Day 44: breakfast

Yuffie had died.

No, really. Seriously. She had actually died. Bleeding all over the place, making a horrid, sticky mess and scaring the hell out of Suzaku; she remembered it clearly. Kind of. Sort of. Through the blood loss, the pain, and the visions. Through Aerith's voice whispering in her ear, Cloud's stricken eyes, and her own panic. As bad nights went, it had been Bad, capital B and all the trimmings, and oh, god. She sat, trembling on the edge of her bed, eyes closed and hands pressed hard over her racing heart. The by-play between Landel—Landel!—and Lydia barely even sunk in. There was nothing in the whole world, any world, that could prepare you for something like…

Had it all been some kind of hallucination?

Had she imagined the whole thing?

No… She didn't think so. Nightmarish or not, Yuffie knew reality. But if it had been real, how was she alive now? That kind of pain wasn't something you could just cook up, was it? She thought about it all the way to the cafeteria, drifting behind her nurse without focus or intent. Maybe if she tried to stay clinical, tried to step back… But she'd never been good at that when things got personal. And every time she closed her eyes or blinked, she swore that the scenes played back to her, like an overused commercial on a crappy channel on a crappy TV, in a run-down dump of an inn that smelled like mothballs and yesterday's breakfast.

The scent of blood and damp, rotted wood clogged her nose. Disgusted, Yuffie shoved her bowl of cereal—handed to her by a clucking Plucky—off to the side so that she could melt into her chair, palm heels scrubbing against her eyes. Too much. This was… Too much. She couldn't even paste a plastic smile on her face to make herself feel better. Her usual shield, the white noise of inane babble that could filter out almost any crisis, was in tatters all around her. Five minutes, she gave herself.

Five minutes (not) to think, five minutes to get her act together, because there was no way she could let herself shatter here. No way…

[Closed to Sheena]

[identity profile] mizuhomaiden.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 02:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Sheena lay on her back, stared at the ceiling in her room for what felt like a long time. She was full clothed again, but, more importantly, she was alone. The bed may have been small by conventional standards, but without the youkai in it with her, it felt far too large. She couldn't even really think, her mind still focused on the actions of the previous night. The feel, the taste... the youkai. Her body still tingled, remnants of the lightning in her that still ached for Yukari's touch.

The ninja didn't register the intercom at all, choosing to roll over onto her stomach and bury herself back in the covers. That didn't help much, her freed hair covering her face, as she could pick up the faint trace of the youkai's scent on her sheets. Torture. It was pure torture and she let out a frustrated groan into her pillow.

When the door to her room opened, Sheena's nurse came in and tried to coax her out of bed. The ninja just wanted to stay there. She didn't want to go about her day until she'd managed to regain control over herself and stop thinking about the previous night and that damn youkai. It was like Yukari was a virus and had infected Sheena. How annoying!

It was only when her arguing with the nurse resulted in the woman threatening to deny giving her the string she'd apparently requested the day before to hang Corrine's bell on that Sheena stopped protesting having to go to breakfast. Sitting up, she threaded the small bell onto the string and tied it loosely about her neck, secreting the bell itself underneath her collar so it wouldn't be immediately apparent to anyone looking at her.

Her hair was down, the ninja remembering the ribbon being taken from it the previous night, and searched about her covers for it. She assumed it fell from Yukari's fingers in the midst of their... closeness, but the ninja could not find it. After a moment, she started tearing at her sheets, looking everywhere for it, near panic. She'd had that ribbon for years and it was the last gift she'd received from her grandfather before... before...

"Here, dear," the nurse said, handing her a suspiciously familiar red ribbon the woman had found on the ground just beneath her bed, as if it had been what Sheena was looking for. Staring at the ribbon for a long moment, she calmed herself down enough to take the red ribbon and pull her hair back. It felt... weird. If Yukari lost that ribbon...

Once in the cafeteria, Sheena gathered some food on her tray, quite thankful (and yet disappointed somehow) to not see the youkai in the room yet. This meant she might be able to avoid her. The ninja just wasn't sure how to handle Yukari after their... yeah.

Oh, yeah, Yuffie. They were going to have breakfast together. Why were they?

Setting her tray down with the other ninja,the faint jingle of a bell accompanying the movement, Sheena stayed silent. Last night was... indescribable. Sheena was quietly distracted as she poked at her food.

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yourtravelagent: (no skeletons in our closets)

[personal profile] yourtravelagent 2009-09-20 02:15 pm (UTC)(link)
The pain was gone, and for a moment, he thought he was gone, too. A voice he didn't think he'd be relieved to hear woke him up. The tone was one Manny had never heard from him before, and it was all he could do to pay attention to it so he wouldn't have to think about what had just happened. Whatever went down last night hadn't been Martin's fault. The apology might have been fake, but there was no blaming his lack of enthusiasm on his lack of coffee breaks. Something had happened to him.

Manny felt slightly dazed, not knowing if the fact he felt fine meant he really was fine, but he walked calmly to the cafeteria despite it, giving a quick glance over everyone he passed. The pang he got when he looked around and saw it was practically empty ruffled him a little, because it made him wonder if the explosion had been large-scale enough to wipe them all out--even if he knew this place was big and the blast had been isolated to a single part of the building. It looked early out, he idly observed, which put him at ease. They were probably in bed still.

Phoenix had seen Meche the night before last. Manny had to remind himself of that before loading his tray with food and picking a seat near a window. How long had that taken him? They needed waiters in here.

[closed to Meche]

[identity profile] sheisthecause.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Meche dreamed that the Sun Room roof had broken open and the angelitos flew in. Somehow they'd grown up big and strong in the last week and a half, and they lifted all the patients out one by one to a big airship where Manny was waiting to take them to the other side. All she could think was that she needed to stop him, but he just kept waving and tossing down travel brochures.

When she woke up, she wasn't sure what to think about it. Her ankle and the scratches on her arms were rebandaged, not too heavily. So the night had ended without any more real trouble from Soma and Alita. Meche knew they could count on the nurses during the daytime to help make sure the girls were all right, which gave them the day to think about how to handle the next night.

She got up and had the nurse walk her to breakfast. The cafeteria was mostly still empty, but Meche easily spotted Alita by the buffet. That hair was hard to miss. Two red scratches ran across the girl's cheek--probably Soma's work, Meche guessed, but at least she was still in one piece. They could all have done a lot worse for themselves. Well, she'd just take a seat by the door so she could watch for everyone, and maybe today would finally be the day Manny came in...

Oh.

The smile took over her face all at once and refused to fade. "Manny!" she cried. "You're back! Where have you been? Are you all right?" She rushed toward the man by the window before she could stop herself, still grinning broadly, practically feeling ready to sweep the tray to the floor and leap into his arms--

--when the nurse caught her shoulder and pointed a stern finger at the buffet.

Meche felt like telling the lady exactly what she thought about that interruption, using a right hook as a visual aid if necessary. Then again, getting sedated would probably kill whatever scraps of the mood they had left. She made a quick face at Manny and hurried off to load a tray as fast as she could with whatever she could grab. Oh, it was so good to see him looking okay again. He was really back!

When she made it back to the table, she plunked herself and the tray down across from him and offered him a wry grin. "Do you want me to try that again, or has the moment passed?"

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[identity profile] himetsuru.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 02:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[unknowingly waiting for Porky]

"I don't want anything."

"Rose, dear, you haven't had anything to eat since dinner."

"I fucking know that."

"Language! Aren't you hungry?"

"Not as much as last night."

"Then you should eat. We don't want you to end up with a sudden craving next shift."

Falis just gave the woman a glare at that, pushing past her to the buffet. The hunger from the previous night had vanished, as had the decayed skin on her arm, but she didn't want to eat anything. If she was honest, the hunter was afraid she'd taste Senna's blood on her tongue with every bite of whatever this...

Sweet bread stuff? Fuck no. Falis shoved that plate back on the buffet and grabbed some fruit instead. Sitting down alone, the hunter gently prodded the pair of vibrantly red scratches on her cheek as she stared at her tray. She really should talk to Soma. She didn't want to, but she should.

[identity profile] piggy-king.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
So this is what death is like, huh? Just kinda...sleeping? How boring...I was hoping for something a bit more exciting than this...At least I'm alone. That's kinda nice. Real peaceful. Nice and quiet. I could get used to this. Of course, it might get a little dull after a while. Hey, wait a sec...shouldn't I be in Hell or something? I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything, but...I wasn't exactly the nicest guy back when I was...alive. Come to think of it...where am I? It's just...black. Kinda feels like I'm...in a bed?

"Mr. Reynolds? It's time for breakfast."

Porky suddenly opened his eyes. He was...in his room. He hesitantly felt his chest with his right hand. After a few moments of prodding, Porky gasped. There was no wound! Incredulous to say the least, Porky sat up and looked around, eyes open wide. Everything was perfectly normal. Porky was...alive! Had it all just been...an illusion?! There was no way that he hadn't...died! It had felt so real! Porky suddenly felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He spun around, a look of pure disbelief on his face.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Reynolds?" asked the nurse, "Did you have another bad dream?"

"Y-Yeah..." Porky said quietly as he looked around the room, "That's it. Just a bad dream."

"Well, that's too bad," sighed the nurse, "Two days in a row. I'll talk to someone about that. Perhaps we can get you some medication to take care of that. Anyway, it's time for breakfast. You must be hungry."

Porky couldn't help but smile as he walked down the hallway to the cafeteria. After all, he was alive! Stupid ol' Landel thought that he could take Porky out, but no! He was still kicking! It only got better when he saw what was for breakfast. Delicious, syrupy French toast! Tres bien~! After piling his plate high, Porky skipped off to find a seat. What luck! Porky's pal Falis seemed to be sitting all by herself!

"Howdy, Alita!" Porky said cheerfully, "Remember me? Anyway, it's good to see you again! How ya been?"

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[identity profile] inviolentgrief.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 02:26 pm (UTC)(link)
When Jun awoke that morning, it was with a heavy dose of confusion. Why was he back in his room? His chest looked as if he'd never bled at all, as if reliving Maya's death had all been a dream. But that couldn't be true, it just couldn't. That had been reality: what happened to him wasn't a dream, he knew that. The burns that he knew to be on his legs, now bandaged heavily, were proof of that...

"Good morning, Jonathan." A nurse replied as she bustled in, pushing a wheelchair in front of her. That was proof too, that she knew about his burns, but the look on her face told him that she wouldn't answer any of the questions he wanted to ask. He completely ignored the intercom when it came on, as the nurse wheeled him to the Cafeteria. He didn't like being in a wheelchair, that was for sure. The fact that a nurse, who he didn't trust at all, was now responsible for his well-being didn't sit well with him.

But that wasn't important. How was he still alive? If this was really was Nyarlathotep, he probably would've ended it there. No matter how "evil" he was, he wouldn't push Jun to his breaking point, would he? Was he really cruel enough to send him here, make him relive Maya's death through her eyes, die, and then live again?

He might've. Jun couldn't know for sure. It was only recently that he'd even known his father's true identity, after all.

"Let's get you something to eat, okay? You're so thin and pale, Jonathan. We need you to eat more." The nurse broke him out of his reverie again, and he nodded dumbly in response, his train of thought now broken. The cafeteria was mostly empty so far, so the nurse put him at the end of a table right in the middle of it. Jun was sure that she intended for him to talk to people, to be social, but after the night he'd had? She was lucky if he even ate.

[for Venom and Edward]

[identity profile] poolcuemurder.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
It wasn't unusual anymore for Venom to find himself bolting upright out of bed with a scream just barely kept from leaving him, something that had become a common occurrence over the past three months. Nightmares weren't anything out of the ordinary for him, not with his life. What was unusual, especially after a person has found themselves dying on the floor from a mixture of overexertion, collapsed lungs, and a nightwalker attached to your throat like a rabid dog?

He was still alive.

There had been no possible way he had survived last night and he knew, he knew he hadn't. He had died, and yet here he was, sitting in bed with his chest pounding as though it were just a bad dream. There was no more blood, no tired feeling, no parasite, only bandages splayed across his neck and collarbone in his only evidence that he hadn't been dreaming the entire thing.

He wasn't dead. He wasn't dead.

It was a mantra he kept repeating in his head, fingers pressed against the wound on him but too cowardly to push them down, as Nurse came to collect him. She let out a little gasp and ran to his side, pulling his hands away from the bandages like he were about to do something with them. When he looked up at her, she gave him a nervous smile (...why was she so nervous? Even if she had known he was dangerous, why only react now?) before coaxing him into leaving his room.

"Vincent," she started once they entered the cafeteria. For some reason, it was... less obnoxious this time. Strange. "You won't start feeling better unless you eat something. You can't eat anything if you keep your hair in the way." Really, it was as much warning as she gave before she removed a comb from her pocket and moved to brush his hair back. Unfortunately, he had neither the strength nor drive to properly convey to the woman that if she stuck her hand in his face one more time, he was going to snap her fingers backwards like they were wooden popsicle sticks. In the end, he just let her get away with it for now.

He was still here. Still imprisoned, still away from his Guild, still alive...

From the looks of it, he wasn't alone in that. Jun, the poor man who had properly excused himself to die elsewhere (and now he was sure of it. Jun had died. They all had), sitting alone and decidedly not dead. Venom was never good at comforting others and in fact planned to find an empty spot himself, especially having his face exposed as it was, but... He made his way over to the man and set the tray Nurse had given him down, obviously speaking to the smaller man despite his eyes being locked on the table.

"Did you survive last night?" A question that normally would have been met with a sharp stare and a sarcastic "no, I'm dead, you moron. As is why I'm speaking to you now", but it was surprisingly legitimate in light of past events.

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[identity profile] whos-da-man.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 02:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[This place sucks, Yuka-tan. Let's grab Mr. Perfect and blow this Popsicle joint.]

Junpei didn't like dying. Before last night, he'd been there, done that and gotten the damn t-shirt. When he died again last night, it'd been different. It's been Chidori's death, not his own, that he'd experienced. He thought that would be the end of it, no matter how much it sucked, but his nurse decided to answer his questions that morning.

Chidori was gone. Yes, he'd felt it deep inside, that she'd died when he died the previous night, but to hear it... And then he asked about the rest of S.E.E.S. The squirt was gone. Both senpai were too. He couldn't even ask about Minato, not knowing what the nurses called him. At least Yukari was still there; he didn't know what he'd do if she'd disappeared or died too.

The junior sat at a table, elbows propped up, with his forehead resting against his hands. What were they going to do? What was he going to do? Chidori was gone. He'd known she could be taken from him again in a moment's notice, but he thought he'd have more time than this.

Tears pattered onto the table. He really, really, really needed a hug.

[identity profile] remedying.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
When the night ended before it even started, it always left an annoying feeling within Yukari. The conversation with Mitsuru barely got anywhere, and then-- morning again. She didn't even get to see what Junpei wanted, but hopefully he managed on his own okay. At least it ended on something good-- she had the Evoker back, which meant if she needed it for anything she could actually use it now.

