damned_institute | Dayshift 42: Morning

Senna stepped off the bus to wind blowing through the clothes she was given. A sad face at one of the nurses allowed her a long red scarf as well, and once she had draped it around her neck and let it hang down her back, she had trotted off.

The park she had saw last time seemed a good place to be on the look-out for the chicks from last night. It was close to the buses, and a big enough place that if they remembered that they had a race date, it would suit its purpose. The girl ran to a place in the middle of the field and waited there, shifting her weight from side to side. After a while, this wasn't enough, and Senna traded back and forth between jogging in place and acrobatics--the easy flips and cartwheels keeping her warm.

Her mind had changed in the night before. She had gotten a taste of what leadership entailed, and she wasn't sure she had rose to the occasion or not. She knew she had tried her best, and had been willing to give as much as she had, but it hadn't been enough. She knew this. Hokuto, at least, had gotten hurt, and in the end, they still hadn't explored more than the schoolhouse. They really needed a different approach with that place.

She went back and forth internally, body going through the motions and reflexes of her movements.

[for... Falis, Hokuto, Meche, and Soma?--and down to here]

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So not like the merchants entirely. There was underlying anger that Porky did little to conceal - that sort of anger never did anyone any good. There were two ways that most people dealt with hatred, one was to return it to the source and the other was to turn it inward. Okita had done the latter, but it seemed that Porky might have done the former. Which meant he could be dangerous.

Mentions of his allies disappearing though, and of this 'Ness' person were interesting. The Commander - Okita recognized that name from the Institute, but Ness was not a name he'd seen on the board that he could remember.

As Porky continued to talk, Okita had to wonder though; why was he opening up to him? Or was this normal to reveal one's problems so soon? Okita had never considered most of his relationships with others to be normal, but he had never heard someone dive so quickly into the doom and gloom before. Then again, the man did look older, maybe he was just going a little off in the head?

"That sounds terrible, Minch-san," Okita said, mostly for lack of anything else to say. What was one to say to someone who they didn't know that well when they suddenly spouted that everyone hated them? "I am sorry to hear about the hardships you have faced."

"Don't worry about it," Porky sighed, "It's not like you had anything to do with it, and it's not like I can go back in time to change everything. Well, not right now, at least. Besides, they made me who I am today, and while that might not sound like a good thing to you, it certainly is. Plus, there's one thing that always makes me feel better about the situation..."

A small smile crept onto Porky's lips.

"They're all dead and I'm still alive," Porky said, "I won and they lost."

That's right. Porky had won. Against every single one of them. Everyone who hated Porky that lived in his world was dead now, and there was no way to bring them back. Served 'em right, too. They had ignored Porky and made fun of him, but now the tables were turned. Porky was alive and kicking, and they were underground being eaten by maggots. Even Ness. No, especially Ness.

Not right now? That one phrase alone was enough to bring Okita's interest back to the conversation. Did Porky Minch have ability to travel time like Captain Jack had traveled space? A few weeks ago, that would have seemed impossible, but Okita was living proof that time travel was a viable option. It was also something he hoped to use in order to destroy the Choushuu before they unraveled everything Kondo and Hijikata worked for.

That smile, however, reminded him that Porky Minch was not one to be trusted. That everyone he knew was dead and that he had done it? Certainly a good indicator that Okita wasn't walking a very thin and very dangerous line at the moment. "Then there is no use in reflecting on the past - it will give you nothing but headaches, hm? So long as they are no longer around to bother you, it would seem more appropriate to revel in your victory."

"You know what?" Porky said, now grinning from ear-to-ear, "I do believe you're right! No point in focusing on the past, especially if it's so unpleasant! Besides, even if they all were still alive, they wouldn't be anywhere near me as long as I was here!"

"And another thing," Porky said, now turned to face Okita, "You're an alright guy! Sorry if I seemed a bit abrasive earlier, Soujirou-san. But like you said, it's all water under the bridge, right? Gohohoho!"

Ah, now Porky was feeling better, and, while he would have liked to stay with Okita and chat for a bit longer, there was business to attend to. It wasn't every day that Porky got the chance to explore a town full of valuable resources, and he certainly wasn't going to waste this opportunity. With any luck, Porky would have a few decent weapons by the end of the day.

"So, Soujirou-san," Porky said, a little more seriously this time, "Do you have any recommendations for where I should go if I want to find a good weapon here? I'm a little embarrassed to say, but this is my first time in Doyleton."

And back onto the safe side. Okita didn't particularly feel up to killing anyone today, not with broken ribs and a damaged shoulder, so it was good to see Porky back in high spirits. And it was good to get a handle on just who this man was. Okita would have to speak to Homura later about him. Even if Porky Minch did not pose an immediate threat, there was no telling what he might do later. Or perhaps that was just his old paranoia kicking in again. He was so accustomed to watching everyone around him for any hint of potential danger, that he saw it in the most unlikely places.

Still, it was that paranoia which had kept him alive so far. That and his skill.

"A weapon?" Okita blinked, seemingly caught off guard at the question. Why would anyone ask him about weapons? "I'm afraid I can't help you with that, Minch-san. As you can see-" He lifted his jacket a little, showing the sling on his arm. "-I'm not exactly the best at fighting. Although, I have seen the nurses search people upon returning to the Institute, so anything you may be able to find - be sure to hide it where the nurses can't find it. They will check the usual places, so do be careful."

"Yikes!" Porky said, grimacing at Okita's wounds, "Forgive me for stating the obvious, but that certainly must hurt! Plus, I can't imagine it helps too much during nightshift...then again, I have no idea about how you fight or who you hang out with, so it might not even matter...Either way, you have my sympathy."

Heh. Maybe Okita wasn't the best person to ask about weapons. Not even Porky had gotten that hurt during his three days at the institute. It was unlikely, but Porky couldn't even be sure that Okita was stronger than him. Well, no matter. At least now Porky knew to be careful about hiding his loot.

"Anyway, thanks for the advice," Porky said, finally rising from his seat, "I suppose I'll have to find the weapons myself, but it certainly helpful to know to be careful about hiding them. Well, Soujirou-san...if you ever need a favor, feel free to drop me a line. I can't guarantee I'll be able to help much, but I'm always willing to help someone that listens to me."

"Yes, but the medication they give me helps," Okita said, lying through his teeth. It hurt, but Okita had certainly had worse before. He was used to dealing with pain and with hiding it, so this? This was nothing. Smiling faintly and bowing his head again, Okita continued, "I thank you, and hope that nothing so terrible happens to you, Minch-san."

And it was a good thing Okita didn't know what Porky was thinking or he might have taken offense. As it was, he was more than happy to let Porky think he was weak - for now. That was always the best strategy when trying to avoid detection.

"Ah...thank you. Should anything come up, I'll be sure to let you know." When Porky rose from his seat, Okita did the same in order to be polite. Again, he bowed, a little more deeply than before and smiled at the man. "Do be careful, Minch-san. It would be a shame if the nurses were to catch you with something."

Dayshift 42: Morning - Magus Park

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