damned_institute | Day 22: Brunch

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Day 22: Brunch

Cid usually liked sleeping in, especially in a place as messed up and uninviting as this, but this happened to be one situation where he really wished he hadn't.

Right there, on the bulletin board. The Head Doctor and he'd fucking missed it? Some part of him wished he'd been there to take his eye out and another part of him knew he wouldn't have been able to. No man that powerful who hid for so long went to dangerous places without some kind of entourage.

Brunch sounded like it'd be filling, at least, though he nearly stopped in his tracks when the bastard announced TEA. TEA. It'd been a damn long while since he'd had some fucking tea, though with all the stress this place had found fit to rain down on his fucking head, it hadn't really been the first priority on his mind. Kinda nice, even if Cid was sure this was just some game the mother fucker was playing to get them all stuck neck-deep in Stockholm Syndrome.

He scanned the mostly-empty room for any sign of a familiar face once he'd piled waffles and sausages and syrup on his plate, though the person he really wanted to talk to was that Reynolds guy. "Spaceship" was the last word he remembered clearly before waking up in his bed, and dammit if he wasn't going to keep it stuck like glue in his mind.

He found a table where he could watch people come into the cafeteria and grabbed for his mug. The steam rising from his drink and the bag of herbs in it was nearly enough to make him grin despite it all, and it was with marked leisure and a little relief that he drank his goddamn tea.

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((From the previous thread))

Xigbar merrily dragged Zelos to one of the corners, near the doors to the Sunroom. Perhaps it was to offer an illusion of escape, or maybe it was to give a nice and easy way to get Zelos out of sight if something bad were to happen. Who knew?

Regardless, the Nobody was implacable in his grip, and his smile could have peeled the paint off of a battleship's turret. "Now, we're gonna get one thing straight. I'm not Namine's 'servant,' I'm a freakin' guardian. And that means that you don't wanna know what X and I are gonna do if you keep pulling that stunt. 'kay?"

He wished he had something nice to throw. A knife. Or an axe. Something sharp and which would make sure Zelos got the point- pun intended.

Why that lowlife, little…

Luxord would have scowled if he wasn't too busy smiling at the look in II's eye; he knew that look. So, he smiled warmly (as warmly as he could) in a complete 180 to his previous expression, and addressed Naminé before stepping back with the other two.

"I understand your confusion, peanut, but please don't fret. Everything is going to be fine."

[Going with the others.]

Ari had been just about to go help the girl he'd been talking to when he suddenly found himself being pulled away by a nurse. He looked back as he was hurried away to the cafeteria, trying to remember what she looked like so he could find her again. He didn't even know her name...

Reaching the cafeteria, he piled some food onto his plate, a little more hungry than he'd been yesterday. He was still fairly confused about this place. Nothing seemed to make sense...

The cafeteria was pretty crowded when he went to find a seat. The nearest spot he could find that wasn't being occupied was next to a very pretty looking man. It was a man, right? Ari couldn't help but stare for a moment before taking his seat and picking at his food.

He didn't say anything to him, but occasionally would sneak timid glances over at the stranger. He was...different.

Renji stared at him again. He seemed to find that necessary before every question or answer; it was that difficult for him to think through the mental fog that filled his head. Finally, he said, with great dignity. "I didn't do anything. You have no proof." He blinked slowly a few more times. "You're always so grumpy."

With that, he put his head down on the table, pillowed on one arm. "It's so cute," he mumbled against the tabletop.

Hisoka just smiled mirthlessly in return, eyes growing cold as his rage began to grow again.

"I don't think there is a way to be on 'good terms' with them."

No, there wasn't... You were either the prey or a puppet. There was no hope for an in between with that monster, not that Hisoka would ever bother trying to reach such a place. Almost as if in agreement to this thought, the boy's curse marks dulled into nothingness, leaving behind nothing but a lingering sting where the shinigami knew the curse was engraved.

She looked on with understanding at his irritation.

Simon? There were people here who, even in sweats looked like they had come from a privileged life, but she'd never met him.

"I hope so..." she said, and then looked up at him, titling her head. Her face had brightened slightly. "Hey, if you don't mind, I'll be your friend. We're all in this together, right? I think it's best if we all look out for each other."

For some reason she could imagine RC at that moment, slightly edgy and impatient as she did the introductions and pleasantries. A small smile found its way to her lips.

"You wanna be friends with an old nutcase like me?" Jack asked, giving her a wink. What guy was going to say no to a cute blond? "Alright, that sounds fine with me. So where are you from, Claire? Last people I talked to came from a space ship. I come from New York, just outside the city. Got a little studio there. A space ship. Talk about a mind...twist."

He chuckled some, and finally started in on his breakfast.

With great luck, Ichigo happened to be between bites, nothing in his mouth or running down his throat, at the moment when Renji made an alarmingly rapid descent into what Ichigo could only interpret as madness. Otherwise, he could have choked on his food...again. Beyond anything in the conversation thus far, Ichigo's expressions quickly twisted into massive apprehension as his body lurched away to the furthest part of his chair possible. His mouth opened, but he had no idea what to say in response.

