damned_institute | Day 40: Greenhouse [Fourth Shift]

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Day 40: Greenhouse [Fourth Shift]

Most days, fish and chips (and a cold beer or three) was pretty goddamned high on S.T.'s list of perfect expense-account lunches. Today, the idea of picking at greasy hunks of unidentified bottom-feeder odds-and-ends (politely known as scrod, to the delight of teenagers all across the Northeast) didn't appeal.

He begged off and collapsed into his bed, after using his damp shirt as an excuse to surreptiously check the contents of his closet. Bingo. His nurse watched his little show, unimpressed but (more importantly) unsuspicious. Not that his hairy chest was much of a catch today, pale and sweating from fever. At least she didn't tuck him in.

The intercom woke up up right on schedule, and pulling the sheets back over his head almost won. But a handful of unanswered missives and a vague sense of duty dragged him out to the bulletin, and from there it was easier to stagger over to the greenhouse.

It was warm inside -- a deep, humid warmth that actually penetrated to the aches in more joints and muscles than he could remember the names of. Like a sauna, without the hassle of finding someplace to look that wasn't a mound of pasty middle-management cellulite. Or a sweat lodge, without the opposite hassle of being conscious that he was the only white guy in the room. In fact, besides the nurses in holding patterns, he was the only person in the room.

He located a tray of tomato seedlings going rootbound in their tiny six-packs, and a potting bench whose location was a quick-and-dirty approximation of equidistantly far from anything blooming. He assured his nurse he knew what he was doing, and after a couple of successful repottings, gently sliding the little seedlings out and loosening the tangled roots, she seemed to agree and backed off. It was, by far, the most fucking theraputic thing he'd found in this hellhole so far, and he let himself sink into the rhythm of the task.

[Free!]

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Guy walked alongside Luke and took a seat once they had reached one of the benches. He was just relieved to see that Luke had gotten through the first night without a hitch. If he remembered correctly, his first night wasn't too bad either, so it looked like they had lucked out. Still, Guy knew that Luke was going to have his share of bad nights in the future, and while he didn't like that at all, he knew his friend could handle it.

"Well, I've seen a lot," he admitted. "I've been here for a while now." He knew it didn't seem all that long, but it was definitely long to be stuck in a place like this. "What do you want to know, exactly?" he asked with a tilt of his head. "The monsters might not be everywhere, but they'll jump out at you when you least expect it." Guy knew he had taught Luke to always be prepared for an ambush, but even he had been caught by surprise a few times in this place.

"I guess with the way everyone was talking, it seemed like they'd be everywhere." After all, on Auldrant getting attacked by mosters was pretty impossible to avoid if you traveled in the forest. "But I guess I didn't get very far, either." Of course, he was well aware of how unarmed he was. Running into even one monster would be a problem.

Luke sighed a little and began to dig absent through a pot of soil. More to have something to do with his hands than anything. "Last night I got as far as Ion's room-" He paused briefly at the mention of the missing Fon Master, but continued. "...but when I was about to go upstairs... I don't know, I don't remember anything after that. I woke up back in my room, is that normal?"

Guy figured they should count themselves lucky that the monsters weren't everywhere. That had never been a problem back home, but they had also been much better prepared on Auldrant. If they had to fight a set of monsters around every corner in this place, they would never get anywhere.

While Guy could have said something about Ion when his friend mentioned the boy, it seemed like Luke would rather just move on and keep talking about other things. Besides, nothing Guy said could bring the Fon Master back.

At least Luke's question was easy to answer. Guy nodded. "Yeah, it'll happen every night. It can be real pain since you'll get interrupted before you can get to where you're going. That happened to me last night, too, actually." Even though it had prevented them from getting all the way to the basement, at least it had also saved him from the awkward aftermath of his freak-out. "It was while I was trying to get to the basement," he continued. "Have you heard anything about that yet?"

At least he wasn't sick or going crazy or something then. In a way it made sense. If they were going to keep people here, there had to be a way to stop them from getting too far. But Luke wondered why they couldn't make a break for it in a single night. It couldn't be that hard to just get outside the building, right? Or maybe there were too many monsters out there? It wasn't like Luke could take down a dragon right now. He frowned and planted a seed in his dirt hole.

