Dayshift 22: Sun Room (Evening Shift)

[dancingdagger.livejournal.com]

It was probably a good thing Penelo listened to that weird silver haired man (she never really did get his name, did she?), because her short investigation of the Bulletin Board revealed that she wasn't alone after all. Larsa and Gabranth were here too, for whatever reason.

Penelo still couldn't quite wrap her mind around the concept that Gabranth was alive, when she had heard his dying words and had later attended his funeral back at Archades. Basch had taken his place since then, and it just boggled her. How could Gabranth have returned to life? There was no force in Ivalice that could do that.

Then again, it looked like she wasn't in Ivalice anymore.

Penelo sighed, seating herself at a table near the bulletin board as she waited for Larsa and Gabranth to arrive. Hopefully, Larsa would have some answers; she never doubted his ability to dig up information, no matter what the situation. Even so, what did they get themselves into?

"At least Vaan isn't here," Penelo reminded herself. She had gone from frantically searching for Vaan to praising the Gods that he hadn't been captured in this prison.

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[forgot-it-all.livejournal.com]

"So you're the only one who's been here for awhile?" Ritsuka asked, eyes still trained on his brother. It was always like this - the older sibling telling the younger about the ways of the world. "I heard monsters come out at night, is that true?"

While normally he didn't like being coddled (especially where Soubi was concerned), it didn't seem so unnatural when Seimei did it. It was comforting actually. He bit his lip to suppress the urge to giggle when Seimei tickled him. Seimei hit all the old spots that made him want to double up and fall over, and Ritsuka playfully pushed Seimei's hands away while squirming to avoid the worst of it. This familiar contact... how he'd missed it.

Suddenly he turned his attention to Aidou and frowned. He sensed that his brother and Aidou were not getting along just by the way Seimei disregarded him and Aidou reacted. Seimei not liking Aidou wasn't a bad thing, as Seimei had disliked some of Ritsuka's friends before (was Aidou even a friend yet?), but it might be problematic later if Ritsuka had to go help Aidou with their game. He wasn't sure if Seimei would allow it and he didn't want to go against his brother's wishes.

There was one thing, though, that he didn't like about Aidou. The blonde was far too willing to flaunt the fact that he knew something. Ritsuka hated not knowing about this institute, and hated it even more that someone who was as new as he was seemed to know more than he did. "They keep our belongings here? Where?"

Maybe there was a chance they had his camera, and if so, it might have a clue as to who took his ears.

[beloved-lives.livejournal.com]

Ignoring Aidou (since the boy was obviously a loony and didn't have the faintest clue what he was talking about -- all bravado and no substance), Seimei focused entirely on Ritsuka, sparing a slender slice of attention for Gin. "Mm." He nodded to the younger boy's question. "I have been here for some time now. It seems much longer than it has been, no doubt. The days seem to stretch on for ages."

"But now that you're here, Ritsuka, we don't have to be apart anymore." He leaned his brow against his brother's, wearing a soft, impeccable smile. "We're together from now on."

"At night, ferocious creatures emerge from the darkness and stalk anyone who dares set foot outside their rooms. I have managed to avoid being engaged with any of these beasts, but barely. No one who fights them ever seems to turn out victorious," A shrug. "I have also heard that sometimes, other patients are given special treatment and their natures are twisted so that they will also be enemies."

[idolism]

It was impossible to find a comfortable spot - he'd squirm to the left, and the heinous outfit would scratch at his skin. Squirm to the right, and a knot in the chair cushion would hit him in exactly the wrong spot. Where was the give? The soft textures? The delicate aroma of incense (occasionally lit by the Vice President when he knew Aidou was in a particularly foul mood)? Back in the Moon Dorm, where Ruka was probably already plotting to steal his section of dormitory and turn it into some heartsick shrine to Kaname-sama, the wench.

Aidou snapped his head up, turning a glare on the room. The headache, still lingering at the back of his mind, only added to his deep-seated urge to maim someone. I hate this place. I hate everybody in it. To the casual onlooker, it could've been a trick of the light - the way his eyes suddenly narrowed and flashed a feral, glacial blue, more inhuman than not. Almost sunset...

Then he looked back, and it was back to puerile. The nod he acknowledged Gin's assent with was still sharp.

