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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The family pride came in, and he blushed. Should I tell him I'm not actually allowed to use my full power? No, that would be scary.

"I'm going to be showing the twins a few things later, I think. I'm a little bit out of practice, but." Honey hoped they had a dummy or something he could use as a practice tool. He didn't want to risk hurting anyone in the middle of a sparring match, and he didn't know yet if there were any other martial artists around who could block successfully without being hurt.

The mention of the Host Club again brightened Honey up. "Yeah! You really should. Bring your friends, too! We'll all be around later. At least...most of us. No one's seen Haru-chan in a while, and I don't think Takashi and Kyou-chan are even here. But the rest of us will be! And I think Tama-chan is trying to train new Hosts."

Honey wasn't sure if he should extend the invitation quite so far, but he figured he'd let the President handle it if Axel decided he wanted to try it.

Axel almost forgot how out of practice he was as well. As a test the redhead brought his arm behind his head, literally letting his elbow touch the other shoulder and wincing as his muscles protested for being stretched so far. Yes, he'd have to work on that.

When Mitsukuni referred to inviting his 'friends' as well, the redhead had to stop and actually think who'd want to come. The only real friend Axel could recall was Roxas, and even then he wasn't sure if the blond would've been interested in any of the like. Though there was also Naminé, but if she were to come Luxord would most likely follow...

"... What does a 'Host Club' do anyway?" The Nobody remembered asking the same question in the Bulletin board, but this 'Tamaki' was adamant on him finding for himself. But Axel was the kind of person that would rather be prepared for any situation.

Hm. How to explain the Host Club. Tamaki had always been the one to do that - either him or Kyouya. Honey was a little lost for words at first.

"Well, normally, we all have snacks, and tea, and lots of conversation! We entertain folks of all types. Mostly girls at the school, BUT! We've had boys there a few times. Oh! And games. Yes. And...well, like Tama-chan said! You'll have to find out. But it is really fun."

He hoped he'd gotten the point across. He remembered what Renge-chan had said, when she tried to start a Host Club in France - they just hadn't been ready for it. And Tamaki had always explained it better.

... Well that was certainly odd. So it was like a social affair? A High School version of a Gentleman's club for women? Axel guessed he had to see it all for himself to get a better picture of the whole ordeal. It wasn't like he had anything else to do to eat up his time.

But other than this Host Club, Mitsukuni's explanation of his own world was surprisingly normal, and that was considered to be a big stretch from all the other worlds he'd heard about amongst other people. Though that proved to be a disadvantage for many reasons if he ended up in Landel's.

"Have you been here for the Nightshift?" It never hurt to ask, the redhead couldn't keep up with how long other patients had been there.

"No. I just woke up here...I was in bed last night and then I was here this morning. But some friends told me about what happens...is it really as bad as people say? Monsters and everything?"

Honey was trying not to worry too much. He'd deal with it, whatever came, and as long as he had friends nearby, it would be all right, he thought. Thinking otherwise...well. It wasn't his nature to be negative about anything, and Honey didn't want to start now.

"It really depends on how many people are with you and what you actually come across at night." Axel only really had one encounter during his time here in Landel's, and in the end he was knocked out by a giant scorpion before waking up in his bed. But his earlier conversation with Larxene was also something worth mentioning.

"But that isn't the only thing you have to worry about. On some nights they take up a few of the patients here and sit them through these 'torture sessions'. I myself haven't had it done to me yet, but I know someone who's endured it." But the Nobody wouldn't go about saying that he didn't want it done on him. Truth be told that he was actually curious about it, and if it brought him one step closer to understanding this Institute then pain was a small sacrifice he'd gladly pay.

"So I suggest you make allies with whoever you can."

This whole thing was worrying. It really is like a horror manga. I want to go home.

Mitsukuni looked up, a concerned, serious look on his face. "Axel-san. Do you know anything about why we're all here? I...I'm scared."

He hadn't wanted to say that in front of the others. It would only have worried them, and they seemed to have enough to worry about. Somehow, even though he didn't know the - what had he called himself? It didn't seem right to call him a Nobody, when he was clearly a person, right there...but if that was the right word, as much as he didn't like it - very well, he'd opened up a whole lot. It was easier to say you were scared in front of someone you didn't feel like you needed to protect.

Even though his time in the Sun Room was completely uneventful, Roxas was feeling much more well-rested than before, and was more than ready for some food. Not entirely sure what to eat, he took small portions of various entrees. It was a lot more than he normally ate, but since this would be his only meal until dinner, that wasn't too much of a problem, as long as he didn't move around too much directly afterward.

By the time he broke away from the buffet table there were a lot of people in the cafeteria, so he scanned the area for some familiar faces. There actually weren't very many, and in a place like Landel's that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Maybe Roxas would have to make an effort to be a little more social. He did see Axel though, and they hadn't talked in a while. So, tray in hand, he made his way over.

