travels off the shelves regardless. He found a chair next, settling down to read.

If someone decided to join him, maybe he could have a nice chat. If not, at least he'd have Lemuel.

[Oh Miss Grell~!]

What a delightful way to spend the first meal! Grell had found himself a lovely little 'protector' who was willing to stick up for him on the bulletin and would 'save' him from Brainy's wrath whenever that should come to pass. Grell wasn't all that worried should they come to blows though. Brainiac 5 had bravado on his side now that the sun was in the sky, but come night, the lights would be out and he'd be at a disadvantage. He could be brave all he wanted, but Grell had seen him crying in fear.

Letting the nurse lead him into the library, the death god felt his head swim a little now that he was in tight quarters. There was a familiar feeling in the air, something stronger than the last time he'd sensed it. Something that felt...off. Putting a hand to his forehead, he swooned a bit, causing his nurse to take his arm and lead him to the first chair she could find. "Stay here, Geoffrey. I'll get you a book and you can rest, hm?"

Grell waved his hand at her, nodding slightly, but he didn't fail to notice that the feeling was worse now that he was sitting. Glancing to the side as soon as the nurse was gone, he spotted a rather dapper looking man next to him. Could he be..? No, he doubted that. Which meant he had to put up the act for now. "My apologies. I'm a little flustered - you don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

By the time a nurse led another patient over, the Doctor had finished only a few pages, preferring a leisurely read over finishing the novel quickly. The nurse hurried off a moment later, ostensibly to find a book for the gentleman.

The Doctor turned to look at the redhead when he spoke, giving him a friendly smile. "No, not at all!" he said. The man looked as if he were feeling a little ill, or perhaps just uneasy... He'd said he was flustered, and maybe that was the best word. "I'd certainly enjoy the company."

He closed the book in his lap, turning in the chair in order to face the man a little better. "I'm—" he said, pausing suddenly. He'd been about to say 'the Doctor' out of habit, but the reaction the name had gotten from a few of the patients he'd spoken with on the bulletin board had confirmed that Edward had been right. Maybe it was best not to give his name. "Smith," he finished after the second of silence. "John Smith. And you?"

His nurse returned with a book, but Grell didn't give it a second glance before setting it to the side. He wasn't in the mood for reading and even if the book was something interesting, he was far more invested in figuring out where that feeling was coming from. The headache was waning as he learned to ignore the presence, but it was so strong.

The man, however, seemed more than willing to talk, which was a little more than what Grell wanted at the moment. At least, until he mentioned his name. Calls himself the Doctor, but if you run into him he might give a different name. He likes John Smith. The words came back like a rush and Grell had to fight to keep the surprise off his face. The Doctor? Donna's Doctor? The time traveller who was likely responsible for her offness and now definitely responsible for Grell's headache? Oh, but this was too good.

"Hello, Mr. Smith," he said, keeping up his routine for no other reason than he'd finally settled into it. It was unfortunate that Bruce and Donna had seen a different side of him. Perhaps it would mean disposing of them, too, in order to keep his cover. Or, perhaps it meant he needed to blend the two together better. He could always argue split personalities. He was in a crazy house, after all. "Grell Sutcliff, butler to--" He paused, as if catching himself in a mistake. "Um, former butler to the Burnett Estate. Have you been here long?"

A butler! Or former butler, but he'd apparently been a butler long enough to introduce him as such from habit. The Doctor generally liked hired help and household servants; they were always quite well-informed of goings-on. If you wanted information (or gossip) about a place, it was best to start in the kitchen.

"Yes," the Doctor said in reply to Grell's question. After the briefest pause, he amended, "Well, no. Well... relatively. I've been here for a few days. It's not as long as others have, but it's a long time for me. I— do a lot of travelling, and I don't generally stay in one place for very long."

He smiled. "Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you, Grell!"

So this was him. Travelling, indeed. If only Grell were in the right frame of mind (or really, personality), he would have called this Mr. Smith on his charade. Ironic, seeing how Grell was such an actress himself. "Oh...I've never been much out of London myself. My mistress tended to keep to very tight circles within the aristocracy."

Of course, those circles often included shadier dealings with people like Lau and that lot, but Grell needn't mention that. The Doctor seemed rather pleased to meet him, meaning his name hadn't been mentioned yet in conversation with Donna. The death god preferred to keep it that way, if only to keep suspicion off himself. Pulling his ponytail over his shoulder, he nervously ran his fingers through it as he returned the Doctor's smile with a shy one of his own. "Y-yes, it's a pleasure."

A few days meant he'd been here just about as long as Donna - that would make sense. He was certainly the fellow responsible for the aura surrounding her, but then...how was he still here? Could this place really trap gods and time travellers so easily? Looping the tail ends of his hair around his fingers, he looked curiously at the Doctor for a moment and then asked, "If you don't mind me asking, why don't you stay in one place for long? It isn't much of a holiday if you don't stay and relax for a bit."

[Sorry for the re-post; I'd posted my draft by accident!]

"Well that's a shame," the Doctor commented. "It's a big world out there; you ought to see more of it! You said you were a former butler… If you're not in anyone's employ at the moment, it could be a good time to do a little travelling. See some more of England if not the rest of the world."