"This place has a basement?" That seemed like of appropriately creepy. "So that's what you've been doing?"

Guy hadn't missed the way that Luke had started playing with the nearby soil. It was kind of interesting to watch, mainly because he knew that a few years back Luke would have never done something like that. He would have complained that it was too much work, that it wasn't worth getting dirty just to plant some seeds that probably wouldn't grow. A lot had changed...

At Luke's question, Guy crossed his arms and nodded. "Among other things, yeah." Sync's attack had sidetracked him for a while, but he wasn't sure he wanted to tell Luke about that whole mess. Aside from the fact that it had been a hit to his pride, he also didn't want to worry his friend too much. He'd rather Luke just stayed away from Sync if possible and left it at that.

"A lot of people think that there's a clue for how to get out somewhere in the basement, so that's what we're hoping for. It's been taking time to get through all of it, though." This was a lot easier to talk about than the whole issue with Asch, so Guy was happy to stay on this subject for now.

"It's probably more dangerous down there too, right?" In Luke's considerable experience exploring places full of monsters, the further you got away from ground level, the worse it became. He made a face, annoyed that he couldn't immediately go with Guy, but maybe soon.

"I want to help, but I still need a weapon." He packed the seed in a little more firmly than necessary. He wasn't worried, exactly. Guy had always handled himself fine. But other than seeing... or rather, not seeing Ion last night, he hadn't done anything useful at all. It didn't look like he'd be doing much useful tonight, either. Shouldn't his arrival be a help to his friends?

He'd just have to hurry and catch up.

"Anyway, if people are trying to get out through the basement, does that mean there's no way to just go over the walls?"

"It actually hasn't been too dangerous so far, but I'm pretty sure that'll change soon," Guy explained. He could have told Luke all about the sphinx, but he had just gone through that with Anise and he didn't feel like describing it again. He was used to explaining things, but Luke didn't need to know right now.

It was true that Luke shouldn't be going anywhere too dangerous without some kind of weapon, even if it was just a baseball bat or something, but Guy also knew that there weren't exactly many safe places here. "You're going for metal, right? Just keep in mind that once you get that, it might be a while before someone can actually make a weapon for you. You'll want to find something else to hold you over."

Wait, maybe... the meat cleaver? Guy had handed it off to Claude, so he wasn't sure if his friend had already given it to someone else, but he could always ask. If Claude still had it, Guy got the feeling he would be willing to give it back without a second thought. In a way, Guy felt bad about it, but he also wanted to be sure that Luke was armed.

He glanced back over at Luke's next question. "It used to be impossible, but recently people have been doing it. I guess even that doesn't help much, since they've still ended up back in their beds at the end of night." It was discouraging, but Guy was honestly used to that by now.

"I didn't ask Ed how long it took," Luke admitted, though he was definitely hoping for sooner than later. But Asch had made it sound like it'd be a while too. He supposed everyone wanted weapons made. "But it's not like I can do anything else." He shrugged and smoothed dirt over the hole with the seed. Then he looked up with a unconcerned smile, since it seemed like Guy was worrying. "I'll be fine." He assured. Luke appreciated the way Guy looked out for him. There had been times he might not have made it through if not for that. But he was okay so far, and he didn't want his friend stressing out on his behalf.

So he changed the subject. "Anyway, I have something else I need to ask you about while there's still time." Luke looked around, making sure no one was in close earshot and feeling faintly awkward. "Uh... It's one of those things that maybe everyone else knows, but I kind of... missed."

"All right, all right," Guy agreed, pulling his hands up in front of him to show that he was backing off. He knew that Luke didn't like to be smothered, but he couldn't stop that protective instinct from kicking in every now and then. It had reared its head more than usual seeing how his friend had disappeared from this place before -- and Guy really didn't want a repeat incident. "Just remember you can find something temporary like a bat or a shovel until you get the sword made." Guy would also ask about that meat cleaver, but he wasn't going to mention it to Luke until he knew it was a guarantee.

The idea had been to talk to Luke about Asch next, but apparently that wasn't going to happen just yet. It sounded like Luke needed another lesson, and Guy had to wonder what he had forgotten to teach his friend. He knew he'd forgotten tons of things, but it was always interesting when something like this came up. "Interesting" wasn't always good, but Guy was prepared. (He hoped.)

