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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Though Faize's expressions were rarely very expressive, there was some visible relief in his face when he saw who was greeting him. "Adelheid! I'm relieved to see you're in one piece." That confirmed the condition of one of his acquaintances. Adelheid appeared to be rather muscular, though, so perhaps there was no need for concern. His face seemed to be lacking in color, however. There was little doubt that the night had not been kind to him as well.

"You look pale, though. Perhaps you should sit down," he offered, gesturing with a lightly bandaged arm to the spot next to himself. He didn't doubt that Adelheid was strong, but it wouldn't do for him to push himself if he was indeed unwell.

Sen reminded him of Cecile, a little. That type of woman who was always willing to listen, even when he knew there was no one who could sympathize. What were the odds that he would run across someone like this, here of all places? Suzaku was almost tempted to take her up on her offer, to take it at face value and just enjoy pretending that someone cared.

But it was far too risky. If he started talking about what was really bothering him, the identities of N-1 and K-0 might become fairly obvious. And whether he was still Lelouch's knight or not, he couldn't allow that to happen. Not to mention that it might be even more dangerous for her to find out Lelouch had something to do with Euphie's death. No, even Suzaku wasn't so careless as to go around telling strangers about that kind of thing.

"I -- thank you," he mumbled. "Really, though, I wouldn't want to trouble you."

And yet -- she was so kind. Maybe there was something. . . Maybe she knew something that could help in this kind of situation. After all, from what Lelouch had said that first night, he gathered things like this had happened before -- Landel bringing the dead back to life. "Do you know -- I mean, have you, um. Have you ever. . . lost anyone?" It wasn't supposed to have come out that way. He hated sounding so needy, like he was actually asking for comfort and understanding, and from a stranger at that. He should be stronger than that, he shouldn't need to sound so selfish.

It looked like Bart's luck was starting to turn, at least a little bit. Just when he'd finally begun to wonder just how he was going to follow through on that resolution to actually talk to his friends about what had happened to him, the night before last -- he stepped out into the courtyard and saw them both, already talking. Then again, resolution or not, he really wasn't looking forward to this conversation, so maybe this didn't exactly count as good luck after all.

And he hadn't even stopped to think about what Kon and Tim must think of him, right now. Oh, frak...he'd totally been acting like a spaz yesterday, hadn't he? Of course it all made perfect sense if you knew what he'd been going through, but Kon and Tim weren't mind-readers, no matter how much Tim liked to act like he was all-knowing and all-seeing. Now he really needed to explain what was going on...If he could just get the words out.

Of course, if Kon and Tim were going to argue about zombies, it was hardly Bart's fault if he got a little sidetracked, now was it? "There were totally zombies," he said, once he'd gotten close enough to join into the conversation without having to yell or anything. "The Flash got bit twice."

He didn't really consider giving that away an invasion of Wally's privacy, for all that he'd actually taken care not to mention any names or other specifics when talking to Wally on the bulletin board. That had been so any outsiders reading their messages wouldn't know what was going on; but Kon and Tim were his teammates, so it was okay to let them know. Assuming Robin hadn't already found out from Batman or anything.

[Pervy Hermit]

Today was freaking weird. He woke up with a bottle of booze nabbed last night, he bumped into Cissnei, had a bulletin conversation that lacked most of the hostility he was used to with Yuffie and then found out they had a fan/stalker that might not actually be from their world, so he had to have some sort of link to inter-dimensional shit.

Jesus, his head was starting to hurt.

Out in the courtyard, he sat on a bench, journal on his lap and eyes closed behind the shades.

[And with only two words, people know EXACTLY whom you're talking about! XD]

Jiraiya groaned, rubbing his neck as he was led into the courtyard. For most of the day, he had kept to himself, working on his latest masterpiece. After many failed attempts and discarded pages, he hadn't made much progress. While maybe he was just in a bit of a rut, or maybe it was because what happened last night was a source of distraction.

His nurse finally had enough of this and declared he was not only going to get some fresh air, but was also going to be social. Jiraiya actually didn't complain--too much--about her decision, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere if he just forced himself to continue trying to write. It had to come naturally or not at all.

So, in the end, he found himself out in the courtyard in front of a man whose head was bald, unlike his own. Jiraiya was secretly grateful that he hadn't of gone prematurely bald like this man. Poor guy.

"Now Randy, I want to spend some time with another person instead of working on just your... stories. Please behave!" The nurse smiled at them both, then walked off.

