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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Otacon grinned to see Aya really get into it. It was always useful to get another viewpoint on things. "That's the key question, isn't it? I don't really know myself. I've been picking up hints from the bulletin board..."

He flipped back a couple of pages in his notebook to find the relevant quotation.

"Here, Aya. Some patients found this message broadcast on a TV: 'Today there was a fight between forces near Old Los Angeles in the downtown. Neither group is large enough to be considered a threat to the US, but the armed forces were sent to calm things and all seems stable...' That suggests to me that wherever we are, it's at some volatile point in Earth's timeline." But which Earth? he wondered. "And didn't the Head Doctor say something about 'genetic and environmental factors' in his speech? That makes me think of..."

Otacon closed his eyes, suddenly looking aggrieved. The conclusions his imagination was leading him to sounded like, at best, the plot of a post-apocalyptic anime, and at worse, one of his worst reoccurring nightmares.

Kurama furrowed his brow as he watched Hisoka. He hadn't meant to anger the boy again. Though it wasn't really him who was angering him...

"It's alright," Kurama replied, softening his voice to be as gentle and sincere as possible. "He'll get his due soon enough. They all will, for what they're doing to us here."

Hisoka turned his eyes away, seemingly surverying the room as he forced himself to calm.

"That's what the optimistically blinded say when they realize they're helpless," he commented icily, turning to look back at Kurama as his anger faded. "And I won't foolishly believe that someone is going to kill him one day. I'll do it myself."

Unballing his fists, the shinigami idly glanced down at his palms, unsurprised to find crescent nail marks in his skin. The question now was whether to continue the game. It was his turn, the other boy was here longer, he could perhaps give the shinigami more information than some of the others.

Cliff felt his blood run cold as the teenager explained. He wanted to ask at first if he was serious, but something about the way the kid spoke told him he really, really was.

"Why would the government do that?" He asked finally, distaste readily apparent. He'd been exposed to all sorts of culture clash in his time but he couldn't wrap his brain around a government that would kill off a bunch of little kids every three years - or worse, have them kill each other. That was Darwinism gone hideously wrong.

And he was looking at the winner.

He tried to shake off the lingering feeling, tried to follow the second subject line. He still didn't know if he and the boy came from the same...reality.

"I'm not sure you would recognise the names." He replied, maiming his food with a fork. He seemed to have lost his appetite. "See...most of us come from different worlds."

Homura met Kenren's gaze with a mix of defiance and enjoyment in his eyes; it wasn't surprising that the Taisho wanted to protect the other three, especially if he had figured out who they were. In a way, it was admirable. The dedication, the loyalty...

Of course, the advantage it gave Homura was also a plus.

"Oh, there's no need to worry, Kenren Taisho. I've told them all of this before." Homura allowed a moment of silence for the statement to set in, to watch the reactions of the others.

He shifted his focus onto Goku specifically, studying the bright eyes that (according to his name) were able to perceive so much. Eyes of a heresy, marked in gold. And yet Goku had escaped the fate of the other heretical beings in Heaven.

It Homura wonder for a brief moment if the boy really should remember the things of the past.

"But it seems that a great deal has been forgotten, doesn't it?"

Part of him was relieved, part disappointed as the conversation took a turn. Was that it? Would she trust him now? Or had he only succeeded in pushing her further away? The way she'd returned his tease made his blood race a little faster. Ran had always been blessed when it came to sensuality and she was skilled at using it to her advantage. Any man would find it difficult to resist her.

He was inclined not to believe the other part, though he knew many things that weren't Hollows could be dangerous. And after all the other insanity of the morning, that seemed just another brick in the wall. Ran didn't have it in her to lie, not like he did. And not about something important. So the people here wanted them to fight monsters, yet refused to let them keep their Zanpakutou? Was it a test of Demon Arts? Reiatsu? Nothing seemed to make sense, and for one who relied heavily on logic, it was troubling indeed.

"So you're as new t'this place as I am? Don't s'pose they're nice 'nough t'give us our Zanpakutou back at night?"

"Different worlds? How does that work?"

Kazuo considered his question. "Well...mostly to keep everyone in check, I guess. Some people say they take the winners and make an army with them. I guess I'll find out when they come get me out of here."

"If you say so..." Kurama replied. He gave Hisoka one last sympathetic gaze before schooling himself back to his calm expression. He knew what it was like to hate like that. Like a poison that coursed through your veins. One where the only remedy was murder...

"I believe it's your turn, Hisoka. If you'd still like to play, of course."

Ginji nodded. He was pleased she could handle herself. Still.. he wished it didn't have to be that way.

"Good, but if you need help you can ask me," he offered grinning. "Be careful who you talk to, a lot of people here are mean but they pretend not to be. And don't trust any of the staff."

"Well...where I come from, space travail is pretty common unless the planet is underdeveloped." He explained. "But even that level of technology doesn't explain how they took people without anyone noticing."

At the teenager's answer, his brain said 'It's not likely that they know you're here.' but his mouth said; "And you're totally ok with that?"

Naoe considered Alex for a moment, face growing serious. "Sometimes, it's better to be alone," he pointed out. "At least now none of your friends are subjected to this place."

He was trying to make Alex feel a little better about being alone but he knew that if Takaya wasn't here he would spend a lot of his time wishing that he was, for many reasons.

He smiled slightly again. "I'll be happy to consider you my ally," he said. "If you don't mind." They didn't have to be friends but if they both had strengths they could benefit from working together.

"America? Yeah. It's western." Takaya liked the music, and some of the food, but still... he really missed his sister's cooking. He missed a lot of things.

Takaya considered the question about Naoe carefully, with two ~~conflicting~~ points of view and didn't speak for a moment after listening to Obiwan say that he was in much the same situation as he was.

"Yeah, I've only got a little power left too..." He shifted in his seat, trying to ease the pressure his position was putting on his stitches. "Nothing worth shit in a fight though..."

"That guy... even without his power," Takaya refused to actually look at him again. "He's dangerous. Manipulative." Takaya's eyes grew chill. "He'll do anything to make you think he's on your side, then fuck you over in the worst possible way." His voice was softer now, but harsh.

Rangiku sighed and nodded at his question, glancing around the room at all the people. "This morning." She smiled wryly. "With a hangover." He knew her habits nearly as well as she herself did. It wasn't such an unusual thing to happen.

"If they were goin' to give us our Zanpakuto back, I don't think they'd've taken 'em in the first place." She sighed again, eyes narrowing as she leaned forwards. "My powers are blocked. Can hardly feel a thing." Even Gin's reiatsu was shrouded. It was there, very faintly at the back of her mind if she thought about it hard, but it was an effort.

And now that she'd given him fair warning, it was probably time to do what she'd come over to do. "Good job I don't need a Zanpakuto to do this then," she murmured before grabbing his hand and uncerimoniously shoving it under her shirt. At the same time, she raised her knee, aiming it straight for his crotch.

"This is for what you did," she said coolly, "no matter your reasons. I'm still pissed off with you."

Ignoring the sympathetic look, Hisoka shrugged as he forced back his annoyance at being question, deciding to continue. If he merely asked the correct questions he could gather far more information about this place and not be so lost in the dark-- both literally and figuratively. But first...

"Why do you want to know so bad?"

Miku lifted her head and met his gaze briefly, but then returned to studying her hands. His teeth were terribly white... and sharp-looking... it was probably a good idea not to stare at his tanuki smile.

"Hinasaki Miku..." she murmured automatically. She was carefully trying to avoid eye contact. "And you? Won't they let you leave?" she ventured another look at his face. My, his eyes were red. Like an obi-jime tie. It was, in a word, weird.

He'd known the answer to his other question without even asking it, but it was good to know that he wasn't the only shinigami here who's power was blocked.

And then... it hit. For the second time that day, he'd been caught off his guard. It had to be some kind of record. Gin's earlier assessment of the day had been accurate. It was in fact, a very bad day and showed no signs of getting better. There was only one upside to the entire ordeal; his hand was up Ran's shirt.

It was of small comfort as he doubled over, crumpling in pain. Was it supposed to be some last meal before the execution? With his free hand, he gripped the table, head hanging down as he winced at the sudden, debilitating pain.

Kadaj’s declaration had Yazoo smiling around the forkful of eggs he had just stuffed into his mouth. He nodded in agreement and managed a, “Mmmhmm,” in the back of his throat, not trusting himself to talk with his mouth full without choking again.

“That Head Doctor will be very sorry he ever brought us here,” he said once he had swallowed his food. “But in order to show him just who he’s messing with, we’re going to need our energy.” He looked at Kadaj out of the corner of his eye and pointed to his brother’s plate, adding with a small smirk, “Which means we need to eat.”

"You may address me as Lord Alucard." he spoke quietly, but one could hear the pride evident in his voice. "Or Alucard as you prefer. I don't know why the staff insist on calling me 'Arthur Fairbrook'. The morons and fools." the vampire's words and voice lost the rather refined tone of before.

"They keep me here because they believe me to be someone else. A case of mistaken identity really...if not for my powerless state I would've left and killed every last one of them."

"I don't have a choice," Kazuo replied. "Better alive than dead."

He tilted his head a bit and rested his chin in one hand. "Space travel? Really? I never heard of that."

She should possibly have felt guilty for using such underhanded tactics, but really, they were both from Rukongai where underhanded tactics were practically a requirement for survival. Part of what she knew was due to him after all.

Rangiku held his hand against her breast for a moment, clasping his fingers in her own even if he was probably too preoccupied with excrutiating pain to notice. Then she stumbled back a few steps, as though unsure on her feet, her face changing into a mask of horror and a little fear as she turned to the rest of the room. A sharp sound, nearly a scream escaped her and she looked around wildly for a nurse, her whole demeanour one of someone who had been wronged. She was no stranger to using her looks to her advantage and could act with the best of them if she needed to.

"Nurse! Nurse!"

"Because knowing things here...knowing people, can save our lives."