Unlike most others, Yukari was feeling fine, and one could say she was pretty much oblivious to whatever the previous night had brought. She got breakfast as usual, and when she scanned around the cafeteria to see who was around, Junpei was quickly spotted; although...

Wow, he really didn't look very good at all. When she got closer, Yukari could definitely tell something happened.

"Junpei," Yukari called out softly to him, her voice full of concern as she set her tray down on the table across from him. "What's wrong?"

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[identity profile] denied-future.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 02:37 pm (UTC)(link)
The sensation of going from half-dead to, well, not was unsettling, to say the least. Rey didn't know whether to be surprised or disappointed at the fact that he was still alive, and decided to settle for a combination of both. Either way, it looked like he had to deal with another day at the institute, whether he wanted to or not. Groggy, sore, and still fairly light-headed, he sat up, wincing in pain as he did. The wounds across his chest and mid-section weren't as severe as they could've been, but that didn't make it easy to move. Worse still was his left shoulder, as shifting his arm brought an overwhelming spike of pain, not that Rey had expected any different. He was only thankful that it wasn't his dominant arm.

It didn't take long for his nurse to come along, not even mentioning his injuries or his unexplained unconsciousness yesterday. Staying silent, he followed her to the cafeteria, even though it hurt to walk. He wasn't in the mood to hear excuses or how deluded he was, so he didn't bother questioning her.

After she gathered food onto a tray for him, he took it with his working hand, adjusting his grip to keep it balanced. There didn't seem to be too many people here yet, so he sat down at an empty table, staring at the food. Although he knew he should be eating, he just didn't have an appetite. Nearly being killed by a brainwashed patient and hearing a dead man's voice didn't exactly help in that regard. To be honest, the events of last night felt somewhat like a dream, but he knew very well that they were real.

[Free, no limit]

[identity profile] udo-retrovirus.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Morning usually brought relief for Junior, a reassurance that he'd made it through one more night and that there was still a chance of getting out with both brothers; this one brought none of it. The redhead just pulled the covers over his head and tried to block the images of last night from his mind. It proved almost impossible, since the more he tried not to think about it, the more vivid it became. The nurse had to practically lift him out of bed when she came to collect him, and he didn't have the energy to fight back. His shoulder still hurt like hell, and it was stiff and mostly immobile thanks to the bandages. If there was ever something to rely on...

A stop by the bulletin brought him part-way out of his sadness. It shouldn't have seemed so impossible, since this place could revive the dead, but he'd heard plenty in this place about people who died. They tended to stay that way, didn't they? But Nigredo was alive. Alive and, for whatever reason that didn't really matter, didn't seem to remember his own death, which Junior couldn't bring himself to explain. Not over the board, and not where that asshole was joking about it.

He followed obediently behind his nurse as she took him through the cafeteria line, chirping something about how french toast was part of what every growing boy needed. "I'm not hungry!" he protested, but she laughed it off, taking him over to a table and seating him across from another patient.

"Here, why don't you have breakfast with Richard? Maybe the company will help both of your appetites."

The nurse wandered off, and the redhead poked at his food with the fork before giving the man a half-hearted smile. "Hi."
Edited 2009-09-20 17:14 (UTC)

[identity profile] hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[free, limit: two]

Momo kept rubbing her throat as she followed her nurse to the cafeteria. She wasn't sure if it was to reassure herself that it was once again whole, or to check for the scar that should exist if she'd truly had her throat sliced open by a phantom blade and then healed. Yet, there was no scar, just like her chest didn't bear a scar from where Aizen has run her through. Both should have scarred. Both had made her feel like she'd died.

Maybe she had, both times, but she was alive now. Still, she hoped she was the only one to have experienced such a phenomena.

[identity profile] whohitreset.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 09:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Morning had saved him.

After the previous day, his nurse seemed to have learned. She stood a good couple feet back from his bed with a clipboard when she came to wake him. Matt felt nauseous, knowing what he'd almost done. Would he have gotten away with it? Had the other young man already suspected something was up? It had been hard to tell, so hungry for flesh as he'd been. If he was going to be going through this process every night, then he was quickly going to find himself in serious trouble - especially since his roommate already knew.

He wasn't hungry, but he let his nurse fill his tray anyway. He hadn't even realized she'd found him a seat until he was already sitting in it, too busy thinking over his current dilemma.

"Morning," he waved to the girl he'd ended up sitting across from. She was a veteran, he knew. He'd seen her around a lot since he'd been there.

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screwthegods: (this smile isn't a happy one)

[personal profile] screwthegods 2009-09-20 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
The confusion of the night's messages still led to the same routine end, and Homura frowned when he sat up in bed. Between the delays and the ill-placed patient, everything had just taken too long. Now he had to decide if the task was worth the focus of his forces for another night, particularly on one when patients were taken--when any one of them could be taken. But that room remained the best avenue for getting weapons, especially with Adelheid's condition. That was something else the demi-god would have to find out about as well.

Homura's arms and his lower leg had already been treated by the time the nurse came, though it didn't stop his nurse from lecturing him. He ignored the woman and whatever reason she gave for his injuries, more interested in getting the day over with. Himura could be sent to deal with Adelheid, perhaps. His specialty was defeating a foe without killing anyway, so he'd be better than the demi-god at it. Homura certainly wasn't opposed to making use of the vow that otherwise got in his way. And then there was Hattori and the other puppies: they needed to know what Kenren knew, what little information that was, in order to continue their search for Sanzo's killer. Homura wouldn't change their assignment until they had that name.

It was possible, perhaps. Depending on the aftermath of Ayumu blowing her cover. Homura grinned as he began picking apart his meal, the nurse finally gone once he'd settled into a seat. His own rebellion had been so much simpler, and not for the first time, he missed the simplicity of it.

Breakfast first. Then Homura could place his pieces for the night.

[For Teresa]

[identity profile] number1smiley.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Teresa did not enjoy waking up suddenly in her room. It would eventually become something she was accustomed to, but she did not like the implications of how it would affect things that may be of import. A brief stop at the bulletin board revealed something quite interesting. All the more reason to speak to Ophelia. As tempted as she was to remove the younger hybrid's Black Card from the board, she chose to leave it and watch the aftermath. Where, oh where, did she manage to locate her claymore?

Taking a tray of only a few pieces of fruit and some of the unusual bread, Teresa scanned the cafeteria for the other hybrid and failed to find her. What she did find was a man with dark hair, mismatched eyes and a red mark upon his forehead. Homura. A faint smile touched her lips as she watched the man from a respectable distance. She'd been right; it only had taken a look. This man was worth her time and, perhaps, her strength.

The silver-eyed woman slipped into the chair across from Homura, the small smile still on her lips.

"Teresa," she said as she used her knife to draw the same symbol she used on the board in the syrup on her plate.

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[identity profile] arc-wrench.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
The rest and the normal regeneration that took place during the end of the night had healed most of the soreness. But he could hide what discomfort that caused him. That was simple.

What was more problematic were the bite marks. Those had also mostly healed, but they were still visible. And he just knew there were some on his neck that weren’t covered by his shirt. If ever HK’s propensity to come up with very nearly reasonable excuses and confusing tangential rants were needed, it would be today.

Still. It hadn’t been bad. Not at all. He’d liked it, much to his shock. But that certainly didn’t mean he was eager to tell that to anybody!

And the meatbag in charge was back. Oh what a great joy it is to know that he is safe. Oh well. That just meant someone could maim him again!

