damned_institute | Day 43: Courtyard, Third Shift

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Day 43: Courtyard, Third Shift

Once again, Endrance's nurse interfered with his plans. He had been planning to look around the Game Room, but the moment he began to move towards the Sun Room, she had taken him by the arm. "Your family has asked that we make sure you get as much fresh air and sunshine has possible, and you won't get that by staying inside playing video games all day."

He had thought for a moment about protesting, but decided against it. After all, if what had happened to Haseo was punishment for having spoken too strongly the day before, he didn't want to make that worse somehow. So, when given the choice of going out to the recreational field or the courtyard, he chose the latter.

There were a few reasons behind the decision, the most salient being that he wanted to see what the area looked like for a second time - this time without the threat of a brainwashed patient surprising him. The second reason was just as strong as the first, and it had to do with the presence of a second former Demon Palace Emperor. As energetic as she was normally in The World, he couldn't imagine Alkaid not wanting to spend some time outside.

Just as before, he sat down under a tree by the side of the pond, keeping one eye on the door.

[closed to Alkaid]

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"He did, this morning...I'd been worried about him, after last night's events, though thankfully, the worries were unfounded, for the most part." His eyes might have betrayed that emotion had Endrance not turned away during the last part of the statement. The reason behind the worry hadn't entirely been the night before, but there wasn't any need to bring that up. "I trust you've heard?"

A moment later, however, his eyes widened in surprise. The Forest of Pain? That event had been closed months ago, hadn't it? Endrance didn't remember the details behind it; he had been too focused on 'her' to pay much attention. But rumors had a way of reaching you even when you weren't looking for them in The World, and anyone who spent any time in Lumina Cloth would have heard about Taihaku receiving some type of special item after completing it - and being one of the few who completed it before it was shut down.

"I'm not at all surprised about your comeback...after all, you had someone willing to pull out all the stops to make sure that you would. But...that event reopened? I'll admit to not reading the boards terribly often, but there were a lot of rumors around it..." The question still remained: what actually happened after the Sage Palace title match? He wanted to ask, but it felt strange to do so, as if asking would somehow change things.

A rare smile came over his face when Alkaid said that things had turned out as planned. "That he does...most certainly..."

That was a truth she didn't want to face. For months she'd tried to convince herself otherwise, and she'd almost succeeded. But there it was, still lurking at the back of her mind, refusing to leave.

"The entire world has united," she said, painfully aware of the doubt in her voice that betrayed her. "It might last. Even if it doesn't, there could be years before I fight again. What do you think a warrior is supposed to do during peacetime?"

Well, that was better already. It was nice to know she still had that magic touch.

"It's an... honor to meet you, Ms. Juri." Right. "And no." She shook her head, a tiny bit less afraid now that Juri here had stopped scowling so much. It wasn't enough to call off the thumb-twiddling, though. "I just woke up here yesterday morning, though, so..." She was quiet for a while, head titled downward and face etched with uncertainty. She was obviously fighting with herself about what she could say to someone so distant. This was just terrible!

"Do they not like you being alone?" She glanced back up at the woman with a hint of caution, like Juri was about to bite her.

"It will last... for a little while, granting warriors a well-earned rest, but that is all. Eventually conflict will break out once again. it is foolish to believe that it won't."

Teresa turned her gaze back to Soma. "A warrior will never know when they will be needed next. She hones her abilities, stays in shape and keeps her fighting instincts for the day when she must draw her blade again," the hybrid answered. "Nothing is more shameful than a warrior that has allowed herself to become obsolete."

Soma nodded slightly, keeping her gaze fixed on the third floor. Her friends here had given her what advice they could, but they hadn't grown up with the same experiences she had; they hadn't lived their lives as weapons, kept ready for war at all times. It sounded as if Teresa had, and she understood the fact that regardless of what Soma herself wanted, her original purpose was still being a soldier. That was a fate she couldn't escape as easily as Hinamori claimed.

She was quiet for a moment, then said, "I agree. Thank you."

There was that phrase again. Teresa cocked her head at Soma and blinked.

"Why are you thanking me?"

A little surprised by the question, Soma stared back for a moment before shaking her head slightly.

"It was something I thought about a lot before I came here," she said simply. "I didn't know what I wanted to do after the world united. As much as I wanted to adjust to normal life and live like a civilian, I knew I couldn't."

She paused, turning her gaze straight ahead. "I made friends here who thought I could abandon all of that and do what I thought I loved, but that goes against my purpose. You reminded me."

"You could always cut yourself free; I did," Teresa replied.

There was no visitor in sight so far, for which Ayumu was quite grateful. She'd read over the discussions of patients (or "graduates"?) on the bulletin board but found no indication of how it was decided whether or not someone would get one. This was her first visitor day, so would that make her more or less likely to have someone visit her? Or was it perhaps determined by how receptive a person was to the Institute's lies? She'd have to consider it, and perhaps see if Okita or his allies had any further information to add to her observations.

Discussion of a possible third floor had come up on the board again, and so Ayumu had chosen to head outside when given the opportunity. Studying the outer facade of the building while it was still daylight would give her a chance to compare it to the maps she'd already memorized, and perhaps notice somewhere that needed further exploration in the future.

Once in the courtyard, though, a particular young man already present caught her attention. Though it had been dark in the hallway, that night she'd seen Lelouch and his friend upstairs, that could very well be him - the "Suzaku" who exchanged messages with her target on the bulletin board. Which meant that he could potentially be a source of information on Lelouch, as well.

He didn't seem to be in a mood for talking, though, given that as she watched he slumped onto a bench and put his face in his hands. But then, if her work was easy she wouldn't be the one assigned to do it.

Ayumu moved over to join him, lowering herself onto the edge of the bench with a hesitant air and reaching a hand toward him that paused part of the way there, resting on the surface of the bench rather than touching him. "Are you all right?" she asked, with sympathy and concern clear to be read in her voice.

Snake raised his eyebrows in contempt. The tape along the left size of the gauze over his nose detatched from his skin, and he reattached it, attempting to look dignified.

"My arm's been better," he said, wiggling it as best as he could in its sling. "You did a good job on it. Very thorough. Fox'll be jealous when he sees what you've done to me."

He swivelled his head around on his shoulders to loosen up his neck, and stood up.

"I haven't seen Fox today," he said. "He's in room M59 last I heard. You should visit him tonight. By the way," he frowned, "you weren't the one who taught him how to drive, were you?"

Big Boss quirked a brow, but in the end, was too tired to really question the meaning behind that statement. Not like he was in the mood to joke around either, but...

"Only how to pilot giant robots," he replied flatly, and while it wasn't him who had taught Fox, the statement still remained true. Big Boss himself didn't even know how to drive a wheelchair right without constantly crashing into things, and for some strange reason (fortunately) he'd never had to do any driving himself, anyway.

"You won't be using that arm for a while," he changed the topic again, and asked himself in the same second why. It'd be bad if he mistook a simple inquiry for concern; after all, everyone liked to be reassured of their good and thorough work, as Snake called it. Humerus and wrist usually took the longest to heal. "Makes holding a can and a lighter at the same time kind of difficult, see." But you'd probably find a way around that too.

Yeah, he noticed the bitter sarcasm, and it would take a long time for him to drop it, but he didn't care. For now, he would be content with talking to Fox, and to endure (tolerate) Snake's presence, for a little while. At least until there were no nurses or other strange things in sight.

Snake couldn't resist a wicked, joyless smirk. His right hand curled around an invisible can.

"Sounds like you want to risk finding out how difficult," he said, teeth clenching. Immediately, he was disgusted with himself for saying that. Threatening someone in a way that makes it sound like he'd enjoyed it - what the hell was he even doing?

Getting his bearings, he found most of his anger and hate had dissolved, and he awkwardly extended his left arm towards Big Boss before catching himself and turning half around, regarding Big Boss out of the corner of his eye.

"You did a pretty bad job," Snake said. "His driving absolutely stinks."

Alkaid clasped her hands behind her back, partially in hopes that he might not notice the bandages that poked down below her left shirt sleeve. "Heard about what... the zombies?" Her knowing smile was tinged with bitterness. "Impossible not to. Not only were they in this town I keep hearin' about, but they were in this dump with walls as well. Even if he'd gotten a bite or two... I'm pretty sure he'd be fine today. Haseo's a strong man."

She was happy she wasn't wanting to take a huge bite out of whatever came near her anymore. Even if, once upon a time, she had wanted to destroy Endrance entirely, she no longer held nearly as much venom for him as she once had. And definitely not enough to take a spiteful zombie-bite out of him...

Endrance seemed a little surprised that the him-of-the-future was doing Forest of Pain, but that was supposed to be, like, The Impossible Quest or something. She hadn't touched it, but she kind of wanted to.

"Pull out all the stops, huh. Yeah... no surprise there." She grinned fiercely. Of course Haseo cared that much! Even if Atoli had had so much more time with him, and even if Haseo's feelings were completely platonic, they had been friends underneath all that. And that was the power of friendship, or something irretrievably corny like that!!

"Yeah, and the same rumors this time. Impossible to beat, et cetera, but that lunkhead is dragging us all in as he climbs to the top. He'll probably make it if I'm part of his party! Hahaha!"

She started walking over to the pond, picking up a stray stick so that she could swish it about in the water below. Her voice suddenly turned soft. "But.. he saved you, then. You remember how he did it, or...?"

"I don't think they like anyone being alone," Juri said in answer to the question. Since she remained standing, she could easily see all around the courtyard. Patients were standing or seating but almost always in pairs, such an obvious ploy for making people talk to one another. She narrowed her eyes.

"You're doing very well for someone who's been here such a short time." The compliment surprised even her, but she knew she'd probably feel bad later if she jumped all over a shy, new person. The quality of their imprisonment was not her fault. The nurses were not her fault. These things were every bit true, and it was up to Juri to be the wise, big sister type for the moment. She'd really rather shred a nurse's ego, but they were particularly immune to her verbal barbs and glares.

Soma started for a moment; she hadn't been expecting that. Teresa had sounded like the sort to take pride in her identity and remain in her Organization. Now she was starting to sound a little like Hinamori had.

"It isn't that easy. There would be nowhere for me to run, and they'd track me down in days. And I'm still proud of what I am; I just wonder sometimes if there's anything else."

"And I am proud of what I am, even though in a moment of carelessness I could become a monster far greater and more terrifying than the youma I kill," Teresa replied. "I am a warrior and will always be one, Soma, but who and what I fight for is a decision that I should be making, not the ones that created me and held my leash."

Her eyes drifted to the building, the wind playing with her hair as she remembered, her voice taking on an almost softer tone. "They would hunt, but it's not a matter of running as much as it is being on the move and finding solace in knowing you are your own and no one else's. Eventually, they catch up, but if you can stand tall and not submit out of fear or resignation, then you'll know it was worth it."

Teresa looked back to the girl and chuckled, a small smile on her lips. "Though since you aren't a monster, things might be different for you. Yes, being the last of your kind is something, but I'm sure humans will treat that somewhat different than they do the most powerful hybrid they've ever created and probably ever will deciding to defy her very makers."

It was odd that he would have startled Okita so; like Homura, the man had the honed survival instinct of a warrior. The smallest sounds could be the only hints he might get before an enemy struck at his back, and missing those tiny warnings could prove fatal. Just what had Okita been thinking about so deeply then, that he hadn't realized Homura had approached?

Flowers, if the smile was to be believed. And perhaps this time there was some truth behind the joy. Okita didn't linger on thoughts he didn't wish to think. After their talk on the bulletin, wouldn't his mind seek shelter in whatever harbor it could find? Or perhaps Homura was simply imposing his own desires onto his friend now, in the face of his own grief.

It was difficult to tell. It was difficult to think.

"Genjyo Sanzo was murdered last night." The flowers were pretty. Small rebels that bloomed even in the face of the coming winter, even if it meant their deaths. Like Sanzo. They would die like Sanzo. Like Okita would die too. How many days until the cold overwhelmed them?

Rinrei would say that even if she couldn't die, she would if Homura died. He understood her pain well then. He understood it better now.

"What did you do with the notes you took down?" Did it matter? Maybe. Or maybe Homura didn't know what else to say.