Kurama knew it sounded sappy, but it was true. And it was something he'd been neglecting as of late. He was so used to keeping to himself... In a situation like this, it was dangerous.

Oh fine~ if he had to. Kadaj laughed and attacked his food with... well, not exactly the same vigor he would have shown if he hadn't known about the whole situation with Mother, but it was definitely an improvement. He was grateful Yazoo was there, really, because if he'd been left on his own like he had been before... it wouldn't have ended well.

Once he thought he'd eaten enough of his food to keep his brother from nagging him about it, he decided to change the subject, if only because the distraction would ensure he didn't go charging after the Head Doctor anytime soon. At night that was fine, but during the day... "How did you spend your last shift?" he asked curiously, somewhat disgusted by the fact that he was resorting to small talk but really not knowing what else there was to discuss. Well, besides the flute that had been playing for a little while now, and the altogether too large reunion going on amongst the traitor's friends. Just where was Loz anyway? The two of them alone weren't going to be enough to fight them off if they decided to attack at once. It just wasn't fair.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on. Even through the haze of pain, Gin could see exactly where this was going. There were already countless sets of eyes on them. Gin was a man condemned and for once it was for a crime he hadn't committed.

That just wouldn't do. If he was gonna be punished either way, he was gonna make sure he got at least a small bit of satisfaction out of it.

Through an effort of will alone, he forced himself to his feet, covering the distance between them as fast as his delayed senses could carry him and pulling her toward him in an awkward embrace. One arm at her waist, firm and immovable, pressing their bodies together, his other hand at the back of her neck, closing the remaining gap which met at one inevitable end. Gin pressed his lips to hers roughly, demanding, though she resisted.

It lasted only a moment and then it was all over, the nurses were coming and this time he had no simple retort or pitiful story. But at least now he was guilty of the crime. He fell back a few steps, giving Rangiku space before she decided he'd earned another well-placed kick. He still couldn't quite force himself to stand straight, though there was a smile on his lips this time that even the pain couldn't erase.

Hisoka had to fight to keep a straight face, never being one for sappy moments. Or any emotional moments at all. Yet the boy understood the message in the other boy's words, if only partially. He had been hearing rumors of monsters from the moment he arrived, but he still didn't understand how befriending others would save them. Wouldn't that only create liabilities?

"How would that save us now?" Hisoka asked, genuinely confused, not realizing that he had gone out of turn.

It seemed like none of them knew that for certain about the visitation. To be honest, Adelheid was almost hoping that he didn't see anyone; it had been so long since he'd met with anyone from his world- even though it had been less than a week, really- that he wasn't sure if he'd be able to tell the difference. Or, if it was a simulacrum of his sister, if he'd care to notice the difference.

On the positive side, at least his hands were healing nicely. One small benefit to hang on to?

As it was, Tamaki looked like he was about to collapse, and the two lawyers weren't doing so well either. Adelheid wished he was better at cheering people up; soothing anger he could manage, smoothing ruffled feathers was a specialty, but he'd never really had to console others. But... it wasn't like he couldn't try, right?

"I don't believe that visitation will be normal, not considering this place. One person on the bulletin board stated that the individuals involved are likely brainwashed locals who happen to bear a resemblance; I believe that, considering the technology that the Head Doctor has at his disposal..." Like drugs that could effect even the dead, and hulking orderlies, and a shield that absorbed Adelheid's attack like nothing. "...that he could easily create replicas or false versions. It may be difficult, but we must not let ourselves be shaken by these 'visitors'. No matter how close to our true families they might be."

His gaze shifted from one person to the next, one long gaze that made Adelheid sit up straight in his chair and, despite the diminishing sedation and the pain that replaced it, seemed to breathe strength and determination. He couldn't show any doubt, not when all three of the others seemed to be weakening. If need be, he would shoulder all of the burdens himself, for the sake of his friends.

"We'll know when the time comes. Until then, prepare yourselves; at least we know what will be coming." One last gaze at the others, and then Adel focused on Tamaki, a very faint smile on his face. That boy didn't deserve to go through all of this. He was pure; naive, but with a perspective and a soothing presence that Adelheid was sincerely starting to hope wouldn't dim in Landel's. Just seeing the boy's posts on the Board had cemented this impression in Adelheid's mind.

"Tamaki... you asked about my world, and while that is something that would take a long time to retell, I can share this with you. There was an organization of corrupt scientists, called the NESTs Cartel. They perfected a means of cloning, and created what was supposed to be an invincible army of one of the greatest enemies of my family. Facing that nearly destroyed me... but in the end, I realized that they weren't the real thing. In the same way, I believe you'll know if it's your real family there." Adelheid had to take a drink of his juice, throat dry and sore from the unexpected rambling. But he had to get it out, in a perhaps vain attempt to reassure the young man. "No matter how good the copy is, it still can never be the original. Please remember this, and remember also that no matter what you see, this world is not our own. That goes for all of us here."

...Adelheid really wished he could have put it better. No matter how hard he tried, it always seemed to sound false in his own ears.

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Page 21 of 28

Day 22: Brunch

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