Day 46: Sun Room

[human-sponge.livejournal.com]

Peter woke up suddenly, his body twisting in the bed and then forcing him to catch his breath in pain. Pain, which was coming from his middle because of the thing that had scratched him last night, and after that...

After that, Zach had jumped in front of him like some kind of martyr, like the exact opposite of everything Sylar stood for, to take the next hit for him. It got pretty fuzzy after that, so night must have ended right around then.

The man let out a pained grunt as he straightened himself up in bed. For some reason, he got the feeling that he'd slept in. There was no way for him to really tell without a window in the room, but he just knew. The fact that Sam's bed looked long since vacated was another clue.

Sam, but was he Sam again? Had the brainwashing worn off, as he and Roland had hoped, or was he going to have to go through this nightmare for even longer? He didn't know how long he could handle "Zach" and "Harrison" before he started going batty himself.

Pulling himself out of bed, Peter lifted his shirt and saw that he was tightly bandaged. The scratch most likely wasn't nearly as bad as the bite that "Zach" had received, but it still smarted. He let his shirt fall and then had to deal with a nurse chiding him for sleeping through the morning announcements. Not that Peter really cared at the moment. He was too busy thinking about last night and the fact that in a way, he now owed something to Sylar. Except it hadn't been Sylar. That was something he was sure of now.

Lost in his thoughts, Peter reached the Sun Room right as the rest of the patient populace was trickling in from breakfast. Sighing to himself, he headed over to the bulletin board and then saw a note written in familiar yet unpleasant handwriting. Holding his pen in a vice grip, Peter scribbled out a reply and then stalked over to an armchair and fell into it with a huff.

While Sylar was maddeningly frustrating, there was one good thing about the fact that he was himself again. It meant that Nathan was too.

[For Spock!]

Comments

[dualistic]

Right as Harvey and Jason had been gearing up to break open yet another door, Harvey's vision had gone completely black and the next thing he knew, it was morning. Just like always.

Except not. It did feel like there was something of a delay, like he'd "slept" for longer. When he tuned in and heard the voice of Martin Landel, he realized that he was talking about the Sun Room rather than describing their breakfast for the day. (A breakfast he never really got to eat.)

Still, he was more focused on last night than his missed meal. He and Jason had made some good headway both in searching the institute and forming a new plan. While he hadn't gotten as many details about Tim Drake as he would have liked, he had enough to work with. He'd have to track him down today.

It sounded like this shift wouldn't work, though, since there was a chance the kid would be in therapy. Harvey thought that over as the nurse took him to the Sun Room. Was he going to get roped into the tell-me-how-you-feel crap too? No way. He wasn't doing it.

Upon reaching the room, which was still fairly empty, Harvey first looked around for Jason. When he didn't see him, he went over to the board to leave a note for his current partner in crime before finding a couch and taking a seat. He'd need to think about how he was going to approach Robin once he found him at lunch. That would be the best time to do it, when all of the patients were gathered in the same place.

[For von Karma; possible open to one more?]

[zack-fair.livejournal.com]

While it had been nice to getting to know Anthy, his talk with her had actually brought up more questions rather than answering any of his original ones. Well, he had learned a few things, such as the fact that there was brainwashing going on, that there were monsters around at night, and that the nurses and whoever else was orchestrating this wanted them to believe they were completely different people.

Monsters he could handle, but the other two points were really gnawing at him. Then there was still the fact that he was here in the first place, when that shouldn't have been possible.

Not that he could have breached a subject like that with Anthy. He didn't think it would be appropriate to ask, "Hey, so, were you dead before waking up here?" Still, he needed to figure out why it had happened; he just didn't know how to go about it without stepping on people's toes.

One of the nurses led him from the cafeteria into the room he'd passed through before, and he made another few attempts at asking her questions. He tried at getting a location out of her, but no go. Same with asking why he was here. The only answer he got was that he was here for his own good.

Zack seriously doubted that, and yet he did have to concede that he probably wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for this place. It brought up a lot of mixed feelings, but he definitely knew that he didn't want to be revived just to be a guinea pig.

Finding a vacant couch, the soldier sