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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Fox was still slightly shocked from the Head Doctor's appearance, and he shook his head slightly.

When he spotted the group he'd ran into last night, he carefully made his way over to them, recalling the hit to his head and reaching up to feel the tender spot.

He sat down next to the short blond with the metal arm, quietly eating the food from his tray. "Last night... you had weapons, a sword and a spear... where did you get them?"

If there was a chance he could get a sword... fighting with his hands was nice, but there were just some things that it wasn't wise to kick. His foot was still bruised from where he kicked the machine, but it didn't hurt enough to keep him from walking on it normally.

He glanced at Adelheid, "Even when you lose, and get beat up... People who do a lot of fighting, will eventually end up beaten. It just happens, no matter how great you are. Sometimes all you can do is fight and lose, because it's better than not fighting and losing anyway." He was really slightly disappointed in himself for not attacking the doctor, but it would be far too risky and foolish, especially after the other patients attacks failed. "I want to thank you for taking over the fight when I got hit in the head last night... truthfully, I expected to be much more severely injured, and possibly even die there." Fox had also expected to last a little longer in the fight, but sometimes things just turned out like that.

It was strange to talk about death and injury so casually. But after experiencing plenty of injuries, and dying twice... and he would be lying to himself if he didn't admit there were other reasons behind his lack of fear for death. And there were plenty of things to fear aside from death.

[[OOC: Fixing up the posting order!]]

The table had filled up awfully fast, and Edgeworth wasn't one for small talk. He looked at each one of its occupants in turn, through a haze that felt like a thick fog in his normally quick brain.

He recognized the two boys - the one with the sword, and one with the prosthesis, though it looked broken. Ed, was it, for the younger of them? Miles couldn't quite put his finger on the name, even though they'd conversed through the bulletin board just that morning, and that felt shameful. He was normally quick at memorizing names and faces.

Next, Fox. The man who had challenged that...thing last night, in an act the prosecutor wasn't sure was out of bravery or insanity, and who was speaking so eloquently now, when he couldn't.

The look on Wright's face was heartbreaking. Why was it that the defense looked so...guilty? It wasn't his fault, what had happened in the chapel.

He wanted to explain everything. What had happened that morning, since the younger two didn't seem aware. They had a right to know. More importantly...he wanted to stand up and throw his arms around Phoenix. It wasn't his fault, no matter what the guilt written in his face.

He took a deep breath and tried forcing the words out. "Adelheid. He's right. You did a lot for me last night. So did you," he said, looking at the the boy who had carried the sword next, "you," looking at Fox, "and you. Ed? Right?"

"Wright. This morning wasn't your fault. You didn't honestly think...I would stand by and watch the Head Doctor talk without saying anything, did you?"

Speaking wasn't easy with the drugs in his system slowing him and making him just want to sleep, but he continued. "The Head Doctor showed his face in the Chapel this morning."

Slowly, carefully, he reached for the tea in front of him. Caffeine might help shake off the sedative effects, he thought, and with shaking hands, he took a long drink.

Tamaki's face fell. What was wrong with poor Adel-kun? Whatever it was, he now felt miserable that he'd come and bothered his friend. But he was going to make it up to him!

"Alright everyone!" he exclaimed, using his Host King Voice and standing to his full height. For all that much of how he presented himself were exaggerations, he was a commanding young man. It was one of the few things he could actually do. "Adel-kun wants to be left alone!"

He tossed his head, looking like the regal Lord he presented himself as. And then he moved to offer a hand to Adelhied, who wasn't looking very steady on his feet.

"Adel-kun, can I get you anything?"

Phoenix stood up as Tamaki spoke, pushing the chair back. He then put a hand out to stop Tamaki from grabbing Adelheid. "If he wants to be left alone, then leave him alone." His expression was entirely serious, his blue eyes focusing up at the blonde. Phoenix was done with being intimidated by anyone, and listening to his pompous words grated on Phoenix's nerves.

