Day 45: Breakfast

[mukuchi.livejournal.com]

Mori woke with a start. He lay on the bed for a moment, staring up at the ceiling and sighed quietly. Another day, another round of shifts and people and-- Wait a minute. Breathing in carefully, Mori's brow knit together as he realized that his ribs were no longer broken. After testing his collarbone, he found that it, too, was healing faster than it should have. Not that he was complaining, but there was something odd about broken bones setting so quickly. Pushing himself up out of bed, the teen shook his head, knowing that he'd have another day or two of the sling and then he'd be free from it.

But more important than that was finding out how Mitsukuni was doing. The last thing he remembered was the bathroom and gathering metal. Since they were together at the end of the night, Mori was certain that Mitsukuni would be fine, but...well, he still liked to confirm such things with his own eyes. With the twins gone and Tamaki still missing, Mori didn't want to take any chances anymore. Especially not with the strange announcements this morning.

As usual, his nurse came to collect him and helped him into his sling. Then he followed her quietly into the cafeteria, taking notice of the unusually empty bulletin board. They really were cracking down on it already. Weird. Even weirder? For once, he was the first into the room. Picking up a tray, he pointed out what he wanted, making sure to take double of the pancakes (asking to keep them away from the sausages for now), double of the strawberry jam and biscuits, and an extra helping of fruit. To top it off? Milk. It'd help his bones mend. Hopefully.

Going to a nearby seat, Mori took a look around the empty room and shivered. Kind of eerie in here without anyone else but the nurses. Someone was certain to come sooner or later though, right? He hoped so at least.

[for Chihaya]

Comments

[numberonemonkey.livejournal.com]

Chihaya woke up feeling groggy. He'd stayed in his room, trying desperately to sleep, but only made himself depressed. Either way...he hadn't died again and that was all that he'd wanted. Although it didn't explain much, did it?

Too miserable to eat, Chihaya just put a few small chewable things on his plate and looked for a seat. He was pretty early today, so there was a plenty of room and all, but....

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked, almost tempted to add the unspoken 'I won't bother you, I promise...'. He just wanted to be near someone. Anyone. Being alone was unbearable.

[mukuchi.livejournal.com]

Mori had just started to settle in for his meal when someone else came into the room. As he thought, the rest of the Institute was starting to wake up, and right on the boy's (...it was a boy, right?) heels came others. They all shuffled through the line bit by bit and began to filter into their seats, causing Mori to turn his attention back to his food. Maybe the reason he was healing faster was in here? Although, he hadn't exactly been eating a lot lately. So that might not be it, but just in case...

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Mori glanced up when the first person he'd seen enter the room spoke to him, surprising him a little. Most people didn't come over to say hi, especially not to him. Smiling kindly, Mori nodded though, happy to have the company. Especially one that smelled the way he did - like feather pillows and plants. He smelled like the outdoors, if ever so faintly, and feathers reminded Mori of Piyo-chan.

Reaching over, he pulled a chair out for the boy (upon closer inspection, yes, this was a boy) waiting for him to sit.

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

Courtney awoke with a groan, but once she was awake, she stuck with it. Besides, it wasn't like they got alarm clocks here. Wasn't like they got much of anything here. Another day in this place with nothing to do, nothing to work toward, not even visitors to look forward to. Not that she could say she wanted to see her parents, even if their busy schedules allowed it. They'd just send her that disappointed look, as if she didn't already know how much of a failure she'd been.

Things felt a lot clearer today though. No delusions, no nagging, insistent feeling that she was someone else, should be somewhere else, or that she was anything but Courtney Marsh. That wasn't to say she didn't remember her own sorry little delusions, but rather than being convinced by them, she pushed them aside with no small amount of shame. She could only hope her parents had enough money to make this mark on her record go away once she was out of this place. Transferring back to her old school was a bust anyway, she'd have to start again somewhere else. As if she could face her old classmates after something like this!

She smiled politely when the nurse arrived and did her best to engage in chit-chat. They liked that sort of thing, didn't they? And the sooner they liked her, the sooner they'd see she wasn't crazy. Even if there were some lingering effects, she'd ignore them. There was too much to do to spend the rest of her life stuck with crazy people! What about her grades? What about getting into a good college? What about prom?!

Just thinking about it was enough to send her into a little frustrated fit, but that would be incredibly counter productive. Courtney entered the cafeteria and tossed a couple of things onto her plate; biscuits with a mixed berry jam, some fruit, and a glass of milk. She didn't know if she could stomach pancakes or sausage this early. She was used to making her own simple breakfasts anyway.

Though the nurses encouraged them to talk with the other patients and make friends, Courtney saw little good in listening to the deranged rantings of a bunch of crazies. Seemed like a pretty obvious downward spiral. She chose a table where she could sit alone and started cutting her biscuit with the plastic knife they'd provided.

[Closed to Sai]

[tsunagari.livejournal.com]

Naruto hadn't shown up, which was cause for some concern even if Sai didn't feel like he'd been waiting long before the night ended. Knowing how differently time could work in the Institute at night, the ninja knew he'd need to check in with the others to see how far they'd managed to get in rescuing Shikamaru.

It was a familiar head of pink hair that he recognized first, and once he had a little breakfast on his plate he made his way over to her. Hopefully they'd had at least some success and she wouldn't have any reason to be angry with him. He'd prefer not to spend the rest of the day with a black eye again.

"Good morning," he greeted her with what he hoped was a pleasant smile, setting his tray down and taking a seat without asking.

[bitpartgod.livejournal.com]

Consciousness didn't so much return to Kibitoshin as drift back towards him at a leisurely pace, and at first it was the very last thing he wanted when he was still so very tired. But slowly, groggily, he found himself opening his eyes. His vision tripled, then doubled, then furred around the edges, and then he was looking up at the ceiling with a foggy head and a heavy body.

Oh, no. He... he hadn't fainted, had he? That would have been just too embarrassing for words! And in front of Sechs, too! The Kaioshin burrowed deep under his blankets with a groan. Just his luck.

... still... for him to pass out he must have used up an awful lot of energy on healing. Maybe that meant that Sechs' leg was almost fully healed now? The knowledge that, for all his embarrassment, he had actually done some good cheered him considerably. It took some effort, but he finally managed to pry himself out of bed and greet his nurse with a friendly smile. Breakfast would probably perk him up a little, and he could always take a quick nap during the day if he really felt bad.

With that in mind, Kibitoshin piled his plate high and took a seat in the mostly-empty cafeteria. He yawned loudly, rubbing at his eyes, and set about tackling his meal.

[iwhipthefool.livejournal.com]

Franziska didn't remember closing her eyes. Nor did she remember returning to her room, or lying down in her bed. Which was why, when she did open her eyes and realize where she was? She was furious. This infernal Institute was dashing her plans to bits! And she had yet to figure out some way to get around it! Her mood wasn't improved in the slightest at seeing her usual nurse return - on the contrary, it rather soured it that much more.

"Don't even start with your foolish babbling. Just take me to the cafeteria so I may start my day," the young prosecutor snapped, stalking out of the room before Janice had a moment to protest. Once in the cafeteria, Franziska refused to get her own tray, but was eventually pushed into doing it herself after Janice was equally adamant about her learning to do things on her own. Bloody woman. Snatching her tray away, Franziska went through the line, selected what she needed, and went to find a seat.

Or rather, a seat found her. Janice warded her away from sitting with others and instead brought her to an open spot right across from a very familiar man who was quite busy eating what looked to be a mountain of food. Setting her tray down without asking for permission, Franziska raised an eyebrow and remained standing. "Do you eat every meal in such outlandish proportions, Kibitoshin, or is today a special event?"

[whirlingwinds.livejournal.com]

Last night hadn't been any fun. Jiraiya hadn't been anywhere to be seen, and, worried, he'd run around the usual spots trying to find him. He hadn't seen anyone else, and the rest of the night was fuzzy. He'd been upset, not knowing if Jiraiya had been taken by doctors.

He'd probably get in trouble again, though. He hadn't looked at the billboard much, and had been focusing on Jiraiya, rather than finding Kakashi and the others. With his food, he made his way to an empty seat, and began eating.

Hopefully Jiraiya was fine, but he couldn't really reason as to why he hadn't been there without warning. It would've been different if Jiraiya had told him he wouldn't be there, but having heard nothing from him, he'd just gotten worried. He glanced up from his food occasionally, watching for the man's arrival.