The first thing that Roxas noticed as he made his was over was the blonde boy that Axel was talking to. Just how old was he? The second was the large pile of cake. Was he going to eat all of that? He didn't ask about any of it though, instead just taking a seat unobtrusively. It looked like whatever they were talking about was serious, and he didn't really want to interrupt.

Watching the blond's face drown in worry Axel was once again stuck under the assumption that a child was here in Landel's. Maybe it was because the Nobody had been around his Heart for a while, but the redhead sought it fit to place his hand on the latter's shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"I don't know much, but you can stick by me whenever you want to when Night does come. Back in my world I used to be a real fighting machine, you see." It was something Axel had missed, even with a Nobody's emotions. He didn't enjoy the thought of being so powerless in this cramped space.

"This Institute weakened a lot of what I can do, but I'll do my best to watch out for you."

Once again these words left a strange taste in his mouth, though it wasn't unpleasant. It was just an entirely new experience to strive to protect another, and it felt a lot like what he felt for Roxas. It was... nice.

… And speaking of Roxas.

“Hey stranger, it’s been a while.” And just like that the redhead lit up like a light bulb. It really had been a while since he’d seen his ~~only~~ friend, and the last time really didn’t count because his stomach was doing back flips.

Honey nodded, more reassured than he'd been in a while. "Thank you, Axel-san. I appreciate that." It actually did feel nice to have someone else looking out for him a little. It wasn't that the others he knew wouldn't, but, well. He could just imagine Tamaki getting distracted if Haruhi was in trouble, and the twins had each other. If Takashi was here...but he wasn't. It just felt better to have someone bigger watching out for him.

He then turned to the other boy that had popped in. "Hi! I'm Honey. You're a friend of Axel-san's?"

He couldn't help thinking, He looks like Sora-chan does. Are they brothers or something? Cousins, maybe, like Takashi and I. And he looks friendly, too!

"So it has," Roxas agreed to Axel. For supposedly being best friends, they sure didn't talk much. Though in a place like Landel's that couldn't really be helped, could it? But then again, he had plently of conversations with Sora, so maybe not.

....Honey, huh? It was an odd name, but it fit the (assumed) younger boy, somehow. "That's right," he affirmed to the question. "I'm Roxas. Nice to meet you."

The words felt a little awkward to say - unlike Sora, Roxas wasn't used to meeting new people. But that was going to have to change eventually, so why not start now?

It was nice to have someone there behind you to fall on when you needed it the most, as Axel was that secure in his masculinity to admit. Though on Roxas's behalf he'd like to admit that he was watching the blond's back as well. They've had plenty of conversations in the Institute, but it was around when they both just arrived there. Still, no one would ever find Axel saying no to seeing his best friend, and he was ever determined to keep their friendship as close as Nobodies could get.

The redhead watched between the two blonds with interest, taking notice of Roxas's usual persona when he meets new people.

"Roxas comes from the same world as I do, the one filled with Darkness and skyscrapers. It's very empty there but Roxas keeps me company." He explained to Mitsukuni, giving his friend another smile. Every time the other Nobody was around it really did feel like he had a Heart of his own.

… But all of a sudden a feeling of RAGE welled up inside him, and Axel immediately whipped his head over to it’s source. Green eyes narrowed into poison darts at the sight of the man whose body language was obviously more flirtatious around Naminé than he would’ve liked. And he would’ve gotten up if Xigbar and Luxord weren’t already there. For probably the first time since he came into this Institute, the redhead was relieved that the other members had came to Landel’s.

So he brushed the scene off with a well placed smile, using his fork to idly pick at Roxas’s plate.

The loud noises from across the cafeteria briefly distracted Honey from the conversation. He was shocked to see one person covered in blood and being dragged away. He'd always been taught that you used your skills to protect other people and protect yourself, not to be the one who started the fight. He guessed there really were people in this hospital that needed a little help managing their anger. But that situation had been quickly handled, and after watching it, he turned back around.

"Axel-san was telling me about that place. It sounded scary, and it's not like where I'm from at all."

He went back to the large pile of cake in front of him, and then noticed Axel wasn't watching. He looked at the pretty girl he was looking at. "Is she a friend of yours too?"

Roxas was actually somewhat used to all the commotion that went on in Landel's by now, so he wasn't really paying attention to much but his food and the conversation. Putting large egos together was bound to cause some fighting, if his days in the Organization had taught him anything. It was something of an annoyance, but some people just couldn't be helped.

He was a little surprised to hear that Axel had told Honey about The World That Never Was, but then again, the redhead couldn't really claim to be from anywhere else, could he? And Roxas couldn't really say otherwise either, even though he wasn't exactly welcome there anymore.

