damned_institute | Day 40: Lunch

Entry tags:

Day 40: Lunch

*hobble wobble*

"Damn that SCOURGE!" Starscream cried out, the slowly-filling cafeteria producing a jarring echo of his raspy voice. His limping, already bad enough from not knowing how to properly use his crutches, was now exacerbated from the injuries he'd received the shift prior. Despite the gauges in his non-casted leg so lovingly provided by the aforementioned 'patient', Starscream could still put some weight on it, but not so much that he could really stop and rest; relieving the soreness under his arms was out of the question. The nurse that walked behind him with his tray, already upset at having to deal with yet another troublesome inmate, was growing rather impatient as his charge slowly made his way down the food line.

"Just...give me a standard serving of the aquatic creature's flesh, some of those fried potato slices, two bananas, and three bottles of juice," Starscream sighed, his anger from just a moment ago assuaged by the physical exertion needed to move the way he did. "I'm going to sit down here...bring it to me when you're done."

He was hardly surprised to find that one of the bananas was completely bruised along its inner curve, or that the handful of 'chips' on his plate were all on the small side. Tired and frustrated as he was, however, he could barely muster a 'damned flesh-creature' before moving his fingers to the plate, picking one of the longer 'chips' and shoving it into his mouth listlessly.

There was an unusually high concentration of sodium chloride crystals on it. Of COURSE.

[For Tony Stark]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Artemis's spark of temper didn't get much more than a raised eyebrow from Kakashi; thankfully, at least one of them did have experience dealing with this sort of thing. Not that Kakashi's results had exactly been spectacular, but hopefully Artemis would be at least a little less stubborn than Sasuke. Whether he was or not, Kakashi had learned an interesting fact; Haku apparently wasn't the only one suffering. Artemis hinted that he had his own issues, though Kakashi couldn't yet guess as to what those were.

"It takes a lot of practice to be able to do something like that." Kakashi would know, since he was the type of person who could smile as he told someone that everyone he'd loved about had been killed. "And a certain type of person, I think. But if something happened to you, I'd imagine Haku-kun would be able to pick up on it. So it's probably that he's doing his best not to burden you."

Hiding everything they were feeling. Somehow, Kakashi doubted that this was the best approach to things, but the one they were most likely to attempt to take. "Whether or not you can push it aside, Artemis-kun, you're the only one who can move past it. Whatever has happened to you, either you'll be consumed by it, or you'll overcome it. But you're the one who chooses which path you go down, even if your friends scream at you to pick differently." And if he was lucky, those screams would get through, even if it took a few years.

At least he seemed to accept Kakashi's story about the rumors being spread. Thankful for that, the jounin nodded, but held his tongue when it came to asking just what Artemis might do even if he was upset. Some buttons just didn't need to be pushed.

Artemis was growing steadily more and more annoyed with the direction the conversation was taking. He knew that Haku wasn't trying to burden him, and Haku knew that something was terribly wrong with Artemis. And to make things worse, Haku also knew that Artemis was pretending that nothing was wrong, when he knew something was terribly wrong with him--and thus Haku worried.

There was no solution to this problem. It was a vicious circle, with the two of them trying so hard to fix the other and appear fine at the same time. And neither one wanted to be the one to give in and lean on the other, when they knew that the other boy was silently suffering their weight.

"Well I don't anticipate losing," Artemis said with finality. "It's not an option. So I don't have multiple paths to chose from: there is only one."

Kakashi could pick up on Artemis's growing annoyance fairly easily, but he didn't comment on it. He might have been calmly eating throughout the conversation, except that his option hadn't changed from bastardized tempura that was going nowhere near Kakashi's mouth. So instead, he once again pulled out his copy of White Fang and began reading. It wasn't as if he'd stopped paying attention to the conversation, or that he was even paying less attention.

But he did decide that he should get another book from the library soon.

"That sort of thinking can be dangerous." Kakashi turned a page, addressing Artemis without looking up. "If you happen to pick the wrong path. I've heard more than one person say there's only one road open to them, only to have those people meet a tragic end. But! That sort of determination is important to have too." The jounin lowered his book just enough to look at Artemis over the top edge, clearly smiling at the boy even if only his eyes could be seen. "I wish you good luck, Artemis-kun. I'm hoping Haku-kun recovers from this as well...and you, from whatever it is you've suffered."

A muscle went in Artemis' face when Kakashi opened his book and began reading of all things. Honestly, would it kill Kakashi to put off reading until he wasn't having a conversation with someone? Kakashi had no idea that Artemis hated it when people wouldn't even look at him while speaking--as though he wasn't worth the effort.

No doubt Kakashi had noticed Artemis' irritation, mostly because the boy had made no move to hide it. He had no reason to, after all. He wasn't trying to win Kakashi's favor.

Artemis looked back at Kakashi coolly, down at the spine of the book, then back up at him.

"Jack London is a terrible writer. I wonder why you would even bother," he said, trying to hold Kakashi's eyes.

That seemed to have touched a nerve. Unfortunately for Artemis's pride, Kakashi wasn't particularly bothered by the boy's dislike of his hobby. If he let little things like that get under his skin, Kakashi would always be on time, and as experience proved, that only made people think he was suspicious. Of course, maybe it would have helped if Artemis knew that Kakashi was still paying attention to him, along with being able to take note of a few other things in the cafeteria. The benefit of being a capable ninja.

"The nurse picked it out for me on my first day. They didn't have any of the series I normally like to read." Which Artemis was far too young for; Kakashi made note to not go into detail about the Icha Icha books with him. He also didn't look into Artemis's eyes as he spoke; if he was going to get something different, he'd want to finish this book before the day was out. "And even if she hadn't, the title would have been enough to get my attention had I seen it. But I was thinking of picking out something different to read. Do you have any suggestions?"

Artemis narrowed his eyes again. "Michel Foucault," he said, fully intending to torture Kakashi in the long run. "Anything by him is quite interesting--especially The Panopticon. Or The Order of Things." The boy smiled, secretly envisioning Kakashi staring at the impossible prose, unable to make any sense of it.

He wasn't exactly sure why he was still sitting there if Kakashi was intent on reading instead of talking. Especially when he hadn't gotten much more than a lecture from the man--Artemis still had no clue how to go about fixing the situation. But he noted, with some small strain of satisfaction, that this obviously meant that he knew everything that Kakashi knew about Haku--and probably more. Which left him to figure out things on his own. Predictable, honestly. What could he expect from a person who thought it was appropriate to read in front of a new acquaintance?

Artemis began looking around the room, debating whether or not he should just spout out the ending of the book--to show Kakashi the same courtesy, of course. It might not change anything though, and Artemis didn't care if all he wanted to do was read or lecture someone.

He caught sight of Haku, his eyebrows coming together a little. The nurse had said that he and Haku had the same doctor now. Which meant that, possibly, Haku would be seeing Disraeli next shift. He seemed happy enough now--Artemis could only hope that the appointment had already happened.

The boy sighed and turned back to Kakashi. "I have a question for you, actually."

"I'll ask if they have that, then. Thanks." What Artemis thought of Kakashi's renewed reading really didn't matter to the jounin so much. The important thing was that he wasn't pressing Kakashi for further details about Haku's death, or asking if he knew who'd actually done the deed. Not that Kakashi would tell Artemis, but it'd be a bit of a pain to talk his way around it without seeming too suspicious.

But any inclination to relax was very short lived; Artemis had taken a hard look at Haku, and then decided to ask Kakashi a question. It was all the jounin could do not to roll his eyes in less-than-eager anticipation for just whatever thought it was that had crossed the boy's mind. "Then I'll do my best to give you an answer. What is it?"

If Artemis saw Kakashi roll his eyes, his expression didn't take note of it. Mostly because this sort of question had to be asked flat out and without involving himself. It was important to his research.

"How are falling rocks related to you?"

Kakashi usually had pretty good control over his expression; he was good at reading the flow of conversation, and picking up things about people. Between those two talents, he could usually see where things were going before they got there. But what Artemis said was totally unexpected, and for a moment, even Kakashi was caught off guard. His eyes showed it, widening a fraction before he could quite stop himself from looking at Artemis over his book. He'd kick himself for it later, since that moment's worth of hesitation could cost him his life in a battle. He really could be stupid sometimes.