Jiraiya sighed and watched her leave. Mostly, he watched her ass, but he was still glad to see her go all the same. Having her around only made his feeling of being constantly watched all the worse, even if she was pretty. Just because the packaging was nice...

"Sorry about that--you know how the nurses are when they get some idea stuck in their head," Jiraiya sat opposite of Rude on a nearby bench. "Name's Jiraiya, not Randy."

[Yes, yes they do XD Also. Holy shit, it's Landel's new double act, Randy&Rude....]

Something blocked the light and didn't unblock it. And then there were voices. Rude didn't move, simply opened one hidden eye and then the other.

Great. The nurses were playing matchmakers again.

He waited for the nurse to leave before he made any movement that proved he was actually alive. He simply turned his head a little to inspect his fellow patient. Lucky sod, Randy wasn't his real name. It'd take a real cruel mother to name her kid that.

"Rude," he nodded. "Stories, huh?" It was a risk asking about that. Might be some sorta annoyingly boring writer or a creepy journalist or something. But then it might be code for something useful.

"It's as if they were planning to hurt all of you, or worse..." Endrance's expression grew serious for a moment. He hadn't thought himself lucky at all to wake up in this place during the end of the day, but at least people had been here...and people that knew what was going on. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone." The words surprised him, too. This place was forcing him to open up, little by little, but it was still a little strange nonetheless. It wasn't an apology for what had happened, no, but that wouldn't have been the right thing to say, either.

He turned toward Alkaid then, a frown on his face. That wasn't fair, either. In his opinion, the one thing you were supposed to do for someone you cared about - more than anything else - was to protect them. If you couldn't do that, you shouldn't call yourself a friend at all. "That...it's shameful of them," Endrance said. "After all...if you aren't looking out for someone you care about, can you really call yourself their friend?" There was something else in that statement, too - an implication that if he'd known anything himself, he would have looked out for her. It would have been what Haseo would want, and...that brought the topic around to him again.

This time, there wasn't any way to keep from blushing bright pink - not when Alkaid had just blurted the question like that. He looked away a moment later, but...there was really no sense in hiding it, was there?

"That word isn't strong enough for how I feel. It's something I can't even express in words..." A few more petals drifted by. "I'd do anything at all for him, he needs only to ask me..."

"It's not a trouble to me at all. I wouldn't have stopped, otherwise." While Lelouch had seemed controlled and standoffish, Suzaku seemed a little more - well, real. Honest, perhaps. Ayumu had to wonder what would make the two of them work together. Was it that they were from the same place and thus allied through necessity? Or had they been friends before, as well?

She kept her thoughts from her expression, of course, conveying only concern that wasn't entirely unfeigned. There really was something troubling the young man, that much was obvious to see, even if he was reluctant to speak of it. No surprise, really, given that she was a complete stranger to him, but sometimes just a simple act of kindness could open a person up to a stranger, especially in a perilous situation such as the one they were in.

At the question she hesitated as though surprised, with a soft catch of breath. "I have," she replied softly, lifting a hand to hesitantly rest against his arm, light enough that he could easily brush it off if he wished. "At home, where I'm from...it's a very dangerous time, and my family..."

Suzaku shook his head a little, unable to comprehend why she would go so far out of her way to be nice to him. Then again, he'd known people like that before. He knew he shouldn't trust her automatically, that there were a whole host of things that could go wrong if he told her too much, but -- it wasn't like he could talk to anyone else. Everyone he did trust -- that being two people -- were too involved with the situation themselves. (Of course, because they were the situation.) And sometimes a stranger was a better person to talk to than the people you knew.

He did stiffen when she touched his arm, however. It wasn't that he wasn't used to physical touch, it was just -- he wasn't so used to comfort. And it brought back memories of that morning, when Euphie had held his hand and looked at him with eyes filled with concern. But he couldn't allow himself to dwell on that.

"I understand," he said softly, so she wouldn't have to say any more. It wasn't fair to ask her to talk about painful things, just because he was upset. "I'm sorry."

There was a bit of an awkward pause, where he wasn't quite sure what to say to that, to acknowledge that she'd experienced violence and loss as well. He couldn't talk when it came to family, not when he was responsible for his own loss. Maybe he just -- he couldn't talk about it. "Um, I don't know if you. . . Have you heard of Landel -- bringing people here who have died?"

Well, mostly in one piece; Adelheid still felt like a part of him was in some townperson's stomach somewhere, but he wasn't going to mention that. Not if he didn't have to. Instead, he accepted Faize's offer to sit down, easing onto the bench and offering a quiet smile.