"It's not really scary," he replied with a mild shrug. "It's just kind of... sad? The way that everything there is missing something." It wasn't quite the right word, but Roxas wasn't really sure how else to describe it.

On the second question, he turned his head to look at whatever Axel was finding so interesting. Naminé, Luxord, Xigbar, and some redhead? That guy was getting a little friendly, so as much as he disliked his "comrades," Roxas was glad that they were protective of Naminé. Still, both Xigbar and Luxord were a bit non compos mentis, so if things got a little too intense, he was going to have to get her away from there.

"That's Naminé. She's kind of like my sister, and she has a lot of other people to help look out for her, too," he explained, a little too preoccupied to notice Axel stealing his food. He was definitely going to have to keep his eye on that scene.

Snake simply slammed his plate in front of the cafeteria workers and allowed them to pile on the food however they pleased, and made his way through the cafeteria without even looking at it. Pot luck, but whatever they'd given him he'd eaten worse. He'd never been anything close to picky.

The first thing he had to do would be to find Otacon - or Fox, he realised, although something close to shame began to fill his thoughts as he remembered him. He couldn't force Fox to stare him in the face again and see Big Boss. Who he'd stolen from him.

He glanced up and down the rows of people, all talking away and eating like machines, and -

- comes from the same world as I do, the one filled with Darkness and skyscrapers. It's very empty there but Roxas keeps me company.

That voice.

He shouldn't have been brought here, he thought fiercely. The kid's mentally unstable as it is, and he needed to be left alone. He needed to go free. Not even this Landel would lock away a man like him and expect him not to lose it. It's beyond madness.

He moved swiftly over to where he'd heard the voice. Two kids, and a young man.

But that voice...

"Raiden?" he asked, weakly, realising his mistake too late.

"Yeah, she's a friend of ours." Axel said after Roxas's statement, having already polished half of his friend's plate and was making a move for his drink. However, just as he was reaching for it the redhead blinked when a newcomer came by their table. The Nobody glanced amongst the two other blonds for a moment, wondering if either knew this man, before clearing his throat.

"Er..." Considering this man's demeanor he didn't seem to be the type to just walk up to anyone without a good reason, though Axel didn't have the slightest clue as to why he'd stop by them out of all the groups in the Cafeteria. The Nobody looked around to make sure if there was some other guy hiding in the shadows before cocking his head to the side.

"Is there something you need, Mister?"

Honey didn't know the man, either. He'd just been wanting to ask if Roxas and Naminé were twins, since they looked to be about the same age and he said he was like his sister, but...

"I don't know a Mr. Raiden. I'm sorry. Do you need help finding him?"

It was terrible to be without friends in a place like this, he thought. And even if he didn't know the man who had sat down next to them, he was willing to lend a hand.

Roxas made a glance up at the newcomer. He'd definitely never met this man before, and from the sound of it, neither had Honey or Axel. Was he looking for someone? 'Raiden.' That didn't sound familiar, so Roxas figured he wouldn't be of much help.

Of course, by the time all that had happened, he finally picked up on the fact that Axel had been stealing food from his plate, and while he was distracted, Roxas did the same in retaliation. He'd gotten all that food for a reason after all; he wanted to eat it.

Snake had never been good at recognising faces. It was not one of his gifts. If he'd been apart from someone for long enough, his knowledge of their face slipped out of his memory, leaving only sets of mannerisms, behaviour, voice. From what he'd heard it ran in his blood - he faintly remembered Fox telling him once that Big Boss had once been fooled by a woman who 'simply pulled back her hair and put a pair of glasses on'. But there was no use dwelling on that now.

At least the kid's face was fresh in his mind, although already fading - they'd only known each other for a day, after all. Even so, he could recall him enough to know that he wasn't in front of him. There was some similarity in facial features - sharp nose and chin, small mouth - but nothing significant enough to get him wondering if there was another cloning project going on starring the kid. The mannerisms were all different - the look in his eyes all wrong - but then there was that voice. And it was similar enough to scare him.

"Sorry," he finally said, to the doppelgänger, noting little marks under his eyes, like a clown's makeup. "Your voice reminded me of a friend I had. I thought they'd brought him here, too. I'm glad they haven't."

He seated himself as close to the man with Raiden's voice as possible, and finally looked down to see what he had. Blueberry pancakes, and a cup of tea. Not bad.

If Axel had noticed that Roxas was picking at his leftovers he would've scowled before slapping the blond's hand away. But he was far too busy following the man's own green eye, knowing he was being compared, critiqued and probably even scrutinized to this 'Raiden' character. The Nobody took the time to study the latter's features as well, wondering if something would spark in the back of his head and it'd all make sense in the end. Alas, no matter how many times he looked there was nothing Axel felt for this man.