"Oh, sure," he agreed with a nod. "What happened?"

Realization hit Luke. A bat was a good idea. Temporary weapon. It made sense but he hadn't really thought about it. He'd look for something like that tonight too, if he had time after getting the pipes.

He paused when Guy asked him what happened. He'd been prepared to just ask his questions outright, but in a way admitting what had happened would be easier than trying to phrase any questions about the details of sex. "Uh..." Not that easier meant easy. He turned away a little, blushing faintly. "I got hit on. ...By a man."

Of all the things Guy had expected, this somehow hadn't made it onto the list. He managed not to blush, but he did stare at Luke for a moment before he also had to look away.

Who had time for something like that here? Sure, Guy had made friends, but that was completely different from going around and flirting with people. As for why he had never explained it to Luke before -- well, it had never come up and he hadn't exactly wanted to try explaining it unless it did. He'd been a little more focused on teaching Luke other things, and awkward was awkward. Most people tried to avoid that.

"I... see," he said lamely, forcing himself to look back. "Well, Luke, it's not particularly common, but it does happen." It was even less likely for someone to be so open about it. Man.

"Apparently." Luke said with feeling. Feeling of what he wasn't quite sure. He didn't exactly doubt Superboy, but it still seemed weird he just hadn't known. "It must be really rare if no on even mentions it." With a slight groan of annoyance, Luke pressed the heel of one hand against his temple, then dragged his fingers back through his hair.

"I tried to tell him he was wrong, and then I thought thought maybe it was just something from his world?" But he guessed he could buy that it just wasn't that common. Luke had never thought about it. "It's probably still not that rare, there, though. ...I think he thought I was kind of crazy for not believing him."

It was interesting to think about, actually. Depending on how the cultures of different worlds developed, it would make sense for same-sex coupling to be more common in different places. On the other hand, there was the nature versus nurture argument. Guy honestly didn't know that much about it, but he did think that people overcomplicated it a lot of the time. If someone ends up with feelings for someone else, does it really matter who that person is?

"I think that for some people it's hard to talk about, or it just seems awkward, and so people try to avoid bringing it up. Maybe people are just more open-minded where he comes from," Guy suggested. It didn't seem right to act like it wasn't there, after all. He didn't even know what percentage of people from Auldrant had that preference, but that involved getting caught up in the technical details again.

"I wouldn't say it's wrong, though," Guy warned his friend with a frown. "You might not understand it, but in that case shouldn't you try to?" He knew that Luke was constantly trying to lose his biases and preconceptions, and that applied here too.

Luke nodded and pushed aside the pot he'd been toying with; the seed was fully planted, as was the dirt under his nails. Making a face he began to pick at it while Guy talked. Ugh, he hated it when stuff got stuck under there. This is why he didn't plant things.

"This guy sure didn't seem awkward about it." Actually, Luke had been the awkward one. He wasn't sure if that was because he was being hit on, or because he was being hit on by a boy though. The only girl that had ever really come onto him before was Noir, and that was more... different. It was hard to put down why, but it seemed less like interest and more like how she acted. Luke hadn't thought much of it at the time, and anyway, her attention had settled on Guy pretty fast. Luke had watched tons of girls hit on him, so that was really nothing new.

He paused when Guy explained it wasn't wrong, sensing that he was being rebuked a bit, and not quite sure why. "I don't mean wrong like bad, I meant wrong like... Uh. Like I thought he was crazy because that never happens." Luke wasn't sure he was getting the distinction clear, but didn't know what words to put it in. He made a face. "It's not like I really care what anyone does." Of course, Guy was asking him to understand, and he wasn't really sure he did at that, either. He'd never thought of relationships much beyond the fact that he was engaged to Natalia, and that was the end of that.

"Well, I guess he's comfortable with the idea. Not everyone is, obviously." Luke certainly wasn't, but that also had to do with the fact that it was completely new to him. Guy got the feeling that if his friend had some time to accept that it was something that happened, if rarely, then it wouldn't bother him so much.

