damned_institute | Day 40: Recreational Field

Kio's breakfast ended on a much happier note than it had started. However, for once the announcement truly surprised him. He blinked as his nurse came to pick him up. Recreational Field? But.. but if they had a greenhouse, he wanted to go there. The prospect of gardening was a truly liberating one, an island of joy in this hellhole. He thought about going to the Sun Room and lying down, but it occurred to him that he hadn't had proper fresh air since being here. With a cheery goodbye wave to Honey, he followed his torturer outside.

It was much better than he had expected. The sun wasn't too hot (what time of the year were they in, anyway?), so he walked slowly along the walls, fascinated by the size of the field. He wondered if Sou-chan was alright. He hadn't even checked the board. Well, if Soubi wanted to apologize, Kio would be willing to listen. The place was so crisp and clean. He had to think if anyone had ever gone over the walls. What was out there? Freedom? Or a different sort of monster?

Leaning against one of the walls, Kio took as much advantage of the sun as he could. He desperately wanted a lollipop. One was quietly nestled in his pocket, but he would need to wait until the nurses were busy with other patients before he tried anything. Soubi had gone to some trouble to get them, the least he could do was make sure they didn't get confiscated. So with bated breath, Kio waited for a shift in the mood. He was, for once, content. Not happy, but not going crazy either.

[Sou-chan! Team Loveless deploy!]

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Homura had a way of making five-hundred years sound like a perfectly normal period of time to be talking about. It was still bizarre how easily Allelujah had come to accept the differences between worlds, that people could be gods, or could live for such impossible spans of time. He thought over Homura's apparentl objective for a few moments, giving it proper consideration before nodding. "What would be the point of helping them just to lost them again?" he agreed. "Something good should be done with what this place can manage." If they could make people like Homura's love come back, then it seemed like a reasonable thing to do.

"I can see how th time difference and a vow not to kill would be helpful," Allelujah replied with a smile. It wasn't a requirement, hopefully, because he doubted that he or Soma would be willing to abide by that. "If you could assist, I would be grateful," he replied honestly. "I can't avoid her forever, and if I'm attacked, I can lose control. But I wouldn't provoke her." It would be better that it never came to a fight between himself and Soma and Hallelujah.

What for Allelujah was bizarre stood as perfectly normal in Homura's scope. In terms of eternity, five-hundred years really was nothing to talk about. The only thing an immortal being could hope for was something to break up that amount of time, and make it something more than just a never-ending fit of boredom and futility. That was one of the few benefits to this prison, and Homura was happy to hear that Allelujah apparently accepted another. "I'm glad you think that way. Many people here believe the dead should remain dead, which is why I've kept this goal relatively quiet. Obviously I see things differently."

And he would fight to have it happen. He already knew it would mean betraying those he had a loose alliance with now, but to save Rinrei, he was willing to do just that.

"I will what I can. I'd rather you not spend your time in a battle that has no meaning due to the circumstances." Nor the woman, if her talents could be put to better use. "But I'm curious. What do you mean by 'lose control'?"

"If they were dead from a natural cause, then I think there would be cause to object. But the people who died prematurely, who never got their full chance at living, why should they be denied that if there is a way to give them that chance?" Perhaps it was a naive way of thinking about things, but he truly couldn't see any reason why they shouldn't try to keep them alive. Besides, there were people here who were supposedly dead too. He doubted that any of them begrudged the chance to live a little longer.

And how to explain Hallelujah without Homura thinking that he truly belonged here. It was one thing to admit it in a drugged stupor, but explaining it was more difficult. "I... sometimes when I fight, when I can't cope with someone, among other times, there's another me, Hallelujah. He can take over and he's um... brutal." And that was being kind.

Talking about me again? his other half said, sounding a little amused. You're normally so quiet.

You like the attention. You like causing a scene.

Now that was an interesting qualification. "So if a man died of some disease in his twenties, you'd deny him the opportunity to revive himself?" There was no malice in Homura's voice; only a hint of mild amusement. "But since I avoided my own natural death by being killed in battle before old age could claim me, do I meet your qualification for renewed life?". Obviously their viewpoints differed, but that mattered little. Homura's resolve wasn't going to falter due to something so minor.

There seemed to be some discomfort on Alleljuh's part as he explained his other self, but Homura had a better idea of the concept than the man realized. "Something similar happens with many in my world, typically of the demon race. But there are also gods who wear limiters." He glanced at the cuffs on his wrists, poor substitutes for what he once wore. "I had much heavier shackles along with a length of chain to restrain my strength. It isn't quite the same as an alternate personality, however."

Oh, he hadn't thought of it that way. Allelujah frowned at the thought, pondering that for a minute before shaking his head. "I don't know," he admitted after a few momewnts. "I shouldn't have answered so quickly I suppose. It's too big a question to not think about it properly." Especially when the very idea was something so outside his experience. Bringing someone back to life... it was a terrifying and intoxicating thought. "But I wouldn't oppose you trying to do it," he added after a moment.

Homura seemed less shocked than Allelujah was expecting, considering he couldn't really remember Badou or Fai's reactions. Maybe he hadn't told them really? "I suppose it wouldn't sound so shocking in that case. Where I'm from though, it's a personality disorder. Most doctors would probably want to give me drugs to 'fix' me. I know the one I saw yesterday was shocked that I wouldn't want to get rid of Hallelujah."

Homura grinned as Allelujah realized his mistake. "Most people have certain objections to it, some that are understandable. But I refuse to let others dictate how I will live my life, and I will fight in order to hold to that." It was a simple philosophy, but by far the most effective one that Homura had found during his time alive. "You'll learn, if you haven't already, that what is holy and what is evil is decided by those with power, my friend. That is how this conflict will be decided as well."

"But I'm glad to hear you wouldn't oppose me." Very glad. Homura had little desire to turn his sword on Allelujah.

"Most fear what they don't understand, or what they know would overwhelm them. That is why the gods truly despise heretical beings." To hear that they wanted to erase the source of some of Allelujah's strength wasn't at all surprising. That was what this place prided itself on during the day; curing them of the memories that made the patients who they were. "I wore shackles because I was a forbidden existence, or so they wished me to believe. That I had committed some crime by merely being born. In truth, it was so I wouldn't learn of my own power. They wanted me to remain weak so my spirit would be more easily crushed, and my life ended. Your situation is very likely the same."

Allelujah smiled back hesitantly and nodded. "You have to choose your own path. If I'd allowed other people to decide my fate than I would have died ten years ago when they decided I was a failed experiment." And instead he'd found companions, friends even, or comrades at least, who had allowed him to fight to ensure no more like him were created. And even if she didn't remember, he'd been able to see Marie again. He nodded seriously, knowing Homura's words to be the truth. Celestial Being had been reviled by the governments, but used by them when it was convenient. The people in power always decided what was good or evil when it was convenient for them.

To have someone accept what he was, the two sides of him, that was a new experience. He looked over at the cuffs that Homura wore and it was easy to imagine them as shackles to contain power. "No-one can commit a crime just by being born," Allelujah said, frowning at that. "If it's a crime, then it rests on the heads of the people who came before. A child shouldn't pay for the crimes of the parents." He smiled bitterly. "Even if I'm a hypocrite for saying that." He'd heard them scream when he'd killed them, so many of his siblings who had been killed because he'd been hurt by the scientists.

Day 40: Recreational Field

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