[For Saucekay and 'Kashi~]

[lostonlifesroad.livejournal.com]

If asked, Kakashi also would've said last night wasn't any fun, but for different reasons. He was out of bed before the nurse arrived, eager to check on the various ninja after everything that had happened--and hadn't happened--over the previous hours. It didn't take the jounin long to spot the ones already there as he made his way through the line. Sai and Sakura were talking, while Naruto and Shikamaru were alone. Since he doubted Shikamaru had discovered anything new within the last few minutes, Kakashi opted to merely watch the chuunin for now, and observe how he acted. Too much prying wouldn't exactly do much good, and Kakashi knew it. There would be a time and a place to make sure Shikamaru was dealing with what he'd gone through as well as any of them could.

So over to Naruto's table he went, tray in hand, along with a book he didn't intend to read just yet. Instead, he claimed the seat across from his student, wondering if Naruto would be able to guess parts or most of the lecture that was coming.

"Naruto." Kakashi kept his voice even, empty of emotions with the intent of making it eerier than anger would have. Naruto knew Kakashi well enough to be able to guess at what the jounin thought of his actions, and to fill in the blanks himself. "Where were you last night?"

[faithful-frost.livejournal.com]

Chris woke with a start, shaking off half-formed dreams,and rubbed his eyes. Another day at the hospital, but what else was new? He'd been in and out of them for the last year or so... it was hard to remember really.

Changing into clean clothes, he smiled at the nurse who came in and listened politely while she talked about what a good day he was going to have. He hopes she was right, even if he didn't really believe her. He was feeling tired, but he didn't want anyone to worry,so he kept silent and followed her to breakfast where it looked like he was an early arrival.

Gathering up a small plate, and trying not to sigh when loaded with even more food from the staff, he turned to find a seat. Somewhere he could watch the room at large and maybe feel a bit safer.

(or your mattress is FREE!!! open to any and all)

[silent-shades.livejournal.com]

Rude was being carted around again, as though he'd done something. Usually he had, but here? Nothing. He didn't even have a hangover. Hadn't been enough time to really get drunk.

Rude sat down next some Chris kid and gave him/her it a nod.

"Don't be shy," the nurse smiled. "You should talk more, Leslie. Express yourself."

As if punching things wasn't an expression of one's feelings.

[slipperymagic.livejournal.com]

Howl's nurse was still annoyed with him when he was sat down at a table for his morning meal. It was her own fault, really, if she was going to call the incident a problem at all. When she had stopped briefly in the hallways to exchange information with one of her fellows, Howl had naturally bolted. She, on the other hand, had panicked.

Luckily, he hadn't gone far. No, he had learned his lesson about that one, and he did not want to tolerate being treated like a dangerous criminal again. All of his talk about his rights as a patient had fallen on deaf ears. No matter, though. He would find Megan with or without the cooperation of the staff. He may have been muffled, but Howl was a wizard. He was a force to be reckoned with, to be feared. He was clever.

But none of that had been his goal at the moment. His nurse had found him in front of the nearest reflective surface, calmly fixing his hair, which was in sad shape. It was steadily losing its inhuman shine, and Howl was looking less and less like himself. He missed his blond hair with such intensity, that he didn't even have the patience to be sweet with his nurse in hopes of cooling her temper. The rest of the walk to breakfast was occupied with a lecture about how he was not allowed to wander about unescorted. For his part in the discussion, Howl sulked silently.

He was still sulking over his meal, but it was exceptionally difficult to remain angry at a plate full of delicious, steaming food.

[For DanieL!]

[ryuuzaki]

Daniel awoke with a start, disoriented, a little too warm -- damp and sticky without being drenched in sweat. He licked his lips, then swallowed. He wasn't yet awake enough to look for a glass of water.

His dreams had been strange, even frightening at times, and it took a moment for his location to register in his mind. This is not a hotel room; this is not your suite at home. This bed isn't as comfortable. This bed presents nothing close to the comfort you're used to. This bed is a bed in a psychiatric hospital. You don't have anything, not even your privacy.

This is your third morning here.

... Oh, God, he thought, I really must have fucked up this time.

He blinked into the light, trying to recall why he felt a residual sense of panic. It wasn't his situation: that had been sinking in for a few days. The feeling of being pursued came from somewhere else.

In his dreams, he had been in a morgue, somewhere in this hospital. No, that was the last place he had been -- he had looked through files, he had been -- chased? Yes, and his leg had been cut. There had been copious superficial bleeding, more injury than he was used to.

Now, when he looked down at his calf, he had to lift a clean pant leg to see it. It was covered by a bandage and it barely hurt... he couldn't even remember cutting it. He'd probably scraped it on a loose screw somewhere and had been too out of it to notice. No way to tell, now, aside from walking around like an idiot asking everyone if they'd seen him bleeding yesterday, and that was unthinkable: what was left of his dignity still mattered to him, even if L was gone for good.

He rolled out of bed, then sat on the edge of the mattress with his elbows on his knees and his forehead in his hands. His hair flopped forward to cover his face.

The pretty nurse from his first day eventually came by to cajole him to breakfast. He went quietly, taking his journal, and a pen, and asked to make a stop in the men's bathrooms. He stared at his pale face in one of the mirrors as he washed his hands, and looking into his own black-hole eyes, he saw nothing.

On the way to the Sun Room, the nurse commented, "You're subdued today, Daniel, but you seem to be doing better overall since the last time I saw you."

He murmured back to her, "How can you tell?" and was too lost in thought to pay much attention to her answer.

I've played along with everything you told me, because it's what L would do. He wouldn't want to draw attention to himself in a situation where he felt vulnerable and exposed. He would want --

Daniel's sigh was heavy and audible, though there was nothing to show the nurse what might have prompted it. -- It doesn't matter if L is the one who gives my life meaning, if he's also pulling it apart.

When they reached the cafeteria, he was sent through the line on his own, with a suggestion that he try some of the sausage. He took a bit of everything, and less fruit than usual.

Holding his tray in his hands, he scanned the room, and noticed that there was an empty seat next to Howell, who he'd met two days earlier. Harmless, amiable, wanted to help him get out. He'd dreamt about Howell that night, but yesterday, they hadn't managed to talk. Of his acquaintances... Howell was practically the only one with whom he hadn't played the investigator in some way.

He set the food down with care: no noise, no jarring. Pulling back his chair, he put the sole of his shoe on it, as a prelude to crouching on the seat -- but then, he caught the nurse's eye, and her raised brows were sufficiently eloquent to cause him to sit in the chair like anyone else, like his acquaintance across from him.

Once he was seated, he raised his gaze to Howell and said, "Good morning."

His soft voice lacked assurance.

[thirdboywonder.livejournal.com]

The night, as always was way too short. And the Head Doctor sounded way too happy. That couldn't be a good sign.

Tim waited for his nurse to come and get him, knowing that would be the routine. As he waited, he thought about what the intercom message meant. Okay, so they were cracking down on the bulletin board. Well, he hadn't said too much on it that he wouldn't have been able to say in code anyway. It wasn't a big deal. The part that bothered him was the part about hard work paying off. What exactly did that mean? Obviously the Head Doctor knew something they all didn't, and whatever it was couldn't be good news. He'd have to tread lightly, and see what was actually going on out there.

The nurse came and got him and led him to breakfast. He filled up his tray and decided to actually try to get some eating done today; he hadn't managed that so well yesterday, and he could tell by how good the food smelled to him.

I must really be hungry, he thought, sitting at a table.

[Spidey]

[tightsofmight]

[Your epic crossover begins now.]

Peter woke up, for a change, with absolutely no reason to burst into tears or pitch a fit or even to give his nurse lip. The night had been one hundred percent free of trauma. Granted, they hadn't gotten much done, but hey. Nobody was dead.

As far as he knew right now. And that might be all he would know, if the Head Doctor (why aren't you dead, you creepy little man?) was serious about cracking down on the bulletin board. Looked like he picked the right time to start learning Interlac, even if that only meant messages to and from Brainy were safe. Jeez. He really needed to track down everyone today and get the low down on where they'd been. Steve, Tony, Kurt, and Kitty were present and accounted for. Matt and Logan, on the other hand...And it had been a while since he'd heard from Ben Reilly, too. Come to think of it, the guy hadn't responded to his post after the zombie fiasco. Not a good sign.

Peter groaned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Apparently no one needed to be bleeding out of ten new holes for him to start the day wallowing in despair. This place sucked.

The nurse was not so much delighted with the more docile Peter Parker as she was wary. Yeah, well. Give it a day or two, Nursiekins. I'll throw you an even bigger tantrum once you all figure out how to top the fake-out deaths. Throw my toys around and everything.

Speaking of toys, did his web shooter get tucked away with the rest of his stuff? Because he actually would have a tantrum if it was gone. He needed it. He'd missed his chance to look now as he had already been guided into the cafeteria, but later. Oh yes. Big time treasure hunt in M71.

The nurse made certain his tray passed muster, then haphazardly dragged him to a seat across from a boy around his age. "Tim? This is Tyler. Please keep an eye on him, would you?"

