Day 39: Sun Room

[thatdamnedninja.livejournal.com]

That really hadn't been the breakfast she'd been expecting, but Yuffie couldn't bring herself to complain. The kid made for good company, and was, if nothing else, pretty entertaining. She could've just done without the whole choking thing. That… That had been embarrassing. A bit. Okay, a lot. Yuffie was starting to get a feeling that this day was -- for once-- actually going to ping on her ‘interesting!’ meter.

Whether or not that was a good thing, she didn’t know.

By the time she’d reached the Sun Room's bulletin board, a kitten on her shoulder and a pen twirling between her fingers, Yuffie was starting to put her finger on why she had that weird, nagging feeling. Though on second thought, it was less like putting her finger on it and more like it had jumped up and punched her right in the nose; the feeling wasn’t just about waffles, magicians, or tricky candy thieves. Sagara hadn't answered her bulletin post; he hadn't answered any bulletin posts. She hadn't seen that stupid, spiky head of his all morning. It was like radio silence without a radio.

Agai-- No, Yuffie cut herself off sharply, frowning. She was just jumping to conclusions. It wouldn't be the first time, right? Right! And yet… instincts were instincts for a reason, and in a dump like this, who knew what could happen?

[for Okita?]

Comments

[oftemptation.livejournal.com]

Endrance nodded, making a note of that. "Thank you...and I'll try to avoid being here at night if I can help it. I don't know what the limits are on my ability to fight." And I...I don't want to use Macha's power unless it's absolutely necessary, he silently added.

The term 'brainwashing' stood out. "Miku...what's this 'brainwashing' thing you mentioned. Is it permanent, or...?" He couldn't help thinking that the whole thing reminded him of the changes in his own thoughts. If it was AIDA...well, that bridge was one to be crossed if and when he arrived there.

"I see," he said in response to the last statement. "That's...quite a long time to be in a place like this. It must be frightening...and even more so to know that people vanish." He folded his arms over his chest, frowning out the window. "When you say different...you mean they don't remember?"

[rope-victim.livejournal.com]

Satisfied that she had impressed upon him the importance of not going out alone, Miku grinned as the kitten climbed up on her foot and sat there patiently awaiting her to pick it up and love it like a proper monkey should. "People are taken away at night for two purposes, to be experimented on, or to work for the institute as guards. From what I noticed on the bulletin, they seem to remember working for the institute, and they're almost-always sorry for their actions." There were people that had enjoyed their betrayal of the prisoner population entirely too much. Those people scared her immensely.

"I mean... that," Miku shrugged and leaned over gingerly to pick the kitten up and place him more comfortably on her lap. "Ah... that people who come back don't know they were here before, or they're from different times. If you talk to one of the people on the board, like Edgeworth-san, he has a primer for the new people here." She rubbed her knuckles over the top of the kitten's fluffy head.

[oftemptation.livejournal.com]

Endrance's eyes grew wide with surprise. He had given the primer a scan, but it had been so much information to take in...that, and finding the information about Atoli so soon afterwards. He nodded slowly, finding it hard to put words to his emotions like that. It sounded far too much like someone using AIDA...complete with either guilt the day after or pride in their betrayal. His chest felt tight with anger and guilt at the idea of someone using that unknown quantity to manipulate others, telling them what they wanted to hear, letting them be seduced by that power...

The experiments were almost scarier, to be honest. He remembered again what he had seen the night before, the animals locked in their cages. The pain they had felt, how hideous they looked...the idea of someone doing that to a person turned his stomach. "That's...terrible isn't a strong enough word, I don't think. It's as if we've been transported to hell..." The words were quiet, more angry and disturbed than sad.

He grew silent again, listening. Someone not knowing they were here, or being from a different time...it would be like going through the confusion and the fear again. "They wouldn't remember it at all? So they would have to go through everything again..."

[rope-victim.livejournal.com]

Miku nodded, slowly, "Yes, we have." It wasn't the worst hell she could think of - that was reserved for the "sacred" rituals that the Shinto priests had inflicted upon the young priestesses in so many villages - but it was very close. "But, on the bright side of this, reuniting with them, then making sure that, this time, they are well protected for as long as you have them is important."

What she wouldn't do to have Alphonse back between herself and Ritsuka again. "At least, I think it is. No matter what the Doctor Landel decides to torture us with, or how close we come to falling, it's important that we are all together." Between people, links were important. More important than Miku would ever admit aloud.

"I really wish that everyone would get out of here safely; it might not be the case - in fact, there's a good chance we may lose many more before this is all over," a thought that pained her heart in a horrible twisting way. "But that's what keeps me going." Realizing she'd been giving a speech, Miku cleared her throat and looked down quickly at the kitten in her lap.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to talk so much..."

[oftemptation.livejournal.com]

Endrance nodded, mulling over the girl's words. The advice was sound, he thought...yes. Very much so. He closed his eyes, deep in thought for a few moments.

Haseo. If you were here before, and you reappear, I swear that I'll protect you with my life. I owe you as much. You would want me to do that for the others, as well...and you...and 'her'. You would both want me to do my best. I'll do my best for you all. I swear it.

"No, it's quite all right, Miku...your strength and your hope are admirable." He turned to her, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "All we can do is try our best to protect the ones that are close to us, and keep up our strength and our hope. Weapons are no good without the strength behind them...and the bonds between us are that strength."

[rope-victim.livejournal.com]

Miku smiled brightly. "That's exactly right!" Someone that understood how important the links between people were really made Miku's day. She rubbed under the kitten's chin with one finger.

"There are some good things, though... The wounds here heal more quickly than normal. The night before last, I was hurt very badly. But today, I could probably walk around. They just prefer that I didn't, something about being 'of a delicate constitution,'" Miku rolled her eyes towards the skylight as if to ask, 'Really?' "Is there anything else you'd like me to tell you, Endrance-san?"