HK took a seat (Ow.) at a deserted table, poking at his food. He was actually in need of refueling, but... One giant leap of neuroses destruction at a time, thank you.

[Free~~]

[identity profile] scalyfishman.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 07:51 pm (UTC)(link)


Night segued into day with discomforting ease, for all of the portentous announcements and spooky FX. Depth Charge awoke half-expecting to find the room either starved of oxygen or trying to swallow him.

It looked as though he'd walked away from that night with more than a bruised ego, though- just when he thought his aches and pains from the whole zombie apocalypse had started to heal up, along came a nasty shoulder wound just to smelt him off. Beautiful.

Depth Charge slung himself down at the first table he saw, brandishing a spoon in one hand and a plate of fruit in the other. The man opposite, tall and dark, would have to bear the brunt of things for now. Glancing briefly at his neck (were those bite marks?), he raised an eyebrow. "Did you get lucky or unlucky last night?" And if it was the first? Slag. Looked like someone had a taste for vampires.

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falseblack: (am left wanting)

[personal profile] falseblack 2009-09-20 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
It had occurred to Nigredo that things had taken a turn for the worse the previous night. For all his deep thought and analysis, however, he could only recall the oddity in the intercom. Past that became...dark. Blank. As if consciousness had snapped and shut down completely. His nurse gave no indication of anything wrong when she came for him, albeit the boy noted his entire right collarbone felt tighter. Stitches, the woman explained. He had apparently ripped open his wound somehow in his sleep.

Nigredo simply let these facts slide to the back-burner as other memories informed him of business this morning. He also had to track down his brothers and pull the missing answers from them, but a mild headache forced him to use the bulletin for the task. Hopefully they were fine and that nothing had occurred and that they were still stuck with yesterday's prize. He wouldn't know what to think otherwise.

With a tray of food, he sat near the entrance. He tried to appear attentive to the world at large (and to keep a sharp lookout for Klavier) but ended up drifting back to the night before and its missing hole. As a result, Nigredo missed majority of the entrances to the cafeteria.

[Closed to Klavier.]
rocksthecourt: ♪ Standing in the aisles with itchy feet and fading smiles (resigned)

[personal profile] rocksthecourt 2009-09-21 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
A gentle touch on the shoulder was enough to get Klavier up, bolting up almost immediately and startling his nurse. He looked lost for a few moments, staring up at his nurse, before the memories of last night hit him like a train all at once. How he hated having a detail-oriented memory sometimes. He suddenly felt nauseous all over again, followed by a hint of shame and guilt for his behavior.

If he recalled correctly, before blanking out... he'd actually asked to just die already. But that shameful resignation was something he never planned to have exposed. At least he'd regained his composure, even if his spirits were considerably dim.

...Apparently the woman had been speaking, since she was looking at him expectantly. His mind was all over the place. How could he possibly be expected to go along with this farce today? But staying in the room was completely out of the question. He had far too much to do and make up for to lie down and simply give up.

Not bothering to feign friendly conversation with his escort, he silently and sternly followed the woman to the cafeteria. He waited on line for a few moments, checked to be sure the nurse wasn't looking anymore, and promptly walked away towards the tables. He hadn't eaten in over a day now. He should have been starving, and something in the back of his mind was nagging at him about health issues. But he didn't have the stomach to eat anything, and it was more important he find familiar faces.

The first person he spotted was Nigredo, who he'd planned to speak with this morning anyway. Klavier took a quick moment to scan the mass of the cafeteria once more before approaching. Nigredo looked about as distant and listless as he felt. As almost everyone in this room seemed to be... "Nigredo," he said to get his attention. One side of his mouth tugged up in the flattest smile he'd ever offered anyone, but it was all he could muster for now. "Thank goodness. It's good to see you're doing well." He hesitated. "Are you okay?"

Saying he was doing well and saying he was 'okay' were two very different things.
Edited 2009-09-21 04:10 (UTC)

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[identity profile] euphemise.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
There was a dull, sad look in Euphemia's eyes when she woke that morning. She only managed half-hearted nods to her nurse when she asked if she was all right. The voice on the intercom wasn't mechanical, but it didn't really make her feel any better, either.

Lelouch was dead, and she hadn't been able to do anything. She couldn't get the sight of his body lying there like that out of her head, and no matter what she did, she couldn't get the sound of those screams out, either. She took a moment to write a few notes on the bulletin before heading into the cafeteria. That hadn't been such a good idea in hindsight. While she had at least gotten messages to Suzaku and Teresa, the fact that someone had the nerve to pretend they didn't know what happened... it took a lot to make the princess angry normally, but that had been enough to do it.

Euphy didn't want to eat anything by the time she got to the cafeteria, but she made herself put some French toast, juice, and fruit on her tray anyway, and found a seat far away from the others.

[help me, Obi-Wan Suzaku, you're my only hope!]

[identity profile] superdynamic.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Suzaku startled awake with a jolt, staring around his room in consternation. Back here. . . The last thing he remembered was dying. He had been so sure, so positive he had felt his heart slow. The sensation might have been colored by his imagination, but he had just known, with every molecule of his being. He had to be dead, he had wanted for so long to be dead -- and here he was, back in Landel's Institute, and he couldn't deny the reality of his surroundings no matter how much he might have wanted to.

After all that, after begging for his own death for years and finally getting it in the most despicable way, on the forest floor in the middle of nowhere and accomplishing nothing with his final moments -- here he was surrounded by these incongruously white-washed walls once again, Martin Landel's voice ringing overhead as if nothing had happened. It was the second most bitterly ironic moment of Suzaku's life. As he thought of Yuffie's body twisting in its death throes against his own, of Euphie's sweet voice fading in his mind like the ring of an executioner's axe, Suzaku felt horrible, vicious laughter spilling out of his throat once more.

Of course! Of course things would play out that way, why hadn't he thought of it himself? Then again, he wasn't one of the thinkers, with their wheels and cogs and cogitations, he wasn't Lelouch or Landel. He was just -- there wasn't a word ugly enough for what he was. But he could play that role, he could live the life that had been given to him again. Lelouch would take him back, because everyone else was dead and he'd have to.

Euphie, Yuffie, Nunnally, Shirley -- they'd all die in the end, and so would Lelouch, probably, but Suzaku? He was immortal. He wanted to repent, to stop all of them from dying, but it wasn't going to happen, he knew that now. As surely as he should have known after F.L.E.I.A., but his faith had been shaken that time. Now, he knew for sure.

And now he was going to take his cowardly, immortal hide down to breakfast and keep living his miserable, immortal life. A perfect plan, not interrupted by the arrival of his nurse, whose presence he barely noticed. He should check the board, as a matter of course, not that he actually processed anything that was written there -- except. Except. Euphie. He'd almost -- it was awful, but he'd forgotten she was alive, that she was still here. Hearing her die again had been so real.

Seeing her name was the shock he needed to snap out of his daze, that and the note from Yuffie. It was like being doused in cold water, almost as bad as seeing Euphie -- had that only been twenty-four hours ago? It felt like a light-year away, now that he had died himself. But it seemed he hadn't been the only one to make a full recovery.

It was unbelievable. Then again, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised by anything Landel could do anymore. Still, this -- this was utterly unforgivable. Suzaku didn't care about himself (even if he'd wished, for a moment, that it had been real) but to use Euphie's voice like that, to toy with Yuffie's life. . . He couldn't let Landel hurt either of them again, no matter what else happened. He didn't care if it was their fate to die.