Right now though, he had to give an answer, and figure out why, out of all the things to ask about, had Artemis picked that. The immediate scene that came to mind was one Kakashi never really forgot, or even stopped thinking about. How he had gained the sharingan at the cost of his best friend--the price of being lower than trash.

It was also the truth that he wasn't about to tell.

"I've been a ninja since I was young." Kakashi relaxed into a practiced smile, though he still wasn't quite able to resume his reading. "And one of the major elements ninjas can use is Earth. I can manipulate that particular element myself, in fact. So I've been in quite a few battles involving falling rocks, or rushing water, or even lightening."

Hopefully, that would be satisfactory. And if not--well, Kakashi was good at avoiding talks about his past. The only person who knew of it in Landel's wasn't one who'd go talking about it carelessly.

"Hm," Artemis said, sitting back in his chair to think. It didn't help his theory, which... honestly was little more than Badou Ken Yohji No Sound, Haku Schuldig Kakashi Yes Sound. What discerned each group from the other? It got louder when the magic fluctuated, which could mean that Schuldig didn't actually produce any sound, but just that Artemis had been upset at the time.

Elements, though... Haku seemed to be associated with snow, Kakashi with earth. But Schuldig? Schuldig (theoretically) just made everything louder, and Obi-Wan had a calm feeling to him. That wasn't exactly elemental.

"Are you sure that's all?" he asked, leaning forward a little. He hadn't heard or felt any water or lightning.

Damn. Artemis had a definite interest in that one thing, it seemed. But what Kakashi had said was also true, and he couldn't just assume that he'd found out anything to do with Obito.

"Well, that's the general explanation." In its own way, Artemis trying to press him was good. It opened the door for Kakashi to try and figure out the boy's reasons without revealing too much about himself. "But maybe if I knew just what made you curious about falling rocks in particular, I could point out something more specific. It's something of an odd thing to ask about, especially when earth isn't even my primary element."

"It's not?" Artemis looked disappointed at that. Well, there went that theory. If it wasn't anything important, then there wasn't any point. It must have come from someone else. He'd only had this strange and undesirable power for three days--he was still working out the kinks, honestly.

"Nevermind then, I must have heard wrong," Artemis said, smiling. "Please forget I said anything."

"No. Lightening is, but as I said, I can use more than just one element. Most ninja of high rank can." Well, the good news was, Artemis seemed willing enough to drop the topic. Bad news, however, was that Kakashi had gotten a bit curious himself. To bring up something like that so suddenly and then just dismiss it as if it hadn't happened was more than a little odd. So how far could Kakashi press the issue before Artemis started turning to him with questions he didn't want to answer?

Only one way to find out.

"But now I'm wondering, Artemis-kun." Acting as carefree as he might normally, Kakashi even closed his book for this conversation. Anything that might make him talk a little more. "What did you think you heard that would make you ask something like that? It seemed a little random to me."

Artemis looked a little surprised when Kakashi shut his book and actually started talking to him. Which meant this wasn't just a passing interest--this was actually something important. He thought. God, where was Haku, Artemis was getting nervous that he'd inadvertently stepped on a land mine.

"Well," Artemis looked around nervously. He leaned on the table with his elbows, trying to get some sort of privacy. "The truth is... I hear voices in my head. They shout about how miserable they are."

Artemis flashed a grin. "That would be interesting, wouldn't it? And would probably make you think I belonged here, hm?"

Kakashi noted the nervousness and the posture Artemis took, which might have led people to actually believe he was telling the truth--if they were Naruto. Kakahsi, however, had a bit too much experience to believe something like that, especially when he considered just what Artemis had asked him, and how he worded it.

...And really, what Artemis had just tried to pass off as the truth. How seriously was he being underestimated here?

"Well, maybe. Not so much as if you honestly believe I'd fall for that little lie, though." It was uncalled for, really. Kakashi hadn't told the whole truth, but he hadn't lied either. And besides, what he left out about Haku had been excluded for Artemis's benefit. Now, the kid was just hiding something. "But you specifically asked how falling rocks related to me, and your interest seemed to have vanish when I said that it wasn't my primary element. I think you're trying to piece together something, Artemis-kun, and somehow, you got some information that made you make that particular association."

"Now, I can tell you don't actually want to tell me what it is. I can even sympathize with that." After all, Kakashi didn't actually want to tell Artemis much about himself, either. "But I am pretty good at figuring out things. Ninja aren't just counted on for physical skills. And by now, you've probably guessed that there's something about what you said that peaked my interest too."

So what would the boy do now? Kakashi left the question unasked; he didn't need to say it to find out an answer.

A lie? Oh, if only it was. If only Artemis was still alone in his own head. He would appreciate it so much more if he could go back to that silence now. Maybe if he was far away from other humans...

"All right, perhaps that was a bit much," Artemis said with a faint smile. "I probably shouldn't have said anything."

Apparently though, telling the truth disguised as a lie had only made Kakashi even more eager to know where Artemis had gotten information about the falling rocks. It must have been something important--something important that Kakashi didn't want to talk about.

"I have no doubt that you can figure out how I know such a thing. It is easy to track the things I post on the bulletin, since I tend to sign my name to every post I make. Or you could ask Haku. If he trusts you enough, he'll probably tell you. I tell him everything, after all."

If Haku trusted Kakashi enough to tell him what had been done to Artemis, that was enough for him. He couldn't continue to hide what had happened from everyone he didn't implicitly trust. Besides, what did it matter if he was weaker now? He had people to stand around him while he rebuilt his castle.

He could ask Haku? Kakashi had to stop for a moment and actually consider that. On the one hand, it almost sounded like Artemis had confirmed what Kakashi had said. But on the other, if he was willing to send Kakashi to Haku, it either meant Artemis had been telling the truth, or that Haku would lie for him. But asking Haku to do that in the middle of his own crisis didn't necessarily fall in line with the concern Kakashi had seen earlier.

Maybe he was just getting too suspicious for his own good.

"Until this conversation, I didn't have much reason to be interested in you specifically." There'd been much more pressing factors than tracking down a boy based on the bulletin posts, though Kakashi did attempt to keep up with them as best he could. But his priority had been given to keeping his team together and focused, particularly in the wake of Naruto's experimentation.

"But let's say that I do believe you about your voices." It would hardly be the strangest thing he'd heard of, after all. And by this point, Kakashi could reveal a few more details without letting out too much. Artemis had to have figured out that there was something Kakashi was hiding. "I might be able to give you the answers you want, if you can tell me enough about them. Falling rocks are connected to something with me." Kakashi smiled pleasantly. "Something that most people would call miserable indeed."

Artemis sat up a little straighter at the mention of some information. Just the fact that Kakashi had admitted that it was connected to him was a start, though the prerequisite for more information was disheartening.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you much about them, to be perfectly honest. Not that I'm unwilling--only that I don't know what causes them yet. I'm trying to gather as much information as I can in order to discern their root.

"I can tell, though, that you don't want to discuss it--probably even less now that I can't provide any information to you. I can respect that."

Kakashi let out a small sigh, and considered his options. He'd long been a private person, and helping Artemis through what seemed to be a personal problem wasn't exactly an entirely convincing reason to reveal details of the most shameful incident of his past. He'd already told Artemis a bit more than he was comfortable with, if he wanted to be entirely honest about it. But at the same time, it also didn't hurt to make allies--especially if it might also help Haku become more willing to lend his strength to the Konoha-nin as well.

"You spend a great deal of time with Haku-kun, don't you? Have the voices told you anything about him?" There wasn't much that he and the other ninja had in common, after all. They had entirely different backgrounds, countries, and techniques. But if Kakashi could point out a connection, then maybe that'd be a start. And more importantly, it wouldn't necessarily require Kakashi to reveal anything he didn't know. "Also, anything else the voices might have told you about me--any detail might reveal something."

Artemis laughed a little. "I suppose 'voices' was a bit of a misnomer, though there are some voices sometimes. I call it noise, mostly because that's what it is--both literally and figuratively."