"He was injected with sedative in the Chapel. Give him some space." Phoenix's words were intensely protective, lacking the carefree attitude he normally had. If it meant that he himself would have to take Adelheid elsewhere, then he would. He wasn't going to let this person drag Adelheid away and talk his ear off. As far as Phoenix understood, Adelheid didn't need someone to invade his space even further than it already had been.

And he had heard what Edgeworth had said. He hadn't ignored it. But it just wasn't the truth. He couldn't get the mental image of the nurse grabbing Edgeworth and plunging the syringe into his skin, while Phoenix had just stood and watched, out of his head. It left him on edge, angry and snappish, and he felt so unlike himself -- he just felt so cold.

Ed glanced up from his food, swallowing a last mouthful as the older man approached them. It took him a moment to place him as the idiot who'd attacked the Soul Bond last night. "Umm, I made the spear," he said, quickly returning his attention to his food. He was still too tired for this! Sooner he ate, the sooner he could sleep.

Ed could only stare at Adel when he made his outburst, eyes widening at the uncharacteristic behaviour. It took what the others said for him to work out what was wrong.

Adel thought he was useless for getting beaten? He thought he hadn't done enough?! Stupid! Stupidstupidstupid!!

He put down his fork quietly and turned to Adelheid, face completely serious for once. "Adel," he said, completely ignoring Tamaki or Phoenix or anyone else. "You gave me an opening. Wouldn't even have got close if you hadn't done that shiny light thing. And we survived. That's all we can ask for when this place is so fucked up."

And this... this was why Adelheid didn't like being in large groups. Such a tremendous influx of information all at once was hard for a sedative-muddled mind to process. Granted, a lot of it was the same thing- that it wasn't his fault, that it was the best he could do...

...so many stale platitudes that would have made Adelheid sick if he wasn't already feeling queasy with sedation. Only two of them truly mattered to him; those of Fox, and those of Edward. The former had given a detailed answer, and if Adelheid could stop the world from spinning, he would have been pleased to answer the points that had been raised. And Edward? Edward had eased the guilt filling Adelheid's mind. If they were a team, then even giving an opening would have done a great deal, right? It was enough to at least make Adelheid glance at both men who were apparently willing to wage war over him.

It was strange, this sort of situation, but Adel hoped he knew how to handle it. He'd dealt with arms dealers, after all; smoothing ruffled feathers was a specialty. Now, if only he could force it through the sedatives. "Mr. Wright, Suou-san, I'm honored that both of you are willing to do such things on my behalf, but there's no need to raise your voices." He forced a smile on his face; while he would have liked to be alone, it wasn't about what he wanted. "Though I had rather hoped that one of you would have asked before assuming what I did or did not want."

After that chiding tone, and after subjecting both men to a blurred and lesser version of the Bernstein Gaze, he motioned to both of them. It had been... almost sweet. Especially that protective look on Nick's face, and that regal poise that he'd seen for the first time from Tamaki. "Nick, I was injected with sedatives in the Chapel, but... for Mr. Edgeworth and myself, we knew what'd happen. I regret only that I did nothing useful in my attempt... not that I was sedated. And I think Mr.... Edgeworth, was the same way." Gah, it sounded more eloquent in his head, without his slurred tongue keeping him from saying it the way he wanted.

So, instead, he did the next-best thing. He rested his hand on Phoenix's shoulder, squeezing slightly. Normally that would have been agonizing, but with the sedatives, all pain was numbed and scattered. So he could do this, offered that slight reassurance, and at the same time encourage Nick to calm down and sit.

As for Tamaki? Adel then turned his attention to the other boy, a faint smile on his face. "And, ah... could you get some juice for me, Tamaki? Didn't have time for it, with everything else." Food was out of the question, but he'd at least like to have something to keep his attention off of the numbness. And that was why he could offer a faint smile, trying to joke and show he was fine for company. "No need to play Host to me... not quite yet."

What a mess.

Fox turned his attention to Edward, intrigued. He'd made the spear, from what, with what... it had seemed to be a very well made weapon, what little he'd seen of it.