And away she flounced. Ugh. She needed to stop doing that. Peter was not some social defect, okay, he could meet his own strangers.

Peter didn't set his tray down right away; he was a nice young man with a good set of manners. Unlike some nurses he knew. "Sorry." He offered a timid smile. "If you're waiting for someone, I can move."

[remnantsofflame.livejournal.com]

Asch was more than a little annoyed when he woke up back in his room. It wasn't that he cared about waking up here; it was an expected end to the night at this point. He cared about the fact that he hadn't gotten anywhere last night. He hated how short the nights seemed, and the way they mysteriously ended up back at the start. He had yet to figure out how that was even possible. If the doctors or whoever were moving them, why let them keep all their weapons and things? Not that he was complaining! It was just really strange to him. Maybe that Head Doctor guy just liked knowing the torture they were all going through.

It sure sounded like it from the way the intercom was going on this morning.

He followed the ever-smiling nurse down to the cafeteria, unable to keep himself from bristling at the name "Luke." He knew that they called people by things that weren't their names and all, but why couldn't they call him something else?! Anything else, really.

He got his food and sat down, and just stared at it for a minute. He'd have to think of a way to talk to Zex about that hairball thing if he could, but the bulletin board was being watched now, wasn't it? There still had to be a way. If only he could remember the name the staff were calling the Admiral. He new he'd heard it the first night he was here, but try as he might, he could not remember it.

He started eating, frustrated, hoping it would come to him.

[Free!]

[wantsyourzex.livejournal.com]

Max, for the first time since he'd come to the Institute, woke up with a start, breathing hard. He pressed a hand to his chest to try and slow his heart, then ran his other through his hair.

That had to have been the worst nightmare he had ever had. It felt so real... all the pain and suffering had felt so real. His hand ran over the bald spot on his scalp, the stitches from surgery he couldn't remember, then down along his face to the bandage covering his eye.

Finally awake and the dream was over. There was no turning back now. The gift of self-awareness, and he really was a mess, wasn't he... he couldn't even remember what had really happened to his eye or his head. Maybe they'd cut his head open to make him come back to reality for all he knew. He couldn't remember either way. He wasn't sure if he was grateful for the fact that now he was actually aware of his dysfunction. The veil of his fantasies parted revealing... what?

Just Max. Nothing more.

At least he'd felt confident when he was ZEX, felt like somebody. Now all he had was the knowledge that he was a delusional lunatic. God, he hated sobering up for this exact reason. He wanted to go back, to be someone else again, but this time he couldn't lose himself that easily. It was as real as the hand against his chest, the hair in his eyes, his throbbing headache. He was Max Vyer again... it was over. His long feverish trip was over.

He didn't have much time to grieve over the loss of his fantasy life before a nurse came to get him, and he followed her with only a minimal amount of backtalk. He was hungry, if nothing else... his stomach was growling, and his whole body ached. His nightmare must have worn him out, he was probably tossing and turning all night...

The first thing he had to do was find someone he knew and see if they knew what to do now. He was Max again, but now what? What was he supposed to do with himself? He had no idea. Someone else had to have some advice. Someone else had to know what to do.

There, he recognized that red hair! Asch, if he remembered right. Max went to join him, setting a tray brimming with food down with a somewhat careless clatter.

"Asch, isn't it?" Max said, trying his best to smile brightly and unaware of his current haggard appearance. "You remember me, don't you?" Well, he probably remembered Max as ZEX. In fact, Asch might still have been crazy himself... Max was going to have to be careful not to provoke him or something.

Dean Winchester - Real Life Evented into "Rick" Derringer

[kindalikedit]

Eric Derringer woke up with a serious case of morning wood.

It was kinda hard not when you had a pretty kickass dream involving Carmen, a nurse outfit (the slutty kind; thank God for whoever made that winner), and what were definitely edible panties.

They were grape, by the way.

Reaching up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Rick reached down and lifted the sheets to check it out. One hundred percent boner. Yeah, that was gonna make breakfast awkward, nevermind the walk with Hello Nurse to the cafeteria, but hey, what was he gonna do? It'd been a long time since he'd woke up with wood after the..."incident", the hospital - getting watched by the nurses like he was gonna go Mike Myers on the place was a real buzzkill - and then arriving here in Crazyville, and rather than get embarrassed about it, he was gonna take this as a good sign. Must be on the road to recovery. Maybe this place was working its mojo.

Rick rolled outta bed, which was a mistake since just sitting up wasn't a walk in the park when he was stiff like this. He cupped his crotch, decided he was gonna be cool, and gingerly got up, glancing down. The getup they got for sleeping wasn't doing anything to hide it. Damn. Well, it was either sit here in the dark and wait it out or head out anyway and get some food. Hell if he was gonna pass up the free food this place kept throwing at them, boner or no boner. And it wasn't like Hello Nurse couldn't have seen this before, so he decided there was no point hiding in the dark like a thirteen year-old wussy getting smacked broadside in a big way by puberty. Rick was ready to go when Hello Nurse came to get him, and he bet anything she was gonna look down despite herself. He was totally right.

Her eyes predictably flicked down.

Was he imagining it, or was that the start of a blush? Hello Nurse - Denise? He kept thinking he'd seen her name-tag before, but he personally liked "Hello Nurse" better - pursed her lips as Rick's own mouth curved in a shameless grin. He was singing a different tune though when the nurse started toward the cafeteria and decided it was gonna be double-time and then it was just plain awkward and painful trying to follow after her when he was all hard like this. Rick felt like he was friggen hobbling. What he would've killed for right that moment was to take a piss or get some time with Right Hand Rob, instead of having to follow her all the way to the cafeteria at this pace.

Hello Nurse at least had mercy when they got to the lunch line.

"How about you take a seat, Eric?" she said. Rick swore she was holding back a smirk, the corner of her mouth twitching. "You could get more comfortable. I'll get you your breakfast, how's that sound?"

Rick shifted his weight from one foot to the other, which was a mistake when oh God it just brushed up against his pants, and he grit his teeth a little behind his smile. "Sounds awesome, gorgeous."

She shooed him away then. Maybe he would've minded getting herded over like he was a fourth-grader, but right now he was just glad to sit down. Maybe he could adjust himself so it went from holy crap to just plain jeez this sucks levels of uncomfortable. The moment Rick sat down, he glanced around to make sure no one was checking him out and then shoved a hand between his legs and readjusted himself. By the time Hello Nurse came back with a loaded tray (she at least knew he loved the food here), Rick's grin was a little less strained.

[Free]

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

[*snickers* I couldn't resist.]

Momo had made an inquiry of her nurse on the way to breakfast about the possibility of getting another journal, claiming she'd lost her sometime during the last trip to Doyleton. The woman, knowing Momo liked to draw, was sympathetic and agreed to see if she could find a spare one while the woman ate. With that accomplished, the shinigami took a casual look around at the other occupants of the cafeteria while getting some food.

She spotted Sakura, but still did not see Shikamaru. This was concerning, but she figured the boy was resisting his nurse's attempt to get him to come for food. Hopefully, he won't resist too much. Not only did she not want him sedated, but she had her own vested interest in making sure he was as well as he could be after something like that.

With her tray containing a very meager meal, Momo chose a seat with a man she'd seen around here and there for most of her time in the institute. She gave him a small smile though her attention was mostly on those entering the cafeteria as she kept an eye out for the young ninja.

[straydoghowl.livejournal.com]

Haine woke up with a start at the sound of the intercom. Kagura and Badou had both mentioned that this was going to happen, but that didn't help too much. He hadn't been expecting it. Hell, he didn't even remember falling unconscious at all! He was there in that hallway with that fucking lunatic staring at him, and...

Now he was here. The guy on the intercom was going on about some shit he didn't care about. Something about a bulletin board, something about hard work, blah blah fucking blah, no one cared. He wondered if the guy just liked the sound of his own voice, or what. Sure seemed like it.

There was something almost ominous about it, though, at the same time. Haine wasn't paying too much attention to the words, but there was something. He decided to shake that off, it was probably the drugs they'd given them to keep them passed out or something.

It suddenly occurred to him how his day had gone yesterday. That plastic faced nurse had followed him on and off all day, smiling her Barbie grin at him and getting way too close for his comfort. She didn't ever try to touch him, which was a good goddamn thing, but she still bugged the shit out of him. He climbed out of bed and wondered if he could just get to...wherever everyone else was. He didn't need fucking assistance; he could walk just fine.

He reached for the door, but apparently Nurse Plastic Pants had some kind of psychic abilities. The door opened before he could touch the handle, and he practically hopped back away from it. He felt his jaw clench.

"Alex!" she said, "Glad to see you're awake. How are we doing this morning?"