Homura wasn't looking at him. Okita couldn't feel the heat of someone's stare on him, which meant he must be looking at the flowers, too. It seemed silly, both of them not looking at each other, but Okita recognized the reasons well enough. Homura's attitude wasn't just one of rejection, it was grief. Kenren had passed on his news, and now, Homura was reeling under the weight of it. Okita wished he knew the right things to say at times like these, but he didn't. Not really. He knew how to comfort someone's guilt and how to buoy someone's sadness, but not alleviate their grief. That had always been someone else's job, someone who had a spot of humanity left in them.

"Genjyo Sanzo was murdered last night."

His fingers stopped tracing the flower petals, the weight of his hand causing the flower to tilt slightly to the right. His smile faded and he nodded slightly, lifting his head from his arms. "I heard from Kenren-san. I ran into him this morning." Slipping his fingers down, Okita fingered the flower's stalk, but then pulled his hand away, deciding to leave the poor thing where it was. "I'm...sorry, Homura-san." He stood and finally looked at his leader. "For your loss. I truly am. For you and Kenren-san both."

That was really all he could say, wasn't it? All he could do was offer his sympathy, and later his sword should they find the murderer. But...it would be too much like her death. He could lead the group to the killer, but he wouldn't be the first to enter the building, nor give any strikes. That honor and that burden would go to the grieving parties, to the ones who needed the closure.

Dropping his gaze, he looked over the flowerbed again and sighed under his breath, wishing that Homura hadn't brought up the notes. He'd kept them, if only because he couldn't leave them on the board for everyone to see. He should have known better than to tease the demi-god that far, especially when the conversation had taken a more serious turn, but he wasn't exactly reknowned for taking the smart path all the time. Reaching into his pocket, Okita pulled out the notes, all folded up together. "I have them. I suspected you wouldn't want them seen by everyone in the Institute. Not when you need to present a strong front to them."

Farther? He pushed his journal to the side, quickly getting her picture out of his pocket a second time as he did so. He flipped it to the back. HELPED HER DURING A MONSTER ATTACK DURING A 'FIELD TRIP.' No wonder she's so friendly with me.

"Yeah, it would have been nice," he said, sliding the picture into his pocket again and returning his attention to her. That explains the note about monsters and the Romero photograph. Well, as well as a photograph of some real-life abomination can, anyway. "There will be other opportunities, I'm sure."

He eyed the nurses as they hovered near the walls of the institute, letting the patients do as they pleased for the time being. "They can't watch us all the time."

Endrance wasn't able to hide the surprise at the fact that the creatures were here, too - but it wasn't just that. The fact that there were still people here last night was a shock, too. For a moment, he wished the group he was with had been here, too. There were safe places here; at the very least the patient rooms should have been safe. "You don't mean that people were waking up here last night just to be attacked...?" He hadn't noticed the bandages on her arm until then, but now they stood out.

"It wasn't the damage from the zombies I was worried about, because you're right, something like that wouldn't have kept him down..." The words came out slowly and reluctantly. "I was more worried after I asked after him on the board here. I could tell something was wrong with Haseo by the way he was writing...and that's when he'd said what happened, and that you were here - or here again. I'm honestly surprised I hadn't known that...a friend of Atoli's had been looking for her, but didn't mention knowing anyone else from The World. I think it was...three days or so afterward that I saw anyone else at all that I knew..."

Going back to The World and what had happened there was a far more comfortable subject, if for no other reason than it required less explanation than anything in this place did. "It really isn't...because that's just the way Haseo is." Endrance turned again to try and hide the faint blush on his cheeks. All thoughts of any future adventuring were pushed aside then as he returned to the memory of what had happened just moments before he'd woken in this place.

"It's the last thing I remember from The World," he said softly. "Of course I remember it...it's because of what he said to me that I've been able to go on. When 'she' was taken from me, I was quite sure that I would wither away like a rose that bloomed too early...because I thought that no one but 'her' could ever need me for anything. 'She' was the only thing I was living for, and without 'her' presence, I didn't have anything, and I couldn't...I wasn't strong enough to find something else on my own. I could only think of hiding, of sealing myself away so that I couldn't...I couldn't lose anything again."