... His voice?

The Nobody let himself reach up and clasp his own throat, nails scratching at the surface while he listened to him speak.

"Well Mister, it's good to know that you care for your friends." Axel sighed, not minding too much that the latter had now taken a seat right next to him. It was overwhelming to be close to so many hearts at once, but the Nobody tried his best not to be giddy about it.

"Anyway, care to share your name with the rest of us? Sorry to disappoint, but mine's Axel."

"Axel," he repeated, faintly disappointed. Well, there was no real significance to be found in names anyway. "Call me Snake."

He took a drink of his tea, scrutinising Axel over the lip of the mug. Yeah, that was it. Same voice, different demeanour, just enough of a lookalike to prove interesting.

Then again, there'd been some whiny, sickeningly-pretty boy in one of Otacon's cartoons who Otacon kept insisting had the same voice as Snake, and he hadn't been able to hear it at all, so maybe he wasn't the best judge.

"My friend," he said, changing tactic. "He was...I can't say I knew him that well, but no-one really did. Good kid. Bright, tougher than he looked. He was also single-minded, self-obsessed, and stubborn as a mule. We got along well." He smirked. "You look a bit like him yourself. Different hair, but I'd know those hips anywhere."

Honey was confused, really. It didn't seem like Axel knew the man, and he didn't really think Roxas knew him, either. But, it was...good, he thought, that his friend wasn't here?

The person he was talking about oddly sounded like Kyouya, or at least the "self-obsessed" part sounded right. He wouldn't have called him tough or stubborn, though. The toughness was reserved for Haruhi and Takashi, because he didn't think either of them were afraid of anything. And the stubbornness was reserved for the twins - if something didn't fit into their world, they stubbornly held out against it.

But if Axel looked like the man's friend, he could understand the mistaken identity. He didn't really say anything in reply, not sure where to jump into the conversation. Instead, he focused on the large pile of cake that was still on his plate, diving in and making short work of it.

"Snake..." Axel raised an eyebrow but didn't question it further. It was probably just some nickname, much like Mitsukuni's, and the redhead would play along with it until he got a real name. This 'Snake' was certainly an interesting enough individual that the redhead would surely like to keep him around for at least a little while longer.

The Nobody took the time to drink his own tea, catching Snake staring at him and sighed again. This was going to be a long Brunch.

However, at the hip comment, Axel abruptly choked. And it was a good thing the redhead had an affinity for fire, paying no mind to the scalding heat that ran down the surface of his throat before he wiped it off with the back of his hand.

"Well it's nice that you took the time to notice that, I'm simply flattered." The Nobody almost forgot that Roxas and Mitsukuni were still there, giving them both questioning glances for their own opinion about this guy. The smaller blond looked to be just as confused as him, and Roxas was probably too busy salvaging whatever food he had left to pay attention.

"He sounds like an interesting guy though." Axel piped in with another sip of his tea. "How'd you meet him anyway?"

Roxas' reaction to this 'Snake's' name was relatively similar to Axel's. It wasn't really the type of namehe was used to hearing. But then again, since they were all from different worlds, maybe it was perfectly normal where the man came from.

The conversation was getting a little weird. He supposed it made sense for Snake to mistake Axel as someone else; Roxas himself seemed to be asked if he was related to Sora or Naminé quite often, and he knew he'd made out a pair of twins at one point. But recognizing his hips? He made a glance between to the men at the table. Normally, he would at least try try to introduce himself, but..

"So, Honey. You like cake?" He asked. It was an awkward way of trying to get off the subject, especially since he seemed to only be pointing out the obvious, but it worked for him.

"It certainly wasn't fate I met him," Snake responded calmly, slightly impressed at Axel's stunning moodswing - from choking distaste to easy interest in less than a second. There was evidently more of the kid in him than he'd initially thought. "It was all arranged."

No, he had to be less vague than that. He sounded like Fox. Or Mantis.

"I don't know if the same thing happened in your 'timeline'," he began, "but in mine there was a crisis, off the shore of Manhattan. A cleanup facility got taken over, by terrorists. My friend...he was the soldier who'd been sent in to sort out the mess, and I was in there, cleaning it up of my own accord. Or so it seemed. I don't want to talk about the details, but he was being used." There was a concept he resented. "And I was, too. But in a way so indirect I only realised it when I was told. That's my legacy - I'm always the tool someone else uses to get the job done."

He'd already said more than he intended to. It was hearing the kid's voice again - had to be. Even from a different face...

"And no need to be shy," he added. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with your hips. They're..." he thought of the right word, came up with 'androgynous', and decided not to risk it, "...honest."

Day 22: Brunch

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