He didn't answer, but of course nothing fazed her. She chattered on a little, then led him to the cafeteria. He made sure to keep a safe distance. At least she left him alone to get his own damn food this time.

Convinced that the food wasn't the drug that was keeping them all here, he grabbed enough of it to actually fill up on, and made his way over to an unoccupied table. He didn't pick at it this time; he didn't really care what he ate as long as it wasn't suspicious. Food was food, whatever. He made a mental note to find Badou and sock him in the face for that bullshit with the squirt gun the night before, but other than that, he just focused on food. Getting out of here could come after breakfast.

[Free to a good home. Or a bad one. Either way!]

[piggy-king.livejournal.com]

Well, last night had been a bust, that was for sure. Not only did Porky not manage to get any new goodies to play with, but he hadn't even been able to meet up with Harley to get some of his old stuff back! At the same time, though, perhaps it was good that nothing interesting had happened. After all, Porky hadn't run in to any monsters or shit like that during the night. Eh. Maybe nothing was better than something.

...Wait, that doesn't make any sense. Whatever. Porky wasn't about to dwell on something so trivial and, well, dumb. There were far more pressing matters to deal with. Matters like sausage!

Porky got out of bed with uncharacteristic speed and happily chatted with his nurse as she led him to the cafeteria. Of course, he would have humored her anyway, but this time he was genuinely happy. It was the usual tripe, of course. Just some bullshit about "making progress" or "adjusting very well."

Then, Porky reached the cafeteria. He couldn't help but sigh in ecstasy as the scent of freshly cooked pigs-in-a-blanket wafted into his nostrils as he entered the room. Mmmm...he could practically taste them already! Not hesitating for a moment, Porky eagerly hobbled over to the serving line and piled his plate high with delicious sausages and, at the suggestion of a nurse, an apple, albeit the smallest apple Porky could find.

Now...who to sit with...Porky felt like picking on someone young today. Technically everyone was young compared to Porky, of course, but a kid would be especially fun to mess with. Within moments, Porky had scouted out the ideal mark and plopped down into the seat opposite of him.

"Why the long face, son?" Porky said, grinning happily, "Something got you down?"

[not-rly-fai.livejournal.com]

Waking up was difficult and more than a little painful after last night. Yuuhi's eyes trailed to the lump on the other bed that was his roommate, but getting out of bed was a harder task. As much as he wanted to believe that the things that happened at night weren't real, ignoring injuries was a lot harder to do.

Luckily, the nurse arrived and she helped him up after he waved away her offer for a wheelchair. Still it felt like a much longer walk than usual to the cafeteria. His face was pale and eyes seemed slightly feverish, but he was determined to prove he was fine. He picked up his tray, letting the nurses put on a couple of pancakes and a biscuit before he found an empty table and all but collapsed into the seat. It was hard to feel much like eating either, but with the blood he'd lost and the new injuries, if he didn't, the condition would only get worse.

He started pulling apart one of the pancakes, staring blankly down at his plate. It hardly mattered. Their club was gone, everyone who joined just ended up disappearing. Kurogane was mad enough to get himself sedated, and even Yue couldn't tell him why he was still trying to look out for someone he was never supposed to guard in the first place.

Despite his worries, he tried his best to smile, even if no one was watching.

[Closed to "Aiden"-gane]

[contentincloset.livejournal.com]

His head was throbbing when he awoke, but that was what he got after how he'd been yesterday. Aiden sat up in bed and shook off what he could of the headache. The sedation seemed to have worn off, which was good, but it still left him feeling terrible, and in more ways than one. He'd gone after Robin again. Again!

Because he'd let his anger get the better of him. And for what? He couldn't even remember what he'd been so pissed about that he'd slammed the blonde's head on the table. Something told him Robin had earned it, somehow, but that didn't excuse it. How the hell was he supposed to show the people here he could handle things on his own if he kept getting angry like that?!

When his nurse came, he asked for a minute to get his ears to stop ringing, then followed without complaint to the cafeteria. He decided to get his own food this time, since it was kind of pathetic having the woman get it for him everyday, and looked around for Robin. Apologizing wasn't his thing, but after yesterday... he could at least let the guy know that he hadn't meant it. Robin probably already knew that much, but still, Aiden didn't like leaving things to fix themselves.

"What's with that look?" Aiden asked from behind, catching the strange smile of the other before giving him a tap to the back of his head, "You're too old to be playing with your food."

[haplesstracker.livejournal.com]

Fuck.

Joshua Cho woke up slowly, running a firm hand down his face. What the hell did I do to myself this time?

By rote he started piecing together memories from the last sober save point he'd had. There had been that stunt he'd pulled in the lobby bathroom--fuck, had he taken all of it? What was that, that was stupid. The hospital came back in tiny flashes and with such discomfort that Joshua was glad he didn't remember more. After that his mind had just spiraled down and things had taken the bullet train to weird down.

He sat up, scratching his chin and wishing he could find somewhere to shave. He looked at his hand--he'd taken the pink off, he remembered that--and flexed it, putting a firm mental note in his head that this was what was real. Fleshy, squishy hands were real, not blue metal ones. Reality was back once again. Meth was weird and withdrawal could get weirder, he knew that, but he'd never spent an entire week thinking he was a robot trapped in a human's body. No wonder they'd put him over in the crazy house. Levi'd probably been the one to sign him in--he needed to apologize to him for that, buy him lunch or something--and with the way he'd been flailing at everyone he probably needed to be stuck away for a while.

The funny thing was that on top of his recently restored sanity he felt...pretty good. Content. Not the crazy jittery going-out-and-doing-stupid-shit kind of happy, but a relaxed, calm kind of happy. For the first time in a while he felt good in his own skin.

Joshua took his time standing up when the nurse came to get him for breakfast, making sure his legs worked properly before he let himself try and use them. He wasn't sick either, the stuff must have just worked its way out of his system while he was off fighting imaginary monsters. Not a bad detox program--it even came with bonus hallucinations of flirting with attractive men, albeit in the most clumsy way possible (boy, did he have a lot of apologies to make today). He smoothed his beard and hair down and went to the cafeteria with the rest of the crazies.

No coffee. That was all right, he didn't have to work today. Withdrawal usually left him wanting to eat everything in the apartment more nutritious than dishwasher soap. Being left just with the morning sort of hungry was a comfort. The sausages looked tempting, but Joshua made himself get a big helping of fruit instead. Fruit was good for you, it strengthened your brain. Or was that fish?

[For Piper]

[hailmegatron.livejournal.com]

Lugnut felt tired, worn, like he was running on too little fuel, when he fought his way out of the clinging cloth of his bed, past his nurse, trudging to the cafeteria and grudgingly accepting a tray of food, considering the water to placate his hollow fuel tank.

Looking rather hollowed out, he looked around, searching first for Blitzwing.

Still gone.

Gone permanently, as far as he knew, and his eyes went a little emptier as he looked around for someone, anyone, else he knew, and there was Scourge-- a third-rate replacement for Blitzwing, perhaps, but still a familiar face, and he sat down across from him.

"Scourge," he greeted, flatly.

[kagurazuki.livejournal.com]

Night passed and while they didn't do much more than get new batteries and flashlights, at least they could say they'd done something. And they hadn't been injured either, which was nothing to be sorry for. Kagura was starting to wonder if she ought to keep a closer watch on the bulletin. She'd had lousy luck with clubs though; either they were run by someone crazy, or they ended up disbanding when the leader died or vanished. It was sad, really. People needed help and she wasn't even sure how to give it to anyone.

She looked for any friends when the nurse led her into the cafeteria and through the breakfast line. She decided to have the pancakes without sausage... something about eating pork just didn't seem quite... right. And picked up some fruit to go with it. The only familiar face was Haine and she wasn't sure she could handle another interrogation about what was going on here when she didn't know it herself.

One last quick look around, then she chose an empty table.

[Closed to Falis]

[himetsuru.livejournal.com]

The nurse had to shake Rose awake, a small amused smile on the woman's face when the girl finally stirred and the loud snores that had filled the room disappeared. Rubbing her eyes, Rose yawned and then cocked her head at the nurse.

"You know, it's kind of creepy to wake up and see someone staring at you," she said sleepily to the woman.

"Normally, you're already awake. It's unusual to find you still asleep. I almost didn't want to wake you," she replied. "I'd forgotten you snore."

"H-hey now! That's not nice, making up stories about people snoring. I don't snore," Rose replied. "David would have told me if I did since he can't sleep unless there's, like, no sounds and stuff." A lingering side effect of having been a soldier that had always irritated the teen.