"How did you make it... can you make other weapons?" If he could talk Edward into making a sword for him, it would make his life at Landels so much easier.

"Ah, perhaps we should go somewhere a little quieter and talk? I have the slight feeling this is going to be a rather complicated conversation." Fox grabbed his tray, doing his best not to wince as he lifted it up to move a short distance away from the rest of the group. He never liked groups of people that much anyway.

[OOC: Breaking posting order to go after Fox]

Ed directed his attention back to Fox, so many people making him feel dizzy and slightly ill in his tired state. He couldn't keep up with them all! He blinked rapidly, focusing on the older man. He shook his head slightly to try and clear it. "Alchemy," he mumbled, for once, not really wanting all the attention. "I can make whatever if I have the materials."

He'd agreed to Fox's suggestion before he realised it. He turned back to Adelheid and smiled reassuringly. "We should talk later, Adel. Don't beat yourself up over it. I only got a chance because of you." It wasn't usually his nature to be so generous, but Adel looked like he needed it.

He scooped his tray up awkwardly and turned to follow Fox. "I'll be over here for now," he said. He followed Fox away from the small group, hoping it would help clear his head without so many people talking.

[Gone to here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/65478.html?page=2&view=3381190#comments)]

The tea helped a little, Edgeworth decided, but not enough to shake off what was becoming an incredibly strong urge to push the food aside, call a nurse to escort him back to his room, and sleep. He tried taking a couple of bites of his food, but it all tasted like sawdust. He had no appetite.

He looked at the others, and suddenly felt as if he were the one that needed to leave and go somewhere else for a while. Inwardly, he cursed the fact that his legs felt unsteady, and as if they wouldn't hold his weight if he tried to move. He'd seen what happened when Adelheid had tried to get up and leave, and he knew the same would happen if he tried it.

You're being ridiculous, Miles. You know that doesn't mean anything. And you said what you needed to, right? The realization that they hadn't actually talked about what had happened in Phoenix's room was jarring, and he wondered if it had even happened at all, or if it was a dream, another side effect of the experiments. He couldn't exactly bring it up now, though, not with the others around. He'd find Phoenix later and they'd talk in private.

The words from the boy across from him helped, at least, and it was something he could try and focus on, something that, while it was frightening, didn't hurt quite as much. "He's right," Edgeworth finally said, after a long moment.

"After what all of you did, I couldn't stand there and watch. That wouldn't have...been fair to you." Not after Wright had pushed his own fear aside. And maybe that would shock a little seriousness into the younger boy, who didn't seem at all concerned that the others were all talking about the scene in the chapel that morning. Maybe he hadn't been there?

Tamaki was shocked to be spoken to like that, and his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Luckily, before he could form a response - that probably would have only made things worse - Adelhied spoke.

"Of course," Tamaki said, nodding, and he immediately went off for the requested juice. Really! He'd been trying to help! And even if Adel-kun did want to be alone, that didn't mean Tamaki couldn't do something for him before leaving him! Not that he really wanted to leave his friend when he was like this....

Those doctors. And their drugs. It was awful. They shouldn't be able to do this! They kept hurting his friends and...

Tamaki returned with the juice and set it down. He noticed Ed was gone, and that other man as well. "Here," he said, smiling brightly. There was no need to bring the mood down any further. "But... really, Adel-kun, are you alright?"

The intense look on Phoenix's face faded when Adelheid's hand rested on his shoulder, and much like a balloon being pricked with a needle, the words left the defense attorney merely looking tired and worn out.

"...sorry," he said, but the apology wasn't just for his outburst towards Tamaki. It was for the fact that he hadn't asked as to what Adelheid wanted, and without realizing it, had probably made Adelheid's situation worse.

Phoenix then pulled his chair close to the table and sat back down, finally allowing his gaze to focus upon Edgeworth. He wasn't going to fight him about this, not when he was feeling this badly, and certainly not around everyone else. Phoenix then nodded slightly, picking up his fork and picking at his food in the attempt to look normal, and said nothing in response. There was nothing that he could say without saying everything at the same time, and the fact frustrated Phoenix.