Cute? He said it's cute? He said it's cute! Why? Why would he say something like that? Did I just imagine it? That stuff the nurse gave him made him completely crazy! No, I can't let this affect me so badly! What am I going to do!? On and on, his thoughts jumbled together in a completely overexagerated state.

Following behind the gunner of course was the X in question, the ace of spades now situated in his hand as he traced its edge with his finger (not sharp enough to cut, not unless he threw it). No one touched Naminé or even spoke to a member of Organization XIII that way, and things were not about to change now! Luxord's usual smile had all but suddenly shifted into a more disturbing grin as he approached the two.

"I don't quite believe he understands very well, Xig. Perhaps smaller words would fit better into that thick skull of his?" He flipped the card between his fingers before closing the distance between the two men, then almost completing invading the redhead's space to properly whisper death at him.

"If you so much as speak to Naminé, I'll personally make sure to rip off that precious member of yours, shove it in your obnoxious, flapping mouth, and then slit your throat," the grin widened, hungry. "Is that better?" Oh yes. Luxord was all smiles.

…maybe he did need some medication.

"Crazy demon girl sort of sums her up. I'm not gonna give a play by play unless you really want one, but short of it is, she...entered you. Like, physically melted into you. She asked for a hug. And there were melting floors. Any of that ring a bell?"

This was, quite frankly, just weird. Hazy or blank spots in a person's memory was common enough - hell, he got that all the time when he overdid the booze - but as though it hadn't ever existed at all...Had it been the girl that did something to Alfons or this place? Both?

Reno blinked at the question. He was curious as to the reason behind it, but figured it was none of his business. "No. Not at all. Hughes seems real close to you, actually. Looked after you for the night after the deal with the girl. You guys know each other well from before?"

Kurama could see the anger in the other boy's expression, warning him to tread lightly on the subject. He was looking to acquaint himself with more people. Taking his own advice, more friends would equate to more power.

"Are they a patient?" he asked, though he figured it was probably a 'yes'. The doctors rarely showed their faces, especially during the day. Except, of course, during counseling. "How do you know them? If you don't mind telling me, of course. Perhaps talking about it will help expel some of your...frustrations."

She couldn't help but crack a smile, and a small giggle escaped her lips. A good mood was starting to form.

"New York?" She was elated someone else was from her world. "I've never been there. I'm from Texas."

She blinked, slightly interested. "A spaceship?" Something out of science fiction, it was still hard to get her head around. But it was getting easier. She also started in on her waffles. They weren't that bad, but she missed her mother's cooking.

[ack! sorry about that. XD;]

After what had happened in the chapel, Elena found that she didn't have much of an appetite. The Head Doctor's words kept replaying over and over again in her mind, like a CD with a scratch on it. Their friends and family had the same thing happen to them. They had been here too, at one point, if that could be believed.

Wait. When had she ever started believing any of the lies here?

The girl grabbed a mug of tea (not coffee, but she'd take caffeine in any form at this point) and a couple pieces of buttered toast, figuring that if she felt more like eating in a little bit she could just go get seconds or something. Walking over to where Reno was (he wasn't exactly hard to miss in a crowd), she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that he was already with Alfons.

"Sorry I'm late."

Renji half dozed off for a second; it was more like just blinking for a long period. "I feel sick," he said, sounding very puzzled. He moved his head to the side so he could look at Ichigo. "What's your problem?"

"Yeah, New York. Grew up there. My folks were the Wallstreet set and I never really got into it. Had the classic falling out, now I work for a local animal shelter and do some painting on the side. It's a beautiful city, even if it is a polluted cess pool." Jack shook his head, happily sharing his story.

"Texas! The longhorn state. Thats what it's called, right? Home of big burgers, big steaks and big men who rape the planet for oil." He shook his head. "No offense meant, or anything like that. And yeah, a space ship. I guess where they come from there's all kinds of other planets and the universe is ruled by China, or something. I dunno."

If Renji were conscious at all, or even half-conscious, Ichigo would have rewarded such a bold question with a sharp, closed-fisted blow to the head. Ichigo could feel the deserved anger bubbling up inside of him, tossing his features away from surprise and confusion back towards pure anger, then creeping all the way up into his right hand, forcing his fingers to tighten and clentch, as if choking the air itself.

"N-nothing. It's nothing." he replied in a cracking tone, his voice sliding between his gritted teeth. It looked as if he was doing his very best to keep himself calm, his eyes closed and his lips cracked into a feigned and waivering smile.

[Back up from the other thread]

"Princess, you should call off your gaurds!" he said, still as bouncy as ever. "They seem to think I have ill intentions!" The last part was spoken as though he was truly hurt, although he couldn't care less what they had to say.

"Anyway, you were telling me you lived in a Castle?"

Claire listened with interest. She'd never been to New York, although she'd always wanted to go.