Upon entering the cafeteria, Euphie was the only thing he could see. He practically ran over to her without bothering to get any breakfast, ignoring his nurse's admonishments as she trailed after him. "Euphie -- you're okay? You're alright?" he asked desperately, probably looking a little deranged in the way he stared at her, not that he cared about that either.

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[identity profile] gothamsfuture.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Well that could have gone so much better.

One minute a guy was trying to figure out just how to kick spider boy hard enough to keep him down, and the next there was a fuzzy blue splicer being slammed into his head. The lingering ache Terry felt when he woke up in bed was slightly less painful than the shot to his ego, at least. If there was one thing he could easily decide on, it was to tell no one about that little mess up the night before. Especially not Bruce.

Terry was hoping he'd see Kitty or Kurt in the cafeteria, but there wasn't anyone he recognized when he went in. Not that he'd actually be able to pick Kurt out of the crowd; Terry hadn't exactly noticed any blue guys the day before, and that sort of thing stood out. And there was no chance he could talk to 'Peter' unless the guy revealed himself. Terry didn't think it'd be the greatest idea anyway. Provided the brainwashing had worn off, and the guy wasn't a total ass, spider boy had enough guilt to keep him company. He didn't need some stranger adding to it.

So Terry took a seat where he could be seen, just in case, and began picking apart his breakfast. Not even close to how his mother made french toast, no matter what the nurse said. It was still good though, especially to a teenager with a healthy appetite.

[Free]

[identity profile] buteo-sapiens.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Over the past couple days, Tobias had started to really, really crave mouse.

It was weird; when he'd been a hawk, he'd missed human food, and it had been a treat to go to the mall for not-quite-two-hours, or for Rachel to bring him burgers in the woods. Now that he was human again (at least most of the time), it was the other way around, and he missed hunting, missed the wind and the stretch of his wings and the grasp of talons and rip of his beak...

With a sigh, he took the best he could, sausage and bacon and an apple to make it something like balanced, and sat down across from another kid, maybe a couple years older to him.

"Hi," Tobias said, with an expression almost like a smile, "don't think we've met. I'm Astor."

[identity profile] loyal-soldier.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
It really didn't matter to 622 that Landel was back. That was entirely peripheral to his concerns, especially when it was still undetermined as to how anyone could get rid of the man.

He was... glad. Glad to have been able to complete Armand's request. And though it had hurt him far more than it rightly should have, maybe having seen Armand's body would give him some closure and ability to continue on. He hoped so, anyway. It at least gave things more of a sense of finality.

He could at least eat properly, now. He ignored his nurse's usual admonishment that he shouldn't eat so fast, digging in.

[Free!]
ninelivesonce: (metabolism like an ore furnace)

[personal profile] ninelivesonce 2009-09-20 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Morning came too quickly, yet again. Another night, another botched mission half-completed in a corridor, and apologies and excuses didn't bring back the dead. Though, from what it sounded like, this place did; she'd only heard him a few times, but that was unmistakably Martin Landel and the nurse who'd taken over for him before.

But neither did waiting around, and quick-healing required a good breakfast just like the regular sort, so she trotted down the hallway to the cafeteria, surprising her nurse with a cheery and only mostly-faked grin. She snagged a whole stack of French toast -- it really was a nice, if a little sticky when syrup-covered, breakfast food. Too bad freeze-dried egg powder never tasted like the real thing -- she could get used to this, ship-side.

TK-622 was soldiering through a plate of food in the same way she intended to -- she slid into the seat across and smiled.

"Morning." She didn't say good -- even if he looked like he was managing, good and captive were at right angles, and politeness took second to truth. "How're you holding up?"

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[identity profile] dasgift.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Last night proved to be quite rejuvenating-- What wonders a simple night's rest could do for a person! Kristoph was feeling a mite cheery this morning, almost willing to let bygones be bygones and let old grudges die. Almost.

Unfortunately, the rest of the institute appeared less than enthusiastic in contrast. Based on the small collection of notes on the bulletin, it was obvious something significant had occurred the night before. Something...less-than-savory to a decent human being. And Kristoph, as he missed out on these events and was quite the opposite of a decent human being, needed all the details. What greater way could accomplish this than to feed the flames of this unspoken despair?

Kristoph chuckled internally as he began his breakfast. Already the day was turning out quite successful.

[For Prosecutor von Karma, version the old geezer.]
lawful_perfect: (Cranky)

[personal profile] lawful_perfect 2009-09-20 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
After what seemed a brief period of unconsciousness following the silence over the intercom, von Karma heard normal, non-mechanical human voices blaring over the intercom. Of course. I knew it was too good to be true, he grumbled to himself as the Head Lunatic's voice wafted through the public address system. Just as I thought. It was nothing more than a pompous display to fool the patients into thinking he was dead.

The aging prosecutor looked over at his roommate. Still in deep slumber... or so it seemed. While von Karma was grateful not to have to engage in frivolous chitchat with him, there was something unnerving about a man who never left the room, instead appearing to sleep constantly. ...Was the man perhaps spying on him, making the mere pretense of sleeping? As long as Mr. Hamilton was in here, awake or not, von Karma would have to maintain extra discretion in here.

"Mr. Fuchs! How are we feeling today?" a disgustingly cheery voice rang out, interrupting his thoughts. Such impeccable timing, von Karma thought to himself sardonically, as his nurse approached his bed.

He wasted no time answering her. "Nurse! What is the matter with my roommate?! He has slept for two whole days! Is he ill? If so, I demand that you move him to the infirmary! I will hold you and the Institute responsible should I contract whatever it is that he has!"

The nurse just folded her arms, a patronizing smile on her face as she waited for him to finish his demand. "Don't worry about him, Mr. Fuchs. He is fine. His treatment just makes him a little groggy. We've been monitoring his condition, so we know he's okay. Now... it's breakfast time! Come on, now!"

Not wanting to create a scene, he grudgingly lifted himself out of bed. As he did so, he noted that the severe pain he had experienced in his shoulder just hours earlier was greatly dulled. The heat and swelling were virtually nonexistent. Experimentally, he reached over to rub his shoulder. He felt a bandage underneath his shirt, but it was thin; the layers of gauze were gone. Accelerated healing? He would have asked the nurse about this, but it would likely prove an exercise in futility as usual.

He followed her into the cafeteria, grumbling as he saw how crowded it already was. Right now, after what happened last night, the last thing he wanted was to be around anyone. But it was still preferable to the humiliation of getting sedated. He absently filled a plate and found a table that didn't seem quite as occupied yet. It was only after he had sat down and started in on his breakfast that he realized that sitting just across from him was the smarmy blond man who had been his seatmate on the bus just two days ago. The one who had witnessed that mortifying yogurt target practice incident.

As usual, the man was grinning smugly, a stark contrast to the air of gloom that pervaded the rest of the cafeteria. von Karma returned that saccharine smile with a look of infinite annoyance, before finally addressing him, his arms folded. "Well. How nice to see that someone is in such high spirits this morning. Are you always this perpetually cheerful?"
Edited 2009-09-20 19:46 (UTC)

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[identity profile] oftemptation.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"Dr. Landel!"

Endrance stirred at those words, turning over once in his sleep, and murmuring something incomprehensible - perhaps a 'go away', perhaps a 'let me sleep'. He clenched his fists within the covers, more from instinct than anything else.

The next few lines on the intercom were enough to wake him, and that in itself was far too wrong. I shouldn't be here. I died last night - I'm sure of that...I died like Mia. I died like Mia and now I'm back here and that shouldn't be possible. Why...why?