At least Faize seemed to be doing all right. Adelheid had had his doubts, but here was proof that he'd managed to survive so far. "I'm glad that you made it through last night as well," he answered, though he brushed the back of his hand against his forehead. Despite the chilly weather, he was still sweating- not as bad as it would be in the night to come, but still a tiny bit worrisome. "...were you injured badly?"

The machine speaking over the intercom was a lot more informative than Landel ever had been, but the fact that the head doctor was no longer in the picture was troubling. They'd made it through last night, which was always a good thing, but it seemed as though the routine had been shaken up by a lot more than a delayed bus trip and a zombie invasion.

He needed some time to think about what was going on, based on the information he'd read on the bulletin. The fact that he didn't have any visitors today was surprising, but it had been quite a while since Big Boss had come to visit him. Fox wasn't sure what he would have had to say with him anyway, and he didn't want his sister to visit him. That would mean that she had gone through already.

Just thinking about it made his stomach and chest tighten uncomfortably. Too many people he cared about had been through this horrible place already. Fox went over to a quieter area of the courtyard and took a seat beneath one of the trees.

[For Big Boss, limit: Big Boss]

Edited 2009-08-20 00:19 (UTC)

Noticing his reaction, Ayumu drew back again and shook her head a little. "No, I...I'm sorry, I wanted to see if I could help you, not make you feel bad for me." It was all right, her voice and gentle smile said - she'd dealt with it, and she was fine. The way she blinked rapidly for a second belied that silent claim, though, even if it didn't affect the concern she was showing for him.

As for bringing back the dead, though-- "I've heard people mention it before, that it's possible. I haven't met anyone myself who was...in that situation. I'm not sure what I would think, if I did." Was that what was upsetting him? He'd lost someone, and Landel had brought them back?

There were new people here again today, so it seemed logical enough. And there had been notes on the bulletin earlier, addressing both Lelouch and Suzaku, both signed with a name Ayumu hadn't heard before. It was something to keep in mind, at least.

"It's always like that. They're always trying to hurt us, probably put enough strain on our heads and bodies so that we'll believe their little story. We're ... fine, though. No lasting harm done. Some people on the board say the zombie infections are going to come back, but I don't believe it. That kind of thinking is just gonna doom us all."

It seemed like Endrance was getting a little nicer, surprisingly enough. Before, he had only seemed to care about 'she' or 'her' or whatever, as he pranced around with his petals and his cat, using his weird cheat on unsuspecting Demon Palace Emperors and usurping their title... But now he seemed to actually give a little bit of a damn about her, and about other people, too. If this was also Haseo's doing, Alkaid was kind of in awe. The Adept Rogue was kind of a catalyst, but.. to do something like this for Endrance... That was really fantastic of him!!

When Endrance started talking about how the friends she'd made here probably weren't actually her friends, Alkaid turned back to the pool so he couldn't see her face, twisted with... something. Shame, or whatever. With pride came shame. And she was prideful, so... was she shameful, too? Ugh, feelings like that turned her stomach. Stupid her for feeling kind of weird for someone so soon after meeting them. "Well, maybe I'll ask him tonight. Badou... He said he thought I was dead, but if he didn't ask after me, then I don't know what to say. I guess there's no use pouting if I don't know the facts!!" The words came hollow, like she was convincing herself of something.

She slumped over in the cool grass, staring up at the sky. No need to pout, right? No need.

The way he described his feelings, that sounded like way more than just 'like.' Not strong enough? Was it love? ...That was weird. She'd never felt that way for someone online. Sure, there were crushes here and there, but the way Endrance was talking about it just kind of blew her mind, or something. Even though they both knew Haseo in a world that seemed to be offline, she'd never thought about feeling that way toward anyone, ever.

This guy just got weirder and weirder.

"Wow, Endrance. That's.. uh, that's kinda.. wow. Intense, or whatever. Like you and Haseo are in a fairy tale or something, with you as the damsel." She laughed, partially to hide the pain of not being asked after. "Princess Endrance. You're not a fourteen-year-old girl IRL, are you?"

[OOC: ARGH, I forgot to add the 'Mr.' part to Randy, as it's 'surname'. Ah well. XD But his first name is Phil. So pretend he just heard the full name...? Yes, I am a horrible person.]

"Stories," Jiraiya answered with a shrug. "Seems like that much is the same. But writing is my hobby, not my career."

