damned_institute | Nightshift 22: M21

Xemnas' plan to get information from his roommate turned out to be a failure, as his roommate didn't even show up. Instead, he decided to gather information by investigating the room he was in. He had stumbled on various items which were quite out of place for an institute such as this. Journals and pens, he could understand. But a flashlight? Or a radio?

Xemnas suspected this institute wasn't as it seemed to be. It was rather unfortunate that none of his subordinates could explain the details before they were escorted back to their respective rooms. Xemnas had hoped he could receive information from his roommate, but that too had failed.

The Superior's suspicions were confirmed as soon as he heard the announcement over the intercom. The way this man spoke was quite enough to confirm anything. A complete contrast from the announcements during the day. Such a happy facade they held up, but for who?

He noted the hallway was completely shrouded in darkness. Surely, other doors must've been unlocked as well, but he didn't hear a sound. Not even footsteps. Just his own breathing.

Confirming there weren't any direct threats, Xemnas carefully stepped out in the hallway, closing the door quietly behind him.

[ Wondering off to here ]

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"Nay, I am merely not used to roaming at this hour is all." Larsa reassured the man with a slight coo, which soon formed into a small yawn. "It will pass as night draws on, surely it will."

The child hoped it was just that anyway, for it would do so more to harm him to stay in his room rather than to search for answers in this Institute. Though Larsa had to smile at Gabranth's afterthought, quietly stepping out of his room and closing the door behind him. The hallway proved to be darker than he expected, and the silence that surrounded them was one worth drawing a chill up his back. It worried the child somewhat, and prayed that no monsters roamed amongst them this early into the evening.

"Be not troubled, Gabranth. I am more than capable of travel I can assure you that." By then Larsa took a few steps forward, but he stopped as something dwelled in his thoughts, forcing the child to turn and face his guardian once more.

"Has your roommate proven good to you?"

Not being so easily swayed, Noah frowned at the reassurances. "If thou art sure," he bristled in response. The judge had become as in tune with the emperor's emotions as he himself must be; not an uncommon thing after the years he had spent by his side. He saw no reason in pursuing the matter further, if the Lord wanted to keep it to himself.

The hound followed his master's footstep obediently - flashlight in tow, returned to the ON position - before stopping as the child did, his frown changing itself into an expression of confusion. He found the question to be rather odd. "I fear he was quite wounded - or it seemed to be, as I could not get him to wake." He was still sure that something was bothering the boy. "And your own, Lord?"

Larsa had expected there to be causalities amongst the patient's ranks with these beasts roaming around, and Gabranth's answer only proved to him that the perils of this Institute were a reality worth fearing. Yet fear was not what the child felt, for he was unsure of how to answer the very same question. He spent several moment mulling over those words, tongue darting out to moisten his chapped lips before finally choosing to speak.

But Larsa hadn't answered Gabranth's question, instead pelting him with his own array.

"... Are my ideals of true pacifism nothing more than an illusion? Art they ill-placed amongst myself as I bear the title of Emperor?" The child bit his bottom lip, sinking back into the state of shame he had fell into not long before. The words exchanged had all but burnt into his mind, leaving him wary and confused.

"Gabranth, am I nothing more than a fool for believing that peace for all of Ivalice was truly a possibility?"

"Lord?" Being rather unprepared for the barrage of questions from out of the blue, Noah was silent for a long moment, seeing that Larsa's conscience must have been heavy with these thoughts.

"It takes one who knows the threat of war well to strive for peace," he started, rather unsure of what to think of his lord's act of doubt for his own ideals. "I do not doubt that your acts in the name of amity for Ivalice are not ill-begotten. You told me yourself that Ivalice was well on the road to a harmonic age, did you not?" Nay, if anyone, the judge truly believed the child to be fit for Emperor, even if a child he still be. "T'would take a heart as yours that so tenaciously longs for pacifism to take the ideal and make it true."

Truly, he held no notion of what it was to rule; his views, however, had never been safe from the judging eyes of the other orders of their former government. "I am firm in my belief that the peace you - and the Lady Ashelia - fought for is well-earned, and is more than a possibility. My Lord would only be a fool if he sought not to question himself, test himself - an Emperor is nothing more than a man, and it is man's way to doubt."

Larsa listened quietly to Gabranth's answer, letting their full meaning soak into him. He spoke not a word for several moments, eyes glossing over before he closed them. At first he was unsure of what to say about it all, what to express in terms of either gratitude or doubtfulness. It almost seemed like an eternity to decipher and choose such, but in the end these feelings melded into a small tug of his lips, the child glancing up at his guardian with a sincere smile.

"... Thank you, Gabranth." The young Lord only hoped that this would quell his further doubts of his actions, swearing only to grow and prosper into an Emperor capable of caring for his entire country. Yet for now the present was evident, and there were other things to worry for other than duties worlds apart. He was about to continue his trudge forward until he caught sight of familiar form only a few doors down, recognizing it to be the blond he had befriended in the Arts and Crafts room.

Honey looked fine, but Larsa was more worried of the fact that he was alone. It was hardly right to whisk past him without even making sure that his friend was fine, finally choosing to stride over in the end.

Hopefully Penelo would be safe for just a little while longer.

((Goes down one thread to the one underneath this one.))

Nightshift 22: M21 - M30 Hallway

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