His nurse came in just as a choked sob was leaving him. Endrance told her to go away and leave him alone, but she wasn't going to have that. "You just had a nightmare, Peyton. Come along now, you'll feel better once you've eaten something - and no more playing with your food. You're going to eat something this time."

Nothing she said was enough to stem the steady flow of tears that fell steadily from his downcast eyes on the walk over. His nurse filled a tray for him, warning him that he had better eat, but as soon as she was gone, he pushed the tray aside, resting his head on the table and letting the tears fall freely.

[for Haseo.]

[identity profile] feartehreaper.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Haseo's "death" was ironically peaceful, but his morning... definitely was not. The glittering, bloody scene from before had faded into nothingness, but in turn transitioned to an odd wasteland, purple-toned and malicious, overlaid by a wash of emotions and actions. Everything was spinning and glowing, and there were two competing voices ringing in his ears.

...under construction, isn't it?


Contractors are so... unreliable...


Haseo felt his consciousness being pulled apart and put back together haphazardly, and there was some sort of noise overlaying it all that had to have been his screaming, though it was rising in pitch much too quickly and wouldn't stop, not quite piercing the division between sleep and consciousness.

Then he struck out blindly and the world turned upside down, cutting off the noise rather efficiently with the abrupt shock of his real self hitting the real floor with an uff! that stunned him just long enough to notice he wasn't dead yet or in a coma or-- damn it! Damn it!

He flipped over onto his hands and knees and then was on the bed, against the wall and fighting off the touch of a middle-aged woman accompanied by at least two men in plain uniforms.

"Kai! Kai, calm down," she was saying, much more sympathetic than usual. Was it a different woman? He couldn't even tell as he shook, putting a hand on his chest and the other over his mouth as he squeezed his eyes shut. His heart was pounding so hard he half-feared he was going to hurt himself just sitting still, but he refused to do something stupid like vomit or pass out again, and instead focused on just making his breathing even, the shreds of what he'd just witnessed in his mind's eye slipping away. Unfortunately, what happened before stayed almost as clear as when he'd experienced it.

"Would you prefer to stay here for a whi--?"

"--No! No. I need to go," he said strongly, though he had to fight off another wave of nausea at the thought of food. Fortunately, it seemed his stomach really was much stronger than he would have honestly figured, past the part where you were supposed to act tough. While uncharacteristically anxious, he allowed himself to be led to the cafeteria.

He wasn't sure if he was actually surprised or not to find Endrance. His first instinct was to basically attack him- make him prove he wasn't bleeding anymore and was more or less alright! That desire seemed to die out as soon as he was close enough to do so. Instead, he just hovered awkwardly, and then after a moment put the tray he'd been handed on the table and began looking for the others he knew and... well, nurses' agendas be damned.

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[identity profile] irishpirational.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
When he woke up, Lockon knew better than to dismiss everything that had happened last night as a dream. He desperately wanted to--but even though it was gone, he could still feel Setsuna's blood on his hands, on his face. He could still summon a perfectly clear image of Setsuna's breath fading in his memory. That wasn't a dream, and he knew it. He could lie to himself about the future well enough, but the past? That was real. He wouldn't deny it.

It took effort not to simply attack the nurse when she showed up to escort him to breakfast. She was part of this terrible place, part of the people who had somehow killed Setsuna. But he had no weapons, and that gave him time to think. He realized that he had no way of knowing just how much responsibility the nurse had. If she knew about this place's true nature, he should kill her, no questions asked--but the nurses all seemed to genuinely believe that this was a place of healing. He couldn't risk hurting an innocent who'd been caught up in this mess. So he merely glared blankly as she led him to breakfast. He didn't request a detour to the bulletin board; why should he? Setsuna was dead. That was what mattered.

Once there at breakfast, it was difficult for him to think of eating, but he took his cereal anyway and brought it to a table, where he sat and looked down at it numbly. Killing the people who had killed Setsuna had to be his number one priority now--

(And he didn't like that, he'd thought he was done with revenge, just as he'd thought he was done with life. But he had no choice. Setsuna had been his hope for the future, all their hopes for the future, and now Setsuna was dead.)

--but Allelujah and Feldt were still here. He had to find a way to be strong and stable for them, because they would be hurting too.

[For Feldt, Allelujah, and Setsuna]
Edited 2009-09-20 16:23 (UTC)

[identity profile] gundamned.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
He stepped into the cafeteria in a daze, blinking and scanning the area but not really taking anything in. He simply stood there for a moment, trying to think of what he was supposed to do in the first place, and then he remembered: breakfast.

And so he walked to where the line was and waited as they served him food, then stared blankly down at it for a while. French toast. Other types of food he should have been able to identify but cannot. And then for the briefest moment he seemed to snap himself out of his current state: He was supposed to go find a seat and eat. That was what he was here for, right?

He looked around once more, wondering whether his other comrades were present (he reminded that they must be informed that he had survived, but that thought quickly disappeared as soon as it came). It took a while for him to recognize the man with wavy, brown hair seated on one of the tables, and even longer for him to recall the name: Lockon Stratos.

Yes, he must approach the Meister. And so he did, the nurse carrying his breakfast for him (for a moment he wondered when that happened—or maybe she had been carrying it all the while, he had not noticed). He stopped a few feet beside Lockon; he supposed he should have said something, but all he did in the end was stare.

(no subject)

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[identity profile] ruthless-hunter.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay, last night had gone from incredible to just plain freaky.

HK wasn't there when he woke up this morning, probably already gone to breakfast. Oh, and apparently Landel was back. Wasn't that just peachy?

Lockdown let himself be led away to get breakfast and gathered some food. He tried to think about his time with HK last night, instead of what had happened to that girl.

He found himself an empty table, and, as usual, started his meal by nibbling on a piece of fruit.

[For Beatrix]

[identity profile] quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)
If Beatrix hadn't already survived a point blank bullet to the head, she might not have believed that recovering form what should have thoroughly killed a person was possible. The last thing she remembered from the night before, aside from being extremely pissed off, was her heart exploding several steps from the table. It was if she'd suffered the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique herself. She'd only ever used it once - on Bill.

And yet, she was alive. And still pissed off. What better way to calm her rage than to mess with the snake-bitch. The Bride pinned the black card she'd taken from Ophelia's sword the previous night onto the board before heading to the cafeteria to get something to eat. While in line, she spotted the man from Doyleton, the one she'd helped steal lotion. The tattoos, the knowledge of the lotion and his voice, the few visible marks...

Lockdown. How had she not made the connection before?

She fixed the Cybertronian with her cold eyes before sitting down across from him. "Did you enjoy your night?"

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[identity profile] oldestremnant.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Loz groaned as he awoke. What had happened last night? He had died, hadn't he? Was it all just a dream? He hoped it had all been just a dream. But, it had seemed so real.

The Remnant was almost zombie-like as he was taken to the cafeteria and given some breakfast. Loz didn't really feel like eating, but his nurse insisted he must be hungry, so he just took a bite out of some toast so she'd go away.

He tried thinking to himself, It was just a dream, just a dream... It had to have been a dream. But still...

[unwittingly waiting Digimon glompings]

[identity profile] brooklynisangry.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Beelzemon had to work so hard not to punch the nurse that woke him up. She was just so happy and smiling and just didn't get it that he was pissed off because he'd just watched a fried die last night and he hadn't been able to do anything about it!

He followed her to the cafeteria, just trying to keep from yelling or crying or something. Then the nurse was saying something about a friend of his and pointing and--

"LOZ!" He completely forgot about the nurse, running at his friend and giving him something in between a tackle and a hug. "You're okay!" How was he okay? What the hell had happened to make him okay?! That didn't really matter because Loz was okay!!

"I-- Just don' do that again, okay?"

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M108

[identity profile] gundamned.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Somewhere in the middle of sleep and consciousness he thought: he had never felt such a quiet calmness before.

But that thought quickly dissolved as the daylight struck his eyelids and forced him to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes and squinted, waiting for a couple of seconds for his vision to focus.

He was met by the familiar sight of his room at the institution. His mind was still blank as he slowly moved into a sitting position and stared down at his hands, and it took a while for him to gather his thoughts. The strange sense of calm was still confusing him (he had never felt that way before; he was always used to fighting), and when he finally did manage it, the first thing he recalled from last night was how a bullet pierced through his chest as he heard his mother's voice (he missed her), and how he spent his last conscious moments promising that he will always be with his comrades, fighting with them in spirit, because he thought he wouldn't be able to physically witness a changed world. But...

I am alive.

It took a few seconds for that statement to fully register, his hand automatically drifting to where he had been shot.

And then he paused. Blinking, he glanced down at his chest, and where he had been expecting some bandages and dried blood he found absolutely nothing. His brows drew together in confusion as his hand fell back to his side, glancing around as if there was something or someone to provide him with some kind of answer.

After a few seconds, he slowly got off the bed, wondering for the briefest moment if he had imagined everything, if the events of the entire night had been a dream. But then he winced and his hand automatically drifted to his arm: there were bandages wrapped around the area where he had been attacked by the strange bat.

It was real.

As soon as that fact registered in his mind, all focus returned. He needed to escape. He gritted his teeth and reached out for the closest thing he had as a weapon. Clutching the flashlight in his hand, he silently waited for the nurse to enter the room, intending to strike her as she walked in.

Re: M108

[identity profile] damned-nurses.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
The nurse was her usual cheerful self as she entered the room, not noticing anything unusual about anything. Though it was good to hear the Head Doctor back on the intercom, she thought. It was good to know things were back to normal.

"Good morning, Soran. And how are you feeling?", she asked, chirping a bright greeting.

Re: M108

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[identity profile] high-prosecutor.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
The intercom post woke Edgeworth, and that enough was a shock. If he had woken in a proper hospital with tubes and monitors and all manner of medical equipment attached to him, he would have understood that. It might have been upsetting, but it would at least make sense.

It shouldn't have been possible to wake in this place, hugging a blue suit coat as if it were the person it belonged to. It shouldn't have, because the last thing he remembered was being slumped against the wall, the pain and the blood, the desperate sound of Wright's voice, and the last sentence he was able to get out. It was a sentence he wasn't able to finish, and the sting of regret hurt almost more than the gunshot had. Miles pulled that blue coat close, breathing in that familiar scent, and only then let a single tear fall.

His nurse came in, and he nodded, folding the coat and putting it under his pillow. Miles touched his chest once, but...no bandages. Nothing, save the sting and the pain of what he knew had to have shattered Phoenix. He followed the nurse in silence as she led him to the cafeteria, only absent-mindedly filling his tray. He took a seat near the door, and waited.

[it's okay to hug in public this time, Phoenix.]

[identity profile] pleading-ngri.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
The morning had come, and Phoenix had started shivering the moment he opened his eyes and found himself unbloodied. At the end of the night, he hadn’t been wrong – the world wasn’t going to stop. Whether or not Miles existed, night was going to end, and morning was going to come, and the same scheduled litany of the day was going to play out.

It was the exact opposite of a comfort.

He didn’t think he even heard the morning announcement, past managing a dim recognition that it was Landel’s voice again. He’d barely heard his nurse, either, only glared at her as he changed out of too-clean clothes into other too-clean clothes. Her voice didn’t carry above the accusatory, angry loop playing through his mind at high volume.

You killed him. All of you killed him, and I’m going to put every last one of you away for it.

He did not speak – he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be able to, that his only available options right now were silence and screaming. Screaming got you sedated. The more he got drugged, the more time he lost, and the longer it would take him to fulfill his promise. It frightened him a little, how simple it was to lock down into something that cold and determined, but he could tell that he wasn’t so solid the whole way through.

Both of us were supposed to get out of here. He glared at the back of his nurse’s head, scabbed hand tight enough on his journal to dent the cover, half-processing her offer to get him some food, since his arm still seemed to be a little inflamed. He could hear Edgeworth’s voice better, rasping forebodingly, contradicting him. . . . it’s bright. Brighter than I deserve to have. Phoenix wanted to curl in on himself when he thought of the implications. He’d thought he deserved to be here? He’d deserved the kidnapping, the torture, the final indignity of being senselessly shot in the middle of the night?

There’d never be a chance to prove him wrong now, though. He scowled, scrubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand as he moved for the nearest seat to wait for his nurse. Damn it, he had to pull himself together. There was work to do, and-

-and there he was. Phoenix made himself blink, hard, but the figure in the center of his field of vision didn’t waver. The world tipped and he swayed, fumbling for the back of a chair, charging forward with the momentum before he was entirely steady. The next thing he grabbed to steady himself was the table, because he was stooped over Edgeworth, index finger jabbing into his chest.

“Don’t ever tell me something like that again.” Phoenix didn’t yell, but he had definitely forgotten any notion of volume control, eyes narrowed in helpless rage. He knew that he was shaking, just as well as he knew that he couldn’t do anything to stop it. He just dug deeper into the last thing he had to be furious with Miles about, the single unsteady ledge his fingertips could hook, to keep him from plummeting into the yawning pit waiting to swallow him up. “I don’t care what you believe you deserve - that doesn’t stop you from being wrong, you- you-“ His legs felt like they were going to give out. Without warning, his breath hitched so hard that it hurt, sending the fingers of his clenched fist digging into his palm. With Edgeworth right here, it was easy to feel outrage that he would’ve laid down and died thinking something like that. It was easy to grab him and demand, because he could talk back, and he was looking at him and breathing and . . . oh, God, he was still here.

Edgeworth’s shirt twisted and skewed as Phoenix sunk unto the seat beside him and hugged him tightly, burying his face in a shoulder that felt like it was supposed to again, broad and firm and warm. “That’s not true. I don’t love people who are that terrible,” he murmured, barely audible to himself, and though the words were in the form of some kind of argument, their tone was nothing but tight, painful gratitude.

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revolutionise: (i swear to protect you)

[In F15]

[personal profile] revolutionise 2009-09-20 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Landel was back.

Utena sat up in bed, still reeling from the chaos of the end of the night. The silence after the end of the intercom message was almost unnatural; her ears had gotten used to the constant noise during the night. In a way, it was more unsettling than any of the noise had been.

Well, if he's back, that fits with his death being a trick to get the patients off their guard, Utena thought, shaking her head. She rustled the sheets and blankets around to fill the silence as she rose from her bed. Looking to her side, she noticed that Naoto's bed was empty and perfectly made. It had never looked quite like that before, even on those times she woke up after her roommate. Upon checking the closet, she found the other girl's things gone. Utena grit her teeth.

As she closed the closet door, a nurse arrived to take her to breakfast. "Hey, my roommate: was she released yesterday?" Utena asked, giving the nurse a sharp glare.

[Waiting on nurse request]

Re: [In F15]

[identity profile] damned-nurses.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[Jen, as is the other nurse above.]

"Ah, yes. She was released yesterday. Isn't that wonderful news? That should encourage you, Yomi. You want to get better and go on home, right? So knowing that one of your friends was able to do just that should be encouraging." The nurse smiled as she approached the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Re: [In F15]

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[identity profile] slipperymagic.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
When Howl had woken up, he had felt numb. For some reason, it didn't occur to him to do anything besides follow the nurse out into the clean white hallways. In his mind's eye, the scene of what happened to Ryuuzaki kept replaying over and over again in his head, no matter how he tried to block it out. The only other thing he could think about was his hair, which was black again. He felt as though he were sleepwalking, and he didn't truly wake up until he saw the crowds of patients in the cafeteria milling about. Everything looked so normal.

For a second, he wondered if the whole incident had been in his head. It could have been a particularly elaborate nightmare that was born of the stories he had been told yesterday. He had no injuries to prove otherwise, not even his blond hair, and he couldn't see Keman or Ruuzaki anywhere.

Though, Howl realized, if it weren't a dream, he wouldn't see the hunched, dark haired man again.

With that thought, Howl suddenly felt intensely claustrophobic. No matter how bright and open the building was, the walls looked oppressive and inescapable to Howl. He was cold all over, and he imagined that his hair was lank and dull. The paranoia made his scalp itch.

He could only spare an ounce of energy to think poorly of himself for worrying about his hair under such circumstances, though he continued to do so anyway. Calcifer, Sophie and Michael would have been disgusted with him, as always. He nervously attempted to straighten it right before turning to nearest nurse.

"Excuse me," he began, attempting to remain charming, though he knew it was painfully superficial. He probably looked like a proper madman at the moment. On top of the horrible, choking feeling of bring trapped, he wished there were less people here. There were too many people, expecting far too much from him. Unsurprisingly, he had failed the two he tried to save.

"I need to make a phone call. Immediately." He tried to make it clear in his voice that it was a matter of his personal well-being and sanity that he be allowed to use the telephone.

[Hoping for a nurse~]
Edited 2009-09-20 18:53 (UTC)

[identity profile] damned-nurses.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 07:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"A phone call?" The nurse glanced away from her survey of the crowd in the cafteria, looking mildly surprised. "Oh, no, Mr. Jenkins. I'm afraid that's not possible at all," she replied, shaking her head in what looked like either sympathy or pity. Or both.

"Why don't you just go on to breakfast, then? Maybe you can write a letter to your family later today." With a smile that seemed more suited to coddling a small child, she made a little shooing gesture with one hand and motioned toward the food line. "You wouldn't want to miss out on breakfast, would you?"

[tiassa]

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[identity profile] sir-savien.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 06:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Kvothe had never been so glad for silence as when he woke that morning. He didn't even move until the nurse came bustling in to take him to breafast. He followed her silent and numb and trying not to flinch away from her hand. He didn't spare a glance at his roommate's bed as he was taken into the hall and towards the cafeteria, too lost in his head for the moment. Perhaps he looked as ill as he felt, because the nurse only gave him a bowl of dry cereal and water to drink, he ignored both once he sat at the table and let his head rest on his hands as he tried to calm himself and pull himself together. The mental exercises were harder to focus on and the Heart of Stone stubbornly slipped away from him.

In the back of his mind a memory poked at him, something about the bulletin board and breakfast today. His ordinarily impeccable memory, however, was busy pulling up images of one spring afternoon four years ago, and whatever he was supposed to do didn't immediately come to him.

[for Tim Drake]

[identity profile] thirdboywonder.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
The darkness cleared and Tim woke up. He was sure he'd been seeing things last night, but it was probably just nerves, just the institute playing tricks on him. Now it was daytime again, and he was, predictably back in his room.

Just as predictably, his overly-cheery nurse came to collect him and lead him to breakfast. Oh, joy.

He felt like he'd accomplished precisely nothing the night before. Where the hell had the time gone, anyway? This wasn't the first instance of that happening to him, so it wasn't entirely unexpected, but it was annoying. He'd have to try and get his hands on a watch or something, just to see what was going on with that.

He followed the nurse to the cafeteria, though he still wasn't feeling too hungry. He had a bad feeling about something, but he couldn't place his finger on what it was. He'd have to just keep his eyes open, then. He got his tray of French toast and a glass of milk, then scanned the cafeteria. He was supposed to meet someone to talk about the sleep studies. He had no idea what the guy's name was, so he'd have to ask.

Red hair and a cast, he thought. Luckily, he didn't have to look around for too long before he found someone fitting that description. He walked over to the table that the red-haired man was sitting at and sat across from him.

"You all right?" he asked. It wasn't exactly an introduction, but the guy looked like something was really bothering him.

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[identity profile] zeus-incarnate.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[For Lord Recluse, limit any]

There were some things that Marcus had never thought he would experience again. Last night had certainly counted as one of them, and after he'd woken up in his bed he had spent several moments of disbelief gasping for air. His body hadn't hurt at all, there was no lingering pain. As he carefully got out of bed there was also no remaining feeling of weakness.

Marcus, however, did not feel at all himself. Out of everything that had happened so far, out of everything he'd gone through, that had been the most disturbing. He as distracted from his introspection when the intercom came on. It seemed the head doctor himself had likewise returned to life this morning. He was still very pale and distracted as his nurse took him to breakfast, paying very little attention to everything around him. He barely even gave the food he was getting any attention once he sat down.

Food had no appeal, and it was difficult to think about anything but the last few moments of last night. Stefan had been there too, and while at the end things had been very incoherent he was fairly sure that Stefan had died as well. Looking around the cafeteria for the first time, Marcus wondered who else had died last night.

[identity profile] tartaros-avatar.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Recluse woke up absolutely furious. There were some things he never wanted to revisit, nor for anyone to know. The former had been forced upon him in a way he had never anticipated, and now he would likely have to tell Marcus the reason why it had happened. Because if there was one fact he had come to accept over the decades, it was that Marcus never stayed dead.

It took far too much of his self control to not break his nurse in two before he got to the cafeteria, immediately sighting Marcus and heading for his 'friend', trying to calm himself as he did.

He sat down across from Marcus, still angry, but looking more drained than anything. "I think I finally truly hate this place."

[identity profile] silent-shades.livejournal.com 2009-09-20 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[STOP! Turkey Time!]

Rude posted a note to Elena first. She hadn't turned up last night, so he figured he ought to check on her. No doubt he'd see her later, but still, best to just be sure.

He grabbed a big breakfast. Last night hadn't been as eventful for them as it sounded elsewhere. Explosions and stuff. Kinda disappointed he'd missed out. Never even got round to drinking, but he could save that for later.

For now, he needed to see Reno. They were capable of sorting shit out, but tended to take a backseat if others were willing to do the grunt work. Problem here was that these 'others' weren't getting anywhere.

[identity profile] offduty.livejournal.com 2009-09-21 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
Elena hadn't come through last night, but the night had also ended pretty fucking fast, so Reno wasn't sure if she just didn't have time to make it or if...something had happened. Again.

Whatever. He had his cigarettes. Owed Rude for that one, so maybe he should thank the guy by gracing him with his presence. Finding his partner was never hard; the guy didn't exactly blend in with the crowd. They never had a need to. Turks did a different kind of covert work, ones where it helped that people shifted uneasily out of your way without having to be asked.

Reno set his tray down and flopped gracelessly into his seat. He didn't bring up Elena. They were both thinking it and they were probably both thinking the same thing. There was no need to discuss it.

Besides, Rude had that look, the one that said he had something to say and if he knew anything about his partner--which he did--he figured he could guess. But he was feeling generous so he chose not to steal Rude's thunder this time around.

"Yo."

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