"At the same time, though, you don't have to tolerate him hitting on you if it bothers you," he continued. "Just tell him that you'd prefer that he didn't. If he's a rational person, he'll understand." If that didn't work, then Guy might have to get involved. He didn't want someone pestering his friend if Luke wasn't comfortable with it.

He was glad to hear that Luke hadn't meant "wrong" in a bad way, though he had to wonder if the person Luke had been talking to had jumped to the same conclusion that he had. If that was the case, it could have turned out badly, but Luke probably would have mentioned it if so. "Right, well... now you know that it does happen and he's not crazy." As a result, Luke's mind had been expanded a little further, which was good. Guy was always happy to help. He just hoped his friend hadn't been too traumatized.

Luke made a slight face. Thinking about being hit on by a guy was kind of awkward, but it wasn't like he was hurt or offended or anything. It was just... weird. Still, it sounded like he'd given Guy the idea that it might have been worse, so he just waved it off. "He stopped. Uh... once he found out I didn't really get it, anyway." Belatedly, he remembered the pot needed water, and reached across the table for a water can. "Anyway, he's really nice." He paused, realizing he had been so caught up in other things he hadn't even told Guy about meeting another replica.

"Actually... he's a replica too. Or, something like it anyway." He wondered if there were a lot of replicas here, but Superboy hadn't made it sound like he'd met many. But Jason had known what a 'clone' was too, so it seemed like at least two other worlds had roughly the same technology. "He didn't call it that, though. Have you heard of 'clones'?"

[Ugggh. Sorry I've been failing lately. LIFE HAPPENING. So RP is slow everywhere. I'm happy to backdate, or to close up, which ever you are comfortable with <3]

So it sounded like Luke had made friends with the guy despite his confusion; Guy wasn't too surprised to hear that. Even though Luke had once been the sort of person who generally made people want to stay as far away from him as possible because of his obnoxiousness, now he made the effort to be friendly whenever possible -- and usually his earnestness earned him friends.

Guy was taken aback at the mention of this person being another replica, though. It wasn't like that sort of thing was common -- well, maybe in other worlds, but it had been kept under wraps in Auldrant until Van had taken it way too far. Still, it might be good for Luke to have someone like that who he could relate to, especially since Ion wasn't around anymore.

"Clones?" Guy asked with a tilt of his head. "I don't think so. It's probably just a different term, though. Anyway, it's probably a good thing that you ended up meeting him, even if it was confusing in the beginning." Now Luke sort of knew what that flirting had been about, so hopefully he could get along with this other patient even better.

[Don't worry at all! I haven't been too fast myself. I guess we'll go for a little longer? I had Guy think about how he didn't get to talk to Luke about Asch during dinner shift, so we should cut it off before that, at least.]

"He's pretty nice, and... yeah. When I mentioned being a replica to my roommate, he mentioned clones too. But Superboy said he was grown in a tube or something." Luke shuddered a little, to show what he thought of that idea. "It's too bad Jade isn't here. It would probably be pretty interesting to him."

Not that he exactly wanted to wish this place on any of his friends. But Luke would sure feel more comfortable with Jade's intellect on their side. Then they could find Ion and Emperor Peony and get out of here. He poured a bit of water into the pot.

"Anyway, I don't know what I think of replicas being created on other worlds too... But he seemed pretty okay with it. Maybe it's not a big deal there."

Who would have thought making replicas (or clones, as the term might be) was so common? Guy personally thought it was pretty disturbing, but according to Luke some people found it normal. Would Auldrant have been like that if Van had succeeded? Everyone and everything would have been a copy -- would Van have even told them?

"That's hard to believe, but maybe not. I... I'm not sure how to feel about it, either," he admitted. Everything in him insisted that it was wrong, but maybe in certain worlds it had been necessary for one reason or another. Guy had just been telling Luke that he needed to have an open mind, but now he was coming up against something he couldn't really swallow.

"It would be good to have Jade around, yeah," Guy agreed. Jade was good at putting things like this into perspective -- plus he would have actually been interested by it. Unfortunately, it looked like they were going to have to get through this without him.

Soon after that, the intercom sounded. Guy didn't really want to go yet -- he still had things he needed to talk to Luke about -- but it wasn't his choice to make. He sent his friend a smile as he stood from the bench. "Be careful tonight."

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Day 40: Greenhouse [Fourth Shift]

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