At the mention of Rose's brother, the nurse blinked in surprise. This was the first time Rose had casually referred to the man without calling him Kaito much less without vitriol. This was promising.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

Rose pulled herself out of bed and set to work on brushing her hair. "Okay, I guess. I feel... I dunno. It's like I had a bad dream but it's all over now. Well, as much over as it can get." The things she'd imagined... the anger, the violence... She paused and looked at her upper right arm. Nope, no rotting skin. She she'd been hallucinating that too.

"I think you'll find today to be a much better day, honey," the nurse replied, ushering Rose out of the room to the cafeteria. "Just remember this feeling and hold onto it."

"Okay," Rose replied, taking her tray piled with food. "I'll see you later," she called to the nurse as she looked for someplace to sit.

Her eyes fell on Kagura and she headed over. It had been a while since she'd seen the girl and wondered how she was doing. Out of all the people she'd met since being admitted to this place to get a handle on her... issues, Kagura was the least crazy. Other than being convinced she was cursed - Rose still was curious about this curse - and thinking a vampire bit her, Kagura was the least crazy out of everyone. It made her wonder why the girl had even bothered with her. Bounty hunter? Princess? Maybe Kagura had just played along with the whole vampire thing. Which was nice of her, but really dangerous. Rose knew she sometimes lost control and talk about things like vampires, magical creatures and witches... witches especially...

"Morning," Rose said as she sat down. Stabbing a piece of sausage, Rose bit into it, her table manners better than before, but still rather lacking. "How'd you sleep?"

[gavemyword.livejournal.com]

As if to signify how unusual the rest of the day was going to be, Zoro... no, Jean opened his eyes bright and early without so much as a muttered threat. And while he seemed to be vaguely expecting something, it certainly couldn't be anything as crazy as a kick to the head or the cold splash of early morning seawater. He lived deep within Osaka's city limits after all, and the closest body of water had to be somewhere within the park across the dojo. Probably a puddle or water fountain since they weren't anywhere near the shoreline. Not even one of the rivers...

Blinking away the hazy, useless thoughts crowding his mind, Jean sat up in bed and slowly began to remember where he was. His delusions, the things he'd said and done... his father and sister. Rubbing hard at the side of his face, he groaned softly. How could he have... Why did they...?! The questions almost tumbled out his mouth: shame, confusion, and a hint of betrayal only now hitting him like a ton of bricks. Luckily, the sudden presence of his nurse saved him from the flood of shame that threatened to overwhelm his only recently healed psyche.

"It's morning already." He muttered to himself, regretting it somewhat when the nurse shot him an odd look. He reminded himself that had to make an effort to look normal. Mostly because that's certainly what he was (and not some kind of crazed, lunatic pirate swordsman!), but also because he wanted to get home as soon as possible. Apologize to his family, get back to his kendo... he might even be allowed to compete again, if he could somehow rein in all the the stray impulses left over from his delusions. Today felt like a good day. Today, he knew that he could and would do what he had to in order to get his life back.

Breakfast looked delicious but he controlled the urge to pile his plate high with sausages. He let his selections balance out, the large mound of eggs the only uneven portion on his plate. He got fruits (fiber) and a little bit of strawberry jam. Apple juice reminded him of the night before so he opted for a glass of water instead.

Sitting down at an empty table, hoping to observe and gain some insight into the people around him, Jean begun to quietly devour his meal. Instead of observing, however, his mind began to drift to more immediate concerns. He'd only been at the institute for a day, so maybe they'd accept his good behavior at face value and let him out soon. He would try to remain patient for now.

[Waiting for The Cute Thing]

[tonytonydoctor.livejournal.com]

It had been several days since Chopper had gotten the chance to speak to any
of his fellow pirates, so he brightened when he spotted Zoro upon entering the cafeteria. He made up his mind quickly; he was definitely going to spend breakfast with the swordsman. It had been so long since he'd seen him that Chopper had begun to thought that he really had disappeared...

Once the Cat Lady finished helping him fill his tray, he took it from her, insisting he could find a seat on his own, and then headed straight for his nakama.

"Good morning Zoro!" he said, grinning. Chopper slid his tray onto the table across from Zoro and then climbed into the chair.

[high-prosecutor.livejournal.com]

Miles didn't think he'd ever been so glad for a morning to come in quite a long time. He and Phoenix had patched Junior up as best as they could, given their limited resources, but he was glad the boy would be in the care of trained medical professionals now. He wasn't sure when he had begun to count the doctors and nurses that patched them up every night as some of the good ones, but now wasn't the time to begin debating that kind of slide into Stockholm syndrome.

Instead, he settled on filling a plate with food and taking a seat at an empty table. He had a meeting that morning, and as he took out his notebook and flipped to an empty page.

[closed to Herr Inspektor.]

[herr-inspektor.livejournal.com]

Time slipped out of Lunge's grasp just as he was slipping four sandwich bags into his back pocket, and with it vanished the strange nighttime unreality of magical ninjas and monsters. There was something in that which unnerved him- the implication, perhaps, that for a period of time between night and day he was at the mercy of some unseen force- but he brushed it aside in favour of savouring his altogether more tangible successes. He had armed himself with both weapon and knowledge, and while the latter was obviously the more important, the former brought with it a satisfying sense of security. It wasn't quite a hand gun, but...

Now, to business. Perhaps Edgeworth would be less... occupied this morning. He entered the cafeteria- early, but not so early that he was the first to arrive. It wasn't easy to miss the head of silver-grey hair even from the doorway, and the seats either side of the man were tellingly unoccupied. There.

Lunge wasted no time in walking over and introducing himself. "Miles Edgeworth?" He smiled, then held out a hand. Of course it was. He was never wrong. "Inspector Lunge. It's a pleasure."

[oldestremnant.livejournal.com]

Part of Loz really didn't want to get up today, being a bit more tired than usual. Hunger was the only thing that motivated him enough to drag himself out of bed.

What exactly had the Head Doctor meant by that announcement? Loz hoped it didn't affect him.

The Remnant helped himself to a bit of everything and found an empty seat. He practically tore into the sausage wrapped in pancake.

[For Honey]

[host-club-honey.livejournal.com]

Honey wasn't blind to the injuries his friend kept receiving. After last night, he knew his cousin had to have some new bruises on his foot, or maybe even a sprain if he wasn't careful. And all for icky pipe metal so they could make some kind of weapons. He rubbed his sleepy eyes as the nurse arrived to show him to breakfast.

By the time he arrived, Takashi was already sitting with someone else. It was good for the other boy to make friends on his own and the nurse seemed to want him to direct some of his trademark smiles and sunshine toward the other patients though. Well, as long as his tray was stacked nice and full of pancakes and pigs in blankets, he didn't mind so much.

At first, he was sure the man at the table he was led to was an elderly gentleman, but once he got closer, the face looked quite young. Maybe it was a new trend, having silver hair?

"Hi!" he chirped brightly, waiting for a moment as the nurse set his tray down and then left them to talk. "I'm Honey, what's your name?"

[prodigalson]

Edward was not one to normally seek revenge. Victoria was her own special case; that had been the first time in nearly a century when he had tracked someone to purposely murder them.

Today, he was willing to make an exception.

It was a painful awakening, and curling into a ball and cupping his groin did nothing to alleviate the pain the bat had inflicted on him - a pain he had certainly never expected. Spitting a repetitious string of curses as a mantra, he could easily imagine pressing the pad of his thumb into that boy's eyes and smiling, satisfied, as the aqueous humor ran down his cheeks.

His skin still might have retained its stone-like quality, but it had not stopped any sensation of pain from the attack. The skin was tender; he was afraid to examine the newly-acquired wound, sure that it had somehow turned purple from bruising.

No, murder was clearly justifiable in this case.

Though it seemed to take a millennium for the pain to dull the smallest amount, it eventually lessened enough for the vampire to tentatively lift form under his sheets with slow, careful movements.

Edward had no idea what had happened last night. Some... some song, from some source that had seemingly broadcast it straight into his mind, had driven away his reason for almost half of the night. He could recall what he had said, but honestly not why. What had prompted such a loss of sanity? The song alone, or some power much like what had causes his hallucinations and eventual death?

Two days, and he was completely exhausted, both mentally and physically. He could outweigh the pros and cons of leaving his bed, finding that there were no pros. The first day had been completely unbearable without Bella, though he would never wish her here. Today was impossible. It wasn't the loss of his fiancee, but his best friend as well - and he remained without even family to find some quantum of solace with.

Though morose was his mood and painful were his steps, his nurse did eventually manage to coax Edward out of bed, walking slowly so he could follow her to the cafeteria with his unhurried limp.

Collapsing on a table seemed the best idea, so he did so while the woman tried to remain somewhat cheerful, fetching him food he knew he wouldn't touch.

[[Free.]

[rope-victim.livejournal.com]

[Is moe okay?]