He narrowed his eyes down at the table in thought. "It's difficult to explain, but I can feel incidents and hear emotions. I know that doesn't make any sense. Part of the problem is that my mind, human as it is, can't make sense of it. So, from Haku, I can feel his childhood laughter and sometimes I hear how cold it was in his homeland. Nothing is ever explicitly stated, which leaves me to figure things out on my own. But each one differs from the other..." he bounced his fork in three different directions to indicate this.

Artemis shook his head and sighed. "I could try to listen for anything, but the noise is always in flux. For example, I could be engaged in the picturesque scene I just described, and then suddenly, without warning, people will start screaming. ...and we both know why that is," Artemis said with another weary sigh. "I haven't heard anything extremely violent from you yet, besides the rocks when we first sat down. I thought the roof was caving in--but if I looked up you probably would have thought I really was insane."

The description Artemis gave really was something hard to believe. Kakashi might not have, if he hadn't had so much experience with his own sense that could see much more than a regular eye could. But even so, this was definitely something beyond anything he'd ever heard of back in his own world.

Just something new to add to the pile of incredibly strange stuff.

So he heard things from both Haku and Kakashi. That helped a great deal, since there were very few traits that both ninja shared. "You said you can try to listen. Can you do that now, with me? If you can tell me more of the things you hear, then maybe it'll help me figure out a bit more of what the cause is." Otherwise, Kakashi would have to start sending Artemis to the other ninja, just so he could figure out just what really was going on. "Though I can't exactly say you won't hear anything you don't want to. I'm sure that doesn't come as a surprise."

Artemis nodded. "I'll do my best, though I can't guarantee anything."

The boy closed his eyes, trying to hear better. It was hard, though. He'd never tried to use it before--just block it out or attempt not to hear it at all. It had never occurred to him to try to use it to his benefit. Probably because it was nearly impossible except in the right situations, such as this one.

He drew his eyebrows together in deep concentration. What was coming off of Kakashi? How could he phrase it?

"There's... a warm sort of... No, it's a loving feeling. I think. And--" He winced. Someone chose that moment to start screaming and laughing maniacally. Honestly, could they keep it down?!

"It's okay if nothing else comes of it." Kakashi wasn't going to suddenly dislike Artemis if the boy couldn't tell him anything more. "I still have an idea or two regardless. This might just might get you an answer faster."

When Artemis began to focus, Kakashi remained silent. Though the sounds he might make and the ones only Artemis could hear might not actually interfere with each other, it didn't hurt to contribute as much as possible--in this case, by contributing as little as possible. And maybe it'd been the right idea, since Artemis did hear something else.

Kakashi thought it was strange though. It was true that there were people he cared for deeply, but thinking about those people--Obito, Rin, his Master--didn't bring just love to mind. It wasn't even the strongest emotion for the jounin, who felt an incredible amount of guilt and regret for his failing them all. Not that he focused on that thought too much. Artemis's problem might require him to touch on those nerves, but Kakashi was just as happy to keep his mind elsewhere.

"I'm afraid there's not much I can tell you just based on that. But there is another method, like I said." Kakashi glanced around the room, trying to get an idea of just how much time they had left. "So long as we're still together, I would like you to continue to tell me what you hear. But just in case, there are some other people you might try and talk to. You see, Haku-kun and I don't really have much in common with each other." A shared experience, a shared profession, and a general type of ability. "So if you talk to others from our world, we might just be able to figure out a cause based on elimination."

Kakashi briefly considered the list of people there. There was no way he'd send Artemis to either of the Uchihas if it could be avoided. Itachi was just too dangerous, and Sasuke too angry and focused on revenge. The other Konoha-nin were all possibilities, along with Kankurou of the Sand, though Kakashi hadn't seen him around for several shifts. And there was Naruto's current condition to consider; Kakashi knew the boy was going through a lot thanks to the horrors of the Institute, and it wouldn't do either Naruto or Artemis any good to have that picked up on.

"Haruno Sakura, Nara Shikamaru, Sai, and Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi pointed out each in turn as he named them, glad that all of them were present in the cafeteria. "If you get the chance to talk to them, take note of what you hear. Then find some way to tell me, and maybe we'll be able to figure out something based on that."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Day 40: Lunch

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.

Re: Spoilers for Kakashi's backstory. Just in case.