"Yes, the longhorn state!" she said happily, then faltered at his political statement. "Well...yes," she wasn't too happy with what had been going on, but she wasn't used to anyone being so blunt about it. "A lot of boys in my town went to fight in Iraq, you know."

She blinked as he told her about the universe being ruled by China. "I've heard weirder. There's...fictional characters from Earth running around, if you can believe that."

"Bye for now, princess!" Zelos waved merrily over his shoulder, as though he was clueless as to what awaited him.

He blinked, still with the blank smile on his face as Xigbar spoke to him. "Stunt? Oh, no stunt! I'm sincere."

Then he blinked cluelessly, once more as Luxord made his threat.

"...I can't tell if you're trying to threaten me or come on to me. But, man, I gotta tell you, I only go for the ladies. Not that I'm here to judge, but you're barking up the wrong tree." Then he considered them both, hand under his chin.

"Aw, I see! You guys are so overprotective because you see such a vision of manly perfection sitting next to your princess!" He cocked his head and grinned. "I admit, I do have a sexual appeal that's hard to resist. However, with a flower as delicate and fair as her, there's no way I'd handle her with anything but gentleness! As princess should be treated as such, even in a place like this."

Although he maybe didn't look like it, Zelos was strong. While his expression didn't give him away, he removed Xigbar's hand from his arm. "You're going to bruise my perfect skin!"

He started walking back towards the young girl before turning back to Luxord with a cheerful grin on his face. "Hey, man! Don't forget to brush your teeth! You're breath smells terrible! My beautiful eyebrows almost fell off! AHAHAHAH!"

He was going to get killed in the night, he knew.

"A lot of boys from my town went off to war, too. Doesn't mean I have to like it or agree with it." Jack shrugged. "You can support the people without supporting what they're fighting for, you know. It doesn't have to be both. There's too much violence, too much fighting, and not enough attention and resources given to the places they're needed. Priorities are all screwed up all over the place and it's all just super powers fighting for the biggest piece of the pie...." He trailed off.

"I can get going, if you let me, sorry about that. Just smack me - I did the protest for a while. Environmental issues, mostly, not anti-war. And sweetheart, trust me, after being here? I can believe almost anything."

Waka glanced up when a young boy sat down near to him; he hadn't expected company...at least not until evening. The way he shied away from even looking at Waka directly was almost amusing, and there was a hesitant inquiry in his eyes that Waka had seen before.

Still, announcing that he was, in fact, male seemed to be doing himself an insult by suggesting that there was truly a question there.

He smiled at the boy. "Bonjour," he greeted him encouragingly.

Trust Bast to be late for everything and then make the worst possible decision that could be made when things came down to it.

"BELLATRIX!"

Even the nurses had to give Bast a worried look when he fairly shrieked coming into the cafeteria and then took off like a shot for poor Lust.

"Bella, Bella, Bella!"

Reaching her (a feat in itself considering how many people the vertically challenged man had to get past), he fairly bounced right beside her.

"Bella! You're here! My beautiful Bellatrix!"

[reposting to follow Bast. =D]

Alphonse had picked up his fork, playing with it absently as he listened to Lust. The metal felt cool beneath his fingers, then it quickly warmed with his touch. If he let it drop, it would turn cool again. Was this what his temporary body had felt like?

-- She was hurt, she wasn't just fine. "Are you okay?" Concern was in his voice, and now it was as clear as day on his face, too. His voice had gone a long way when he was in the armor, it had had to; but his face, now, it added a whole new dimension of expression. "What happened to you? Was it-- was it those monsters?"

Al suddenly jumped in his seat, taken by complete surprise by the new voice. He'd been so concentrated on Lust and his own thoughts-- He turned to face this new man, a man he didn't recognize, and blinked in pure, simple surprise. Bella? This couldn't be right. Or maybe he was missing something?

"Yes, I was attacked last night and unprepared." Lust shook her head and smiled at Alphonse, warmly. "I've been stitched up, I'll be fine. It's merely an annoyance."

And then Lust found herself more confused than she had been in some time. She had never seen the man who was now beside her, who had practically bolted across the mess hall to get to her.

"Bellatrix?" she repeated, perplexed. At hearing the name 'Bella' she had momentarily worried that she had been mistaken for Isobel. But the name Bellatrix meant nothing to her.

"I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else."

Miku watched him go with a mixture of unease and perplexion. She already knew this place was strange, when someone tells you your given name is totally different and takes away your personal belongings...

...Well, it wasn't as if her head was decoration. She looked back to her plate of poked food and nibbled on her bread and jam, sipped her tepid tea and made a face. The teabags they were using were stale-tasting to her. Maybe Yuu and Rei had spoiled her a little bit, when they had bought that canister of tea.

Miku stopped eating and pushed her plate away, the fruit was mangled beyond recognition, the bread half-eaten, and hardly looked as though she'd bothered to feed herself to fullness.

But she was beginning to think that she'd just have to investigate exactly what Mr Gillespie meant when he said he'd have to warn her about this place.

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Day 22: Brunch

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