He didn't mean to ignore Edgeworth -- that was the furthest thing from his mind...but he couldn't stop himself from backpedaling and trying to keep the situation as steady as he could without saying anything to make anyone's situations worse. And so, he remained quiet, his eyes on his food. For now, he could just listen, and hopefully that was good enough.

There was definitely something going on, something was depriving Nick of his usual talkativeness and Edgeworth of the eloquence that he had displayed several times over, and Adelheid was willing to bet that it was more than just what had happened in the Chapel. Still, until he found out what that was, he couldn't do anything about it... and if it was personal, Adel highly doubted he wanted to know anyway. He'd done a real bang-up job with Elena's situation, after all.

"It's all right," Adel responded to Nick's apology, and after one last squeeze to the man's shoulder sat down himself. This was a strange situation, and so he could forgive the man for his defensiveness. For that matter, Adel was still rather honored- stunned, but honored- that both men had tried to take up his cause when he was too sulky to worry about his own.

But at the same time... a quick glance at those who remained told him that both warriors had already gone away, and the other three were very much not fighters by any stretch of the imagination. Friends, yes. Incisive, yes- or maybe, in the case of Tamaki. Warriors, no. So Adelheid did as he usually did when confronted with this situation, and shoved down his own feelings on the matter. His fear over being rendered useless, his frustration at not being able to use his own powers, his futile rage at the Head Doctor, even his honest yet complicated mix of worry and anticipation at the visitation and the possibility of seeing his sister... all of that he shoved down, and replaced it with a bright smile.

Adelheid took a bracing drink of his juice- orange juice, Tamaki must have wanted to keep him healthy- before looking at the youngest. And honestly, we was glad that he'd been sedated, or at least not as infuriated about it as he had been. Without that, he would have been completely unable to even hold the glass. "I'm well. Or at least, as well as I can be. I'll be fine by the time night comes again."

Which, if he had been thinking clearly, would have made him ask if Tamaki wanted to stop by with Edward and himself again. But, of course, Adelheid really wasn't thinking as easily as he could. "I'm worried about what the Head Doctor said. It was posted on the board, if you didn't see it. Of course," he added with a faint laugh, "I didn't actually listen. So I'm glad he posted it. But he said that the 'family' we'll see in visitation probably went through what we are now."

He shifted his gaze to Nick and to Edgeworth, a faintly apologetic look on his face. He honestly wouldn't have been surprised- nor would he have been insulted- if the men split off to handle their own affairs. "I'm afraid I won't be good company, considering what happened and what will. So..."

The moment had passed, and Edgeworth realized what had happened internally was nothing more than a moment of overreaction, probably due to the drugs. It was nothing, and he shook it off, visibly relaxing and now trying to at least eat a little something.

"I think we're all worried about the Head Doctor said," he said, agreeing with Adelheid's statement. The drugs seemed to be wearing off a little, or at least settling, and speaking was easier than it had been. "Frankly, while it was good to have a face to put with the voice on the intercom, it was upsetting to many of us to hear the speech. Though I have to admit, I...didn't hear it myself."

He took a long drink of his tea. He wasn't sure if he actually had a visitor coming that afternoon or not, but he worried a little. They had dredged up his father last night intentionally, he was sure of that. Would it be thrown back in his face?

He shoved the thought down. "Do you know ahead of time if you'll have a visitor? I haven't been here long enough to have had one before."

"It's alright," Tamaki said, smiling brightly. "It hasn't been a very good morning."

He listened to Adelhied talk about what had happened in the chapel.

"What does that mean...?" Tamaki frowned. "That they've taken our family, too? But..." He swallowed hard and sat back, his expression falling. His father... well, his father could handle it. But what about his mother? What if they'd done something to her, just because Tamaki was here? He'd done everything for her, and the thought of her in this place....

"I don't have much family," he said, quietly. "But..." he looked over at Edgeworth and nodded. "Will we be warned? Does everyone get visited? I..."