He studied Grell for the briefest moment as the man played with his hair. For him not to have done much travelling could mean that his mistress had gone with other servants (perhaps her maids) while his duties left him at the estate, or that she simply did not leave the London estate often. Having a butler had been fashionable in several centuries, but they weren't completely unheard even in many other eras when they were less popular... The Doctor wondered when, exactly, Grell had been stolen from.

"I just... I don't stay. I never stay," he said in response to the former butler's question. "Maybe I would if I was on a holiday, but travelling is what I do. There's so much out there that still needs to be seen!" And it was true: he never stayed, and there was always something new just a short trip away. But Grell didn't need to know the full reasons for the why's and wherefore's, and the Doctor only rarely spoke about them anyway. Generalities would suffice.

If only Grell could travel the world! He'd love to see anything outside of London, even if it meant temporary reassignment. He'd take anywhere - well, almost. He wasn't all that interested in, say, Greenland for instance. Not enough death there to go around, he suspected. The poor fellows assigned out there had to be bored out of their immortal minds. "Ah...just one problem, Mr. Smith," Grell pointed out, hands twisting in his hair again. "We're, ah...stuck in here."

Which was really the worst way to spend a vacation. Certainly, he was supposed to be on administrative leave or some rubbish like that, but he looked at this as a sort of demented holiday. He didn't have to reap, William wasn't making him fill out forms, and he was pretty much left to his own devices. While he would have preferred his powers and weapon restored to him, he couldn't argue with the little bit of down time.

Letting out a sigh, Grell untangled his fingers from his hair and murmured, "Oh, well, if traveling is your business..." Just how suspicious was this man? First, lying about his name. Next, his aura. Now, the fact that he never stayed anywhere? What was the Doctor? Why didn't he stay? The mysteries surrounding him were intriguing and, combined with his somewhat boyish good looks, Grell was finding this shift to be rather delightful. He always did love a man with a few skeletons in the closet. It made it more fun when he tore the Record out of the guy's broken body. "How many countries have you visited, sir? Which would you recommend?"

"Well, we are now, but we won't be forever. You can travel once you're been returned home," the Doctor said matter-of-factly. He'd intended to do some investigating last night to further that end, but running into the child had shifted his priorities… He frowned, wondering where they boy was now.

The frown disappeared quickly, replaced by a grin. He tended to think of things in terms of planets rather than countries, but he had visited his share of countries on Earth. "Oh, well... I've lost count somewhere along the way, but I've visited a lot of them... most of them, probably, but not all of them, not yet. They keep changing their names and borders."

For recommendations, he could have had something more specific to recommend if he knew when Grell was from (some places were lovely except for during certain years, after all), but there were general recommendations he could offer. He was willing to bet that Grell was from a time well before humans developed space travel, so recommending other planets was right out. "Well, it all depends on how far you are willing and able to go. I'm rather fond of the whole of Great Britain myself. America's not bad, either, but it depends on when you go. If you enjoy parties, they throw excellent ones in France. Or you could go to Norway, see the fjords... Egypt and Greece are very nice if you want somewhere with a bit of history."

He paused, thinking, and then looked incredibly pleased with himself. "I know! Barcelona! The city, I mean, not the— not the planet. The city."

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?"

"You should try to," the Doctor encouraged. "Everyone ought to see beyond their little bit of the world if they can." He knew that travelling wasn't necessarily for everyone, but that was no reason not to give it a shot. If Grell had to get back to work right away, maybe he could find a master who travelled more and go with him.

Talk of Barcelona made the Doctor grin. He really ought to take more people to Barcelona; maybe he and Donna could— No, they couldn't, not anymore, but maybe he would make a trip on his own. It had been a while since he'd been there on his own. "There is! And a rather nice planet it is. I'd recommend it, too, if I thought you could get there."

It seemed like the Doctor couldn't see through Grell's disguise, which was good. It meant he could relax a little for the time being. And really? Grell would have loved to travel, but he'd seen enough of the world in London to last him eternity. People were people no matter where they went and unless someone interesting came along to shake things up, then he spent his days in a fair amount of boredom. Which was why the Madam had been so beautiful and also so very disappointing. Nodding slightly, Grell looked down at the book beside him again and ran his fingers over the spine. "I-I suppose...if I get the chance."

Out of the corner of his eye, Grell caught a grin from his mysterious Mr. Smith and he had to hide a smile himself. He was such an eager man - so full of life, so very long lived... What his Record would show could fill Grell's life with endless entertainment. It really was a shame that his deathscythe was missing. Remembering his role, Grell made sure to stare like the Doctor had grown a second and then a third head. "A p-planet? A planet called Barcelona? Are you quite mad? There's no such thing!"

For Grell's sake, the Doctor hoped Grell would get the chance. It was a big universe, after all, and even if all a human could see was his tiny little planet, that was big all by itself. He couldn't imagine staying in one place his whole life and not seeing anywhere else.

And maybe in Grell's case, seeing more would broaden his perspective. 'No such thing'? Really! "Of course there is," he said matter-of-factly. "You lot just don't know about it yet, probably. But in a few thousand years, well..."

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Day 38: Patients' Library

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