She had a plan. It wasn't a very good one (even Miku knew that), but it was one that could work. She'd just needed to use her special ability to see the 'truth', whatever it may be. Miku was quiet as her nurse steered her by the shoulder to sit down in front of Edward with a soft clatter of her tray.

"Alice," her nurse said in a stage whisper as she pushed Miku's seat in, "Christopher here looks like he could use a bit of company, don't you think? And you've been here so long, maybe you can make him feel more comfortable, hmm?"

"I--" Miku started. She knew this man, if only for a half-a-heartbeat's worth of time. She remembered Sousuke running her past him to get into a room once, though it seemed more like a lifetime ago.

"That's a good girl. Enjoy your breakfast~!" Miku opened her mouth to stop her, Wait, wait! Come back! Please!, but when the nurse showed no signs of stopping, Miku turned back to her unhappy companion.

"Good morning. I'm sorry about all of this," she apologized sincerely.

[bprd-fishman.livejournal.com]

At least he hadn't died last night, that made waking up much easier. What was that strange little thing? He'd never seen anything like it in his life. Perhaps Mr. Smith would be available today to have a talk about it.

Abe took his breakfast with extra jam and biscuits, avoiding the sausages. Perhaps he could have a nice relaxed meal, do some research, rest up for the night ahead.

The board would need to be dealt with. They could censor all they liked, with a group this large there had to be a few polylinguists around who spoke more than Landel did. He could use that.

[Free, I think]

[scarefaux]

[Hope this is okay!]

The Scarecrow woke suddenly, as though there had been no time passed between his waking and his being in the clutches of that witch in the Horrible Hallway. He put a hand to his face, feeling for any injury- nothing unusual. His head ached oddly and strongly, as though he'd been wounded somehow- it was a feeling he wasn't fond of, but was certainly one he wouldn't forget anytime soon. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, putting his head in his hands. He wasn't sure which he'd rather face, if left with no other option- a lighted match, the Wicked Witch back for revenge, or that despicable hallway again. No good ever came from that place!

Among the other unpleasant feelings came the pangs of hunger. He'd hardly eaten the day before, and his body was obviously angry for it. He looked to the other bed in the room, noting it was empty. Depth Charge was probably getting something to eat. He made it to his feet, still dizzy from that awful feeling making circles in his head, and let the nurse outside the door lead him to the cafeteria.

After piling his tray with more food than he probably should have, the lady lead him to a table with only one other man. He'd hoped to find his roommate and make sure he was all right, but the nurse left him before he could get the question out. The Scarecrow frowned, assuring himself that Depth Charge was perfectly fine. Surely he wasn't hurt, or missing, or any other unpleasant possibility the strawman's mind could picture. He took a seat, deciding that the food and conversation would take his mind off those possibilities.

"Good morning," he said with a small smile as he eyed the man across from him.

[mind-the-sukima.livejournal.com]

Violet opened her eyes. Morning. It felt early, but she could hear the institute stirring around her. Well, at least her sleep schedule was starting to normalize, regardless of strange dreams. It was strange to dream so often in the setting of the institute, especially these nightmares; wasn't it more normal to dream about more familiar settings? But then, she had to admit she wasn't exactly normal. No, that was why she was here.

Violet sighed. This was the clearest her head had felt in weeks, and that only made her situation that much bleaker.

Well, at least last night's dream hadn't been about monsters or zombies or whatever weird things her subconscious decided to come up with. It had still been in these halls, but at least it had been about Reiko... even if they both had been talking about those weird things. Shaking her head, Violet tried to forget and move on. No sense on dwelling on things as ephemeral as dreams, no matter how pervasive and clinging they were. Even if they tried to pursue her into the realm of day.

Putting on a smile, Violet amicably followed her nurse out to the dining hall. There were already a few people, but only a fraction of the Institute's population. And to think that so many of them had believed - still believed - as she had. Mentally, she shook her head in disappointment but outwardly all she gave was a yawn; it wasn't like her to look down on others. Turning her mind to less depressing matters, Violet picked up some breakfast - pigs in a blanket, something that reminded her of her childhood... too bad her stomach had grown used to Japanese cuisine and wasn't always up for such heavy fare in the morning. Oh, well, she'd manage.

Giving another yawn, she sat down at an empty spot and began idly picking the pancakes apart as she chewed a piece of melon to start with.

[For Klavier]

[rocksthecourt]

David had been up for a while already. His original plan was to just fall back asleep and hope the nurse would be sympathetic enough to leave him there through breakfast. But he couldn't get that dream about flying, glowing, demon-children or whatever out of his head. Seriously, what a stupid nightmare. His therapist probably would've gotten a kick out of hearing about it.

...Oh wait. That's right. He wasn't seeing her anymore. They shoved him in here after he'd made a big mess out of everything (again). Looked like he wasn't going to get the chance to tell her anytime soon. Or anyone else back home; not until he 'got better.' And up until now, he'd only been getting worse, hadn't he? Ugh. He buried his face in his pillow just thinking about it.

It wasn't like he really had anyone to blame for it, really, but the people here playing along with him and feeding him ideas about conspiracy theories and monsters and whatever the hell else was not helping. It was kind of embarrassing to realize he just swallowed up whatever people told him sometimes. He kept this up, he'd be crying, paranoid mess by the end of the month. And that was just lame.

That was why David beamed a bright smile when the nurse came to fetch him for breakfast and followed her obediently to the cafeteria. Oh, yes. He was determined to keep his wits about him today and not fall back into that lull of delusion, no matter how nice it seemed. The sooner he got better, the sooner he could go back home, right? Though, Bruno was here, too, so it wasn't like he was completely alone. Speaking of which, he didn't see him in the cafeteria yet. Huh. Weird.

He continued scanning the room even after he'd gotten his tray, though he was looking more for specific people than a seat. That's when she caught his attention. Oh, she was pretty, no doubt about that one, but what made him focus on her was that yawn. And here he was thinking he was the only groggy one. Maybe it was just one of those lazy days for everyone. "Morning. Seat's not taken, right?" he asked, even as he slipped into the chair anyway. "Thought I was the only one here who wasn't much a morning person. Have trouble sleeping, too?"

[madeinthehrl]

The bed was warm and comfortable, and for the briefest of moments, Maria Medvedeva almost thought she was home again. Then the smell of antiseptic and the memories of the last week came flooding back, and she knew she wasn't.

Her recollections were vague and disjointed, and she was sure that there were logical scientific explanations for everything she thought she'd remembered from the last few days, but she didn't know what they were. What she did know was that it was bad. Worse, in fact, than she could have imagined. Papa had visited two days ago, hadn't he? She hadn't come up with that herself. But what she had come up with...

She buried her face in her pillow.

After a moment she took a deep breath and sat up in bed. Try to look on the bright side, she told herself firmly. At least she knew who she was now. And last night had passed normally, for the first time since she'd arrived here, and she'd slept well. And she could write a letter to Papa and Mama and Alexei later today; they'd like to know that she was improving.

And there were a lot of people she needed to apologize to.

She greeted her nurse with a smile and a "Good morning," when she arrived, and was a little taken aback by the nurse's look of pleased surprise. She hadn't done that very often since she'd arrived here, had she? She had to change that.

Her responses to the nurse's steady stream of conversation as they headed toward the cafeteria were a little subdued but mostly optimistic, and she accepted the plate of pancakes and fruit with another small smile and a nod. Finding an empty seat, she sat down and watched the incoming crowd, hoping to spot someone she'd recognize. Maybe they were feeling a little better, too.

[free!]

[denied-future.livejournal.com]

Things weren't always better in the morning. Rey couldn't tell if he was any less miserable than he was last night, before deciding that that didn't matter. He couldn't will himself to die right there and then (his lingering headache certainly wasn't going to kill him), so he didn't have much of a choice but to get up and face another day at the institute. Another day that he was alive, another day that he wished it'd ended when he chose for it to--but this place just had to interfere, didn't it?

Although he still needed a sling for his shoulder, at least his wounds were healing (more quickly than they should be, he noted). A small blessing, he supposed, but one he couldn't bring himself to be happy about. Gils'--the fake one's, Rey reminded himself--words continued to ring through his head, as did the doctor's.

'...if you hadn't pulled that trigger...'

Rey didn't regret what he'd done and he knew that, but it hurt, all the same. As he followed his nurse towards the cafeteria, though, he concluded that last night meant nothing. All it did was cement his less-than-positive feelings towards this place. It wasn't as if he'd been seriously harmed (permanently, anyway) or as if the doctor had done anything more than throw temporary hallucinations and words at him. Of course, try as he might to deny it, they'd affected Rey. Still, he told himself that that didn't mean anything had changed. There was no reason for this to impact him in the long run.

(To be honest, he was just afraid--of what, he couldn't figure out).