Still, he spared Ritsuka with a wide, honest grin. Oh, it was so cute when humans failed to connect the dots sometimes. "I surmise our belongings are here because these people, for all their show, are still stupid. A previous discussion only adds to my suspicions. Excluding the first floor, there seems to be plenty of places on the others." The grin waned into a half-smile, just shy of snotty. Seimei deserved some quality time with Kiryu at his most gluttonous, the weakling scum. "So far, no success. But monsters or no, who's to say what opportunities are let to slip by those who can't navigate obstacles."

Aidou parroted the shrug. "But I guess non-fighters will just have to miss out on all the fun, ne?"

[traitors-smile.livejournal.com]

If anything, Aidou had only confirmed his earlier suspicions that the boy let his mouth run far more than necessary. How did the saying go? It was better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt? The more Aidou spoke, the more doubt was removed from Gin's mind. Perhaps Seimei had the right idea.

While what the two siblings were talking about was becoming more interesting, special treatment and all, Gin had always believed it was best to leave early than to overstay one's welcome. He pulled himself from his seat and bowed slightly, "s'been a real pleasure."

He glanced over to Aidou. The boy certainly presumed too much. Gin couldn't decide if he wanted to hear more or if he'd just as soon throw the boy headlong across the room. Seeing as the second option would likely draw a crowd, he opted for the first. "Unless y'got somethin' more than these wild ideas of yours Aidou-kun, I'm afraid I'll be takin' my leave." There was still a little bit of time left. Maybe if he was lucky he could find himself a quiet little corner to think for a while.

[forgot-it-all.livejournal.com]

Ritsuka closed his eyes and kept his forehead against his brother's, nodding slightly. Together, they were stronger. Together, Ritsuka didn't need to be afraid of monsters - whether in the form of unknown creatures or mothers who were supposed to love him. It did scare him though, the thought of real-life monsters crawling the hallways and attacking people. He switched his gaze from his brother to Aidou. "The second floor then? Aidou, do you know where? Seimei, would it be unwise to try and find my camera?"

He desperately wanted some clue to what had happened to him. Anything, even if it was just a picture of Soubi last - it wouldn't matter. He had to know, and having those memories back would give him a better sense of security here. Even with Seimei and his promises that he'd never be apart again, the fear of reverting back to what he was terrified him. He needed to make new memories with his brother, so he wouldn't disappear entirely when the other one came back.

At the mention of special treatment, Ritsuka suddenly turned deadly serious. "No matter what they did to me, I would never turn on you, Seimei. I'd die first."

He looked over at Aidou, that same serious look on his face - a marked difference in his attitude. His eyes didn't belong to a 12 year old, they belonged to the weary, cynical, jaded adult. "Violence is for people who are too weak to find the better path. There's nothing fun about hurting anyone or anything, for any reason."

And as Gin prepared to leave, another change, a shift back to the innocent boy he'd been just moments before. Looking rather sheepish about his strong words, Ritsuka slipped off his brother's lap and bowed respectfully to Gin. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your conversation, but I do hope you and my brother can have another opportunity to become friends."

[beloved-lives.livejournal.com]

"Take care, Gin." Seimei said pleasantly, and also stood. "Ritsuka, perhaps you and I should look around a bit, since they've given us this free reign."

Mostly, he just wanted to be away from Aidou and his presumptuous way of speaking and acting; it was grating on him. "Certainly, we can look for your camera tonight, in fact. I can delay my meeting until another time, it is not as if we have a lack of opportunities."

[forgot-it-all.livejournal.com]

The intercom went off just as Ritsuka was about to reply, and he frowned, knowing he'd soon be torn from his brother's side. Gin had moved off elsewhere and as soon as the intercom was done, Aidou too took his leave.

Ritsuka had forgotten about the other man Seimei had been speaking to on the board - organizing a meeting for the night. "If you have a meeting, I don't want to intrude - I can make it on my own or just wait until another time."

Anxiety began to rise within the younger boy as he noticed his nurse at the door, and he clutched Seimei's hand. "I'm in M35. Even if you need to leave for your meeting afterwards, I'll come see you tonight. I promise!"

His nurse appeared, smiled at Seimei, and dragged Ritsuka away, leading him back to his room.