This guy was a trained fighter of some sort--whether in martial arts or some other sort of weaponry, Jiraiya couldn't tell yet. He didn't waste movements, though, Jiraiya had to hand it to him.

"And I write better than that, anyways," Jiraiya added with a slight bit of annoyance, crossing his arms.

And the more appealing one for Franziska right now. She was used to juggling a few cases at a time, but never had she had such emotionally draining ones sitting on her desk all at the same time. The prosecution of Martin Landel, the apparent murder of Martin Landel, the investigation into the inner-workings of the Institute, and, of course, her foremost case; her father. Having even a few people with whom she could converse who weren't related somehow or another to a case was a godsend, and one she wasn't about to turn away. With a gentle 'hm' of approval, Franziska let that topic drop, however, turning instead to talk of Freyjadour's country.

She shouldn't have been surprised to hear that his homeland was named Falena and that he was named after it. It was a common occurance after all, and Franziska was more than accustomed to dealing with royalty after a certain case or two. Still, it caught her off guard a little, and she noted that tidbit in her journal - Falena (country), Falenas (ruling family). As Freyjadour talked, she tried to imagine his country's shape - one port, a winding river, lakes and water in every village. She had never really thought of the geography of her own homeland, but in a way, she supposed it was similar. Germany faced the ocean on it's smallest side, landlocked by other countries to the south, west and east. "I see. It...sounds like a very rich countryside." She paused and then continued. "Then I should add sailor to your list of accomplishments?"

"Ah, no," Suzaku said hastily. She shouldn't have to be sorry, not with how good she was being to a perfect stranger. "I shouldn't have made you bring it up. It was just --" Selfish. He cut himself off, looking down again. What the hell was he even doing, talking to a stranger about this? He'd never needed to do that before. After she'd died (the first time) he'd focused on nothing but his goals and born his pain in silence. Now more than ever he had a goal to push towards, so why was he falling back into this sort of confusion?

"I -- yeah, I don't know what to think either. I wish -- I saw someone very important to me today. I wish I could keep her alive somehow, like she is here." It was impossible. He couldn't, he knew that, and there was no point in running over the possibility in his mind again and again. He wasn't sure what point in time Euphie was from, but it didn't matter -- he couldn't change the course of time. Not with something like the fate of the world riding on the outcome. And now maybe he understood Lelouch even a little better. Too bad Lelouch wasn't willing to recognize that.

Ayumu only smiled and shook her head again, both acknowledgement of his concern and a dismissal. It was hers to worry about, not his, the gesture said, and she wasn't upset at him at all for bringing it up.

The topic, though, interested her. If it was true, as it likely was, that the mission she'd just been beginning in Kyoto had led to her death, then was Okita thinking something similar when he looked at her? Was that a part (however small) of his purpose in this place, as Homura was determined to save the woman he'd mentioned?

She folded her hands in her lap and looked up at the sky as she listened to Suzaku speak, a slight, thoughtful frown on her face. "It could be a most fortunate opportunity, to be able to see someone you'd once lost. To say the things you were never able to," she observed softly, watching him from the corner of her vision as she ostensibly stared up at the shifting clouds. "But at the same time devastating, to be reminded of what you did lose. And of how fleeting it would be, limited to your time here."

She sighed quietly, the sympathy returning to her voice in force. "I can see why you're upset, Suzaku-han. I'm...not sure if anything I say could make you feel any better." There was a brief pause, then she added, as though in an undertone just to herself, "What if there is a way? If they can manage it, and bring us here, I wonder if there's a way to save those we wish to, when we find the way to return."

Hokuto stretched out on the grass and closed her eyes, just enjoying the subtle warmth of sunlight on her face. After sleeping in much later than usual and having a leisurely brunch, she was in a very good mood.

And why not? Even here, love can bloom... She smiled at the thought. All she had for sure was this moment, but right now, it was all she wanted.

[Free!]

Had they always danced around things like this, or was she just a special case? She'd been a Turk for years, she thought that she could handle the truth. "I'm not surprised to see the two of you. You were fine last thing I remember. So was Tseng. He was the one who sent me off to find Zack before I woke up here." She did hate not being able to remember anything after that. She had things to do and she worried about him, damn idiotic hero type that he was.

"Not at all," he replied with a sheepish smile. "I was fortunate enough to get away with only a few scrapes. Those who were with me also made it through without sustaining any serious injuries." He flexed his hand to show that his movement was not impeded by damage or by pain. It seemed the bandages made it appear worse than it was.