He trailed off, gripped by an icy fear.

Visitation. I hadn't even thought about that.

Phoenix didn't know what to think about that idea. It was true, that the Head Doctor had said that many of their family and friends had gone through the "same treatment" as they were going through then. There was something strange about that -- a contradiction, and it was tickling in the back of his head, unformulated. Different universes...different worlds...the thoughts swirled through his head, a mess of information that he knew he needed to get down into his journal. There was something wrong with that, and as hard as Phoenix tried, he couldn't put his finger on it. It was almost like...there were too many things wrong with it.

He had to eat, however. Hunger had held him back a little bit the night before, and he couldn't ignore the fact that he needed the energy. So, mechanically, he lifted the food to his mouth with his fork, chewed, and then swallowed, but didn't think of the flavor.

The thoughts of the visitation diverted Phoenix from the thoughts of what he had done wrong, and the pressure was alleviated slightly. Once he had some silence to himself, however, his headache came back, pounding through his skull, as if there were someone tiny inside his head, playing his brain like a drum.

"There's something wrong with what the Head Doctor said," Phoenix stated the words vaguely, as he rubbed the fingers of his right hand into his temple, attempting to make the throbbing go away, "and I can't figure out what it is right now. But I get the feeling that...visitation isn't going to be normal." But then again, nothing was normal in this place.

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.

Edgeworth was also hoping that he didn't see anyone. It would be incredibly easy to tell that the "visitors" weren't real in his case, because he didn't really have much of a family, and the one person that was left wouldn't let herself be seen in a place like this, even as a visitor. Of course, they'd made him speak with his father the night before, in a matter of speaking, so who knew, at this point? Especially if they were brainwashing others...

It was crystal clear from the looks on their faces that the others did have actual families, or at least close friends that would have come had they actually been in their own worlds, and somewhere in the mess of slowly clearing thoughts, he realized that he owed them another apology, this time for his earlier harshness.

Tamaki is just a kid...and despite everything he's talking about, and how much older he seems than the other, Adelheid's a kid, too. What's more, Wright's got to be worried about his family, and he's probably worried about Maya Fey, too. She might as well be a sister to him.

When Adel changed the subject, he was almost glad for the distraction. It wasn't easy to get used to the idea of other worlds, but if it took everyone else's mind off the worry, so much the better. Conversations outside of work had never been his forte, and particularly not now with his brain still fogged from the sedatives, but he knew it would be better for all of them if he at least made an effort.

"In my line of work, before I woke up here, I dealt with criminals each day. I can't say I've ever faced one with the type of weapons this one has, but I don't think, based on the bulletin board transcript of the speech, that they took the time to actually bring in family members of ours. I don't know why, but I believe the advice is sound. They aren't the ones we care about, no matter how much we want them to be. I'm just not sure why they would do this at all, other than to keep up an illusion."

He didn't mention the hypothesis Wright had come up with. It was too soon, yet, for that, and if he didn't have a visitor, he'd want to go back to the library to see if there was any information at all there. It had mostly been nonfiction before, but people had been known to write in library books before...

Panic very nearly gripped Tamaki. Even if it was just a clone, what it... what if he couldn't tell? What if it had been too long? What if he couldn't even remember his own mother the right way anymore? What then? The thought was a very scary one for the sixteen year old. What if they did send him some clone of his mother and he couldn't tell the difference?

He didn't want to think on it.

But he was probably being silly. Of course he'd be able to tell his own mother from a fake version! She was his mother time and distance and unholy deals and all of that weren't going to change that.

Everyone else was right, anyway. Whatever was coming, it wasn't real. It was pretend, nothing else than that.

"You're right," he said, nodding. "You're very right. They're just doing this to confuse us, that's all."

And then, as if on cue, the intercom sounded. Tamaki grinned brightly at this announcement. "Oh! The Courtyard! That's perfect for the Host Club meeting! You're all invited!" He beamed at his three brunch companions and bounded up out of his seat, already distracted and his mind full of a new idea....

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Day 22: Brunch

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