A few rose petals drifted by on a light breeze as he paused to collect his thoughts again. "Haseo gave me another reason to live that day...and melted the ice around my heart as if it were nothing at all. I'll treasure that and keep it close as long as I live..."

[For Frey!]

Escape. Franziska hadn't wanted to escape any situation as much as she had wanted to leave that lunch with Phoenix Wright. Now that she had her evidence waiting for her on the horizon, her father hanging in the balance, she wanted...away from the whole case. She knew she couldn't turn her face away from the truth or the law, but that didn't change her - pitiful as they were - feelings. She needed time to organize her thoughts, record what she had heard, and decide her strategy for the night, and so she headed outside.

A bit of cool air and a breeze might help her. Normally she ferreted away in her office, where she could work in the absolute silence it afforded, but here she was stripped of that luxury. The Sun Room was noisy, every room was noisy, the only option was to go to the one place where the sky might swallow the incessant droning of the other patients around her. And, as she stepped out into the courtyard, she was relieved to find that it did just that.

Taking a seat on a bench, Franziska opened her journal and put pen to paper - only to find that she couldn't write anything. Still, she attempted to look somewhat busy, tapping her pen against the page idly as she thought.

For his part, Leon was nothing but relieved when he was not led to either of the waiting rooms. That didn't mean he wouldn't have a visitor next shift, but at least this shift he was safe from that particular experience. Seeing this world's version of Hugo and Marian--still playing out the same awful roles--would be even worse if he had to face Stahn immediately afterwards. It had been bad enough when there was noone here who understood or knew anything about Leon's background.

Wandering out into the courtyard for some fresh air, Leon spotted a familiar form that he was rather happier to see. ... Though Kratos had seen Leon embarass himself completely after getting off the dratted bus, yesterday, he did also seem to be aware that Stahn was mostly to blame for the incident. Hopefully he wouldn't judge Leon too harshly for the moment of weakness. "Kratos."

It was colder here than anywhere but the glacier had been, back home, but Frey still preferred the outdoors to the strangely-lit and suffocating indoors, given the choice. The sports field was larger, more open, but the courtyard had the advantage of having the pond--nothing compared to the Feitas river, much less the ocean, but a little water was always a welcome sight to Frey.

He spotted a vaguely familiar form sitting on one of the benches, and recalled his interesting conversation with that woman a few days back. Was it even that long? Certainly before yesterday, since they'd been in town. Time tended to blur very disconcertingly, here.

Since Franziska seemed to be caught up in her own thoughts, Frey approached a bit hesitantly, stopping a polite distance away and asking softly, "Miss von Karma?"

Franziska was indeed caught up in her thoughts, but by the time Frey appeared, her mind had finally started moving. She needed fingerprint powder and a way of taking the prints. She could use pen ink as a way of getting her father's prints - messy, but doable. The fingerprint powder itself was going to be harder. She would need starch powder, candles, dishes and a knife - or someone's makeup compact. Oh, and take and a stiff white card. This would take a bit of time to prepare and time was what she didn't have.

It wasn't until someone called out her name that she glanced up from her notes, pulled away from her thoughts only because hardly anyone called her 'Miss von Karma.' It was always 'Franziska' or 'daughter' or 'Sir' or some other title. But rarely...

"Freyjadour Falenas." It was the young boy she'd spoken to two or three days prior, on her first day, even. What a pleasant surprise, and one she quite welcomed, as was evident in the slight quirk of her lips into what could be considered a smile by some. "I see you survived the night, as expected. Have a seat. What brings you here?"

Considering that everything he did had a certain risk to it, maybe (definitely) that wasn't too far from the truth. Without it, the whole point would be gone. He'd known that Snake could very well kill him with that fork back in the cafeteria if he'd just done it right, and he'd liked that -- the thought, the possibility, even if he would never outright admit it like that. It was difficult to grasp, but he just ascribed it to the extreme tension he had felt. Battle.

"You should know," Big Boss said, humorlessly, not moving from his spot just yet. "Now go before the effects of these drugs wear off."

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Day 43: Courtyard, Third Shift

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