For a few moments, Faize silently faced forward, looking over the courtyard thoughtfully. "...Still, last night's events were quite a surprise. Even being warned about monsters, I hadn't expected anything quite like that." He had to wonder if the event was somehow different from the usual nightly attacks. Many of the patients had seemed as shocked and unprepared as he was. They weren't all as new as he was, were they?

Setting that thought aside for the moment, Faize's gaze returned to Adelheid. "And how did you fare?"

Suzaku frowned to himself. It was true, what she was saying, that he should be thankful for the chance to see Euphie again once more. . . And yet, it seemed like the one time he did get to see her was the one time he wasn't prepared for it. He'd made a pact with himself, made a terrible choice, and was no longer anything like the Suzaku she knew. It was obvious from the very fact that he was actually able to consider abandoning her to her fate. And now -- he should be glad to see her again, but not when he wasn't worthy of enjoying her presence. Not when he couldn't look her in the eye. ". . . I suppose," he said faintly. "It's -- a mixed blessing."

He sighed. It was possible there was a way, speaking scientifically, but -- he couldn't believe he was thinking like this. For the last year of his life, he would have given anything to bring her back. But that was exactly the problem, wasn't it? He'd been so wrapped up in his grief and anger that he'd betrayed the world. Betrayed her ideals. It couldn't just be about him, not with the kind of life he'd led, not with all the sins he had to repent for.

"Maybe. But bringing someone back might interfere with the order of things back home. It might be better to -- to leave things as they were supposed to be." Not that Euphie was ever supposed to die, and not that Suzaku believed in fate. He just. . . knew that things might be even worse if he didn't accept events as they'd happened. That'd be almost as bad as what Lelouch's parents had tried to do, wouldn't it? If he clung to the past, he might not be giving the world a future. And Euphie wouldn't want that, no matter what.

So you did. Last night was...thought-provoking. I admit to spending most of it with your friend hiding on a rooftop, but there was a brief skirmish in one of the restaurants beforehand that turned rather ugly at one point." Kratos smiled thinly. "Thankfully we both escaped without injury or infection."

He did not mention the great deal of gore that had ended up splattering them both as they alternately hacked, punched, and kicked their way through their enemy. The less details he included about their rendezvous with zombies, the better probably for Leon.

The moment the nurse suggested getting some sunshine, Kirk jumped at the chance. He hadn't seen a familiar face in some time— well, okay, technically he had, but he hadn't seen anyone— oh, forget it. Maybe he really did need some sunshine.

He noticed the walls first, tall and thick enough to pen them all in, but covered in strong-looking vines that would probably only take him a few seconds to scale. He might've been tempted to try it, if he didn't know that at least one member of his crew was trapped in this place as well.

Kirk looked around for Chekov, catching sight of a similarly built dark-haired figure a short distance away. "Hey—!" The figure turned out to be a teenage girl rather than a teenage boy once he'd come close enough, but as long as he was there anyway, Kirk figured he might as well say hello. Never know who else might be here... "Hi there," he greeted. "You... wouldn't happen to be an ensign aboard a starship, would you?"

Uh... Hokuto blinked a few times. Even here, that was unexpected... it would have been mean to tell him "Yes, I was recently assigned to the space battleship Yamamoto," but she was very briefly tempted.

"I'm... afraid not," she said with a slight giggle. "I guess you're new here?" She had a feeling she was about to give the Welcome to Hell speech again, but the greeting was so incredibly random that she couldn't help getting some amusement out of it.

What would it be like, to have someone you'd thought dead and gone suddenly appear in front of you again? Ayumu tried to imagine it for a moment, but silently laughed at herself and dismissed the thought. Being affected by something like that was something she couldn't afford; emotions were a liability in someone like her and she couldn't allow that weakness.

At least, not any more than she already had. But that was another matter and something she was trying not to think about, especially not today.

"It's very easy to say that, isn't it?" Ayumu glanced over at him again, inwardly wondering just what "order of things" he was speaking about. Had this person died in a way that affected something particularly significant, then? Just who were Suzaku and Lelouch? She gave him a small smile tinged with a hint of sadness. "Though if it actually was possible - if I had the opportunity to give someone important to me a second chance at life - I honestly don't know that I'd be able to say no. But..." She sighed a little, lifting one shoulder in a partial shrug, and fell silent again.

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Day 43: Courtyard, Third Shift

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