After accepting the food given to him, he moved to sit at an empty table, but apparently the nurse would have none of that. Instead, he should sit with 'Maria'--they seemed to have gotten along well enough last time, after all. Rey really would have preferred not to have to socialize with anyone that morning, but he complied, setting his tray down at the seat across from the other pilot.

"Soma Peries, was it?" he asked. Even though it'd only been a few days since they met, it seemed like far longer to him.

[scalyfishman.livejournal.com]

It was kind of like ripping off a band aid, or breaching the surface of a pool. Aaron opened his eyes, and suddenly everything was beautifully, painfully obvious.

The Chief had been there when they’d dosed him up on something strong and brought him in late at night. He’d been there a couple of days back, too, with Junior in tow like some kind of hyperactive kitten (no, not a cat, he wasn’t a-). Both times he’d been wearing that look he’d looked at almost every day at work; weary disappointment, etched into every part of his face.

He’d lost control.

Aaron shifted. No. He’d been in control up until he forgot who he was- until he forgot that he had to be careful and strong if he wanted to survive. There was a case just waiting for him, staring him straight in the face, and he’d gone and fucked it up. And then they’d cornered him, because they’d been waiting for a chance like this ever since day one, and they’d trapped him and slammed him away in a fucking asylum, and for one whole week he’d gone and shown them just how fucking right they were. That’s what you get for leaving yourself open, Price.

He let himself be led into the cafeteria with a docility that surprised even himself. Fact was, he was on new turf and so far on the edge he was almost dangling. He was surrounded on all sides by mental cases, and the week he’d spent here… it was a blur. A flush of faces and voices and yeah, a couple of screams, too, but how much of that could he trust? The thought chilled him. If he couldn’t trust his own judgement…

One thing was clear, he realised as he took a seat- alone, as far from everyone else as possible. He needed out. Now.

[human-sponge.livejournal.com]

It was just as Peter had handed off a weapon for Claire to Nathan that his vision had faded away into darkness and he'd resurfaced in his bed, just as he did every day. He woke up suddenly, but he didn't suffer from that shocked sensation that had jarred him the first few days here.

He sat up slowly, yawning as he looked over at Sam and saw that he was still sleeping -- rather soundly, at that. Peter rubbed at his eyes and then stretched as he got out of bed. Nathan must have had his newfound shovel and what they'd picked up for Claire on his person, since it looked like Peter was empty-handed, with his own items stored away in their usual spots.

While they hadn't gotten too far last night, they had at least accomplished what they'd set out to do, and that was better than could be said for some of the other nights he'd spent here. Solidifying a real plan would have to be the next step.

Listening to the announcement, Peter frowned when he heard that there wouldn't be therapy until tomorrow. What could that mean? He wondered if Mohinder was doing all right, but only time would tell. The rest of what the Head Doctor said seemed to be the usual hopefulness for recovery, and so he ignored it as he followed his nurse to breakfast. He wanted to leave a note for Claire, but with all this talk of extra security on the bulletin, he thought better of it.

Peter stood in line for some pancakes and tater tots before scanning the room for any particularly familiar faces. No Nathan or Claire yet (and luckily no Sylar, either), but he did see someone who he'd discussed the latter with a few days ago. Depth Charge, right? Figuring he should check up on the other man despite the fact that they'd only spoken once, Peter headed over and took a seat across from the man. (Well, Peter was pretty sure the guy wasn't actually human, but he'd never found out what exactly he was.) "How've you been holding up?" he asked as he speared a tater tot with his plastic fork.

Rated PG-13 for vaguely described sexuality, oh my! [1/2]

[revolutionise]

For the first time in weeks, Yomi woke up.

At first, the feeling was wonderful. Everything suddenly seemed so clear, not misty or tinged at the edges as in a dream. Breath flowed into her lungs as if for the first time, cool and refreshing. "I'm really me today, aren't I?" Yomi said to herself quietly with a weak smile, listening to the sound of her own voice as it escaped her vocal chords. It was familiar, and yet new at the same time. She ran her fingertips across the bedsheets beneath her, and her skin tingled a little bit at the sensation.

Unfortunately, the touch of the sheets also brought forth another, less welcome sensation in her mind. Recent memories began to surface there, and Yomi felt her chest begin to tighten.

"It's been so empty in this house without her around."

Though he only took one step in her direction, it seemed that he drew ever so much closer. Yomi was almost worried that she would be enveloped by him. Why couldn't she calm herself down? It was just Antony. She knew Antony.

"You feel it too, don't you? You can feel that sting of loneliness pierce you--" He took another step forward, brushing the tips of his fingers a hairswidth above her breasts, right where her heart was. "--right here. Like a cold sword strike."

Her cheeks flushed deep rose. Yomi nodded softly.

She slowly began clutching the bedsheets tighter in her fists.

"We are all that each other has now. Am I right?"

Yomi found herself falling into a familiar place of trust. She nodded again, though her expression was confused.

Her breath quickened, panicked.

"We need to help each other get through this trying time. As friends. As family." The strong, but gentle hand traced its way from Yomi's chest to her cheek, brushing a bit of hair back behind her ear.

He was so close now.

Yomi's eyes slid closed. She nodded a third time.

Her body tensed. She found herself rolling onto her side, pulling the pillow over her head to block out the memory.

She didn't know when they had stopped kissing and moved into Antony's bedroom. Her mind was hazy and warm as his lips travelled softly over her like rose petals. Even feeling as good as she did, though, Yomi still felt fear creeping up inside of her, especially as more of her clothing came off. Wasn't this something she was not supposed to do? Wasn't this something he was not supposed to do? Was she ready for something like this?

The answer had been no.

Yomi's eyes were shut tight, her cheeks flushed deep red as she continued to hide her head inside her pillow. No, Antony wasn't supposed to be like that. He was her best friend's brother for goodness' sake. He was practically family to Yomi, almost moreso than Aunt Ryoko now. That wasn't how family was supposed to get close to each other!

She found herself scrambling inside her mind for Utena, desperately searching for the shield she had been using since that night. As Utena, her best friend's big brother was just that - a trustworthy adult, a good sibling, and a close friend. Nothing more. As Utena, she didn't have to deal with feeling weak or alone. Utena was strong. Utena knew how to protect people, and herself.

Unfortunately for Yomi, Utena was nowhere to be found today.

After several more minutes, Yomi forced herself to calm down. She knew that any moment now, a nurse would be coming to take her down to breakfast, and there was no way she wanted to be seen in such a state. She had to try her own hand at protecting herself today, without Utena's help. She sat up slowly and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, hoping that they didn't look too red.

[2/2]

[revolutionise]

It was strange to hear her name - her real name - spoken when the nurse did come to collect her. She had been blocking it out for days now, so much so that she almost didn't respond to it. Somehow, she did, though, and the nurse was very happy to hear such. She did seem a little worried about Yomi's quietness and distant look, but that didn't stop her from being encouraging towards her patient. This was a definite sign of progress, after all, recognizing her real self, and there was no way to beat down that fact.

At least the more solid feeling of the world around her helped as Yomi entered the cafeteria and picked out some food for breakfast (a few pigs in blankets with jam and syrup, with fruits on the side). As much as she loved the world of fairy tales and the stories she had dreamed up together with her best friend, being stuck in that world for days on end had taken a toll on her mind and body. She was grateful to feel as though her feet were standing on real ground again.

By the time Yomi found a seat, she was feeling slightly more relaxed, though still far from okay. The memories still lingered, as she knew they would. She was able to partly mask them for the moment with the smell of breakfast, which was a small relief. She hoped very much that some morning conversation would help her to deal with things and make her feel more normal. Making and talking with friends (at least friends her own age, anyway) had always helped her, whether she was Yomi or Utena.

[Free. Limit: 2]

[thatdamnedninja.livejournal.com]

Hanna was sprawled, limbs splayed, on her dinky little hospital bed. The mattress was saggy beneath her, the blankets twisted and thrown every which way. There was a weight on her chest; a weight that grew stranger and stranger as she woke up, slowly and reluctantly, with the head doctor's voice grating in her ears. She groaned, cracking her eyes open.
She felt...

...Okay.

She felt more like Hanna than she had in months. The strange impulses, the hazy memories, and the hallucinations seemed to have settled down to a quiet simmer, somewhere deep in the back of her mind. She laughed, drowsily, slapping one softly calloused palm over her face. Gawd, how dumb was this?! It embarrassing to even think about, let alone to remember. All the time she was wasting, stuck headfirst in a colorful pile of crazy, crazy delusions, like a kid in the first big pile of Fall leaves. Dignity was an important thing, and she'd pretty much set it on fire and pushed it down a deep, dark well with no bottom.

Well, no more! She was so getting over that. She had a life to live—she said to her nurse, peppered with excruciating detail, on their way to the cafeteria—and friends to get back to. The sooner the better! So, when could she go, huh? Huh?

"My, you're energetic this morning," Plucky said. "I'm very happy to hear that you're starting to pull through, but you'll have to hold on for a while, I'm afraid."

"Why?" Hanna demanded, juggling exasperation with the selection and careful handling of breakfast. "I'm better, aren't I? Why can't I go home?"

"Please don't drop that," chided the nurse, without putting out a steadying hand or offering to take the tray. "Your friends would miss you if you left without telling them, and we need to keep you in for observation. Be patient, and just concentrating on getting that down you. You've been skipping meals again."

That was true, Hanna thought ruefully as she sat down at a random table. It was no wonder she'd been having a bunch of issues sleeping. Half starving yourself was a really, really dumb thing to do at the best of times; she knew that, logically, even though she couldn't always help herself. Maybe it was why the delusions had stuck around for so long? Regardless, there was no way she could let it continue. Her stomach rumbling, the teenager dug heartily into her plateful. It wasn't as good as one of Tiffany's blueberry pancake extravaganzas, or—even better!—broiled fish with rice, but it wasn't bad.

Hanna closed her eyes slumped forward happily, savouring every bite. It felt awesome to feel more like herself again, no joke! Now all she had to do was stay like this. Oh, and keep bugging Plucky to let her the hell out, already. They could all do it in a big group, she thought. Or, well, a little one. It wasn't like she'd made a ton of friends, even as "Yuffie", was it? She'd always been one of those people, happier doing her own thing at her own pace, without having to worry about things like conformity... And it was just an itty-bitty bit difficult to make proper pals when everything you talked about was a harebrained fantasy.

Still, she'd made a few. Friends, that was, not harebrained fantasies. It was gonna be holy hella awkward (what if they didn't like the real her?), but Hanna was nothing if not an optimist. If she was feeling better, maybe they were, too!

[For Kenshin!]

[degozaruyo.livejournal.com]

The night felt like it had gone much quicker than the others, but Kenshin had grown very used to the oddity of time in this place in the weeks he'd been here. The most important part was that Kaoru was still here, and that she didn't think that he'd died that night. That was a very good thing.

He politely refused his nurse's insistence that he get more protein in his diet and piled his tray with fruit. He much preferred fish and tofu to the heavy, greasy "protein" they served here every morning. How could anyone in this world get anything done if they had a brick in their collective stomachs every morning? It nauseated the rurouni just thinking about it.

Kaoru didn't seem to be in the cafeteria yet, but Yuffie was. He greeted her with a bright smile and sat down across from her. It was a testament to how comfortable with her he had gotten that he didn't ask for permission first.

"Get anything accomplished last night?" he asked conversationally, starting to peel an orange.

[dahliahasthorns.livejournal.com]

Linda woke with a start and immediately wished that she hadn't. Sunlight blasted into her line of vision and oh, there went her retinas. Ugh... God, she had the worst headache... Not only that, but all her muscles ached too, like she spent all night lugging around firewood or something.

And what the hell was that nightmare...?

"Linda?" Nurse Shelby poked her head through the door to get a better look at her- ...Shelby? Was that really her name? Or just something "Dahlia" was calling her because it sounded cute? Ugh, she couldn't remember! Everything just felt... hazy, like there was an iron curtain hanging over her thoughts and weighing down her mind, like fog laying just underneath her eyebrows and inside her eyelids. "Linda, are you ready to get up?"

Breakfast time already? Why was Nurse S. smiling so brightly? Linda wasn't smiling. In fact, her eyebrows were raised, eyes were blank and confused, and lips were extended in an unhappy pout - she wasn't conveying a picture of cheer. So why was the lady so giddy to see her that way?

She didn't get an answer by the time she found a seat in the cafeteria, just a weird compliment that she must be feeling more like herself. She... was acting more like herself, wasn't she? She wasn't acting like "Dahlia," either side of her. Did- Did that mean she was better?

No. She was still crazy. She knew that. She was just less crazy than before. And she wasn't evil. She wasn't a bitch. She was just her. Just Linda. That was good.

But oh god, some of the things she had done... Or thought of doing. Or did? What actually happened and what didn't? It had all felt so real at one time or another and-- Nurse S. brought her a plate of pancakes. "Thanks," she said slowly, still feeling the fuzz in her head waft around like a balloon. She'd just... Sit to herself for now. Yeah. That sounded good.

[Geffy, bb, come to Linny~ :c]

[deadlyjuliet.livejournal.com]

Impossible. And yet. No, it wasn't impossible. It was highly unlikely, but it wasn't impossible. Geoffrey sat in his bed for a good few minutes after the announcement came on and woke him, staring at his hands. His hands. His own mind, his own head, he had control again. After being kept locked away in his own mind by his own self, he was finally...no, no better. He could feel him there, the other him, waiting, pounding at the doors like--

"Geoffrey?"

He turned and blinked owlishly at the human sha-- oh, right. His glasses. Picking them up off the side table, Geoffrey settled the rounded specs onto his nose and nodded to his nurse. No, wait - this wasn't the same nurse he remembered. And her accent was different. It took him a moment, but then he remembered he'd been moved to this place because the other one, the bad one, had been good at acting and had managed to pretend to be him long enough to get "released." Not exactly what the bad one had been hoping for, but Geoffrey was glad for it. Geoffrey knew that he still needed help, and he knew he belonged in here.

But thank God Almighty for one clear day. "Y-yes, ma'am?"

"Are you ready to go to the cafeteria?" The nurse smiled at him, and Geoffrey gave her a nervous smile back as he pulled his hair into a low ponytail. "Yes, ma'am."

The food was unfamiliar, as were most of the patients, but Geoffrey was glad for that. Unfamiliar faces meant nothing could trigger him and make him lose this blessed bit of sanity. With a tray of food in his hands and his nurse smiling kindly at him, he felt a bit better. At least...until he caught sight of that red hair. A young woman with red hair - blood red - was sitting alone. So much like her... Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the girl, shifting nervously from foot to foot as he looked to the empty seat across from her. "...o-oh...um...D-do you mind terribly if I...?"

[lighthearted]

Matt found it difficult to get himself to wake up. He let out a groan as he struggled with his half-asleep brain, turning over in his bed a few times before Mr. Landel's voice on the intercom finally broke through the haze. The term "lazy bum" ran through his head, in a fake voice from a fake person, and he shoved it away as he sat up in his bed and dragged a hand through his hair.

Even now, he was having a hard time keeping his thoughts in order. He glanced over at his roommate, who was still sleeping (wasn't he lucky?), and the only name that popped into his head was Hanatarou, even though he knew that was wrong.

It felt like he'd been wandering in his delusions for so long that this bit of clarity was almost frightening. Did he really want it to be like this? At least he'd been happy when he'd been nuts.

Still, he knew he couldn't think like that, and he even produced a smile for the nurse who came in to greet him this morning. He considered apologizing to her for any trouble he might have caused in the past, but he realized that even as "Sora" had been pretty well-behaved.

He was uneasy as he was led down that same set of hallways to the cafeteria. Now that he was more aware of himself, actually talking to all of his fellow patients might be kind of hard. Still, hiding away and sleeping all day -- that wasn't going to fix anything, was it? Sighing to himself, he stood in line for some sausages and a single pancake (his appetite wasn't the best right now) and then found himself a place to sit.

It occurred to him that "Sora" would have gone up to talk to someone, even a complete stranger, but he just wasn't feeling up to it right now. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad, but he shrugged it off and started in on his food.

[For Artemis.]

[byname-bynature.livejournal.com]

His fingers went briefly to his cheek and he frowned a little. It had been a good dream, but part of him wondered if it had even happened. Or if he'd been imagining things again. Still, it felt like a pleasantly cold spot on his cheek was slowly warming itself--as if something had been there, but wasn't now.

'It was Haku.' A voice insisted in his ear.

Sean turned in his bed and put his feet on the floor. Just a voice. Not real. Just like Dr. Disraeli said before--just a voice. Not reality.

"Good morning, Sean!" his nurse chirped as she breezed into the room. "You hungry?"

"Yep!" Sean grinned, the voice forgotten for the moment.

Tray in his hands, Sean smiled widely as he looked around the cafeteria for someone to eat with. It was a nice day today, wasn't it? At least, the Sun Room had told him as much. He should start a nice day with a good experience--at least, that was what his nurse told him was best. And everyone was looking out for what was best for him.

Sean spotted Matthew sitting by himself and looking glum--'Sora.' the voice corrected. Sean put on his best, friendliest smile and trotted over.

"Mornin'!" Sean said brightly. "You're looking a little sad today, anything wrong?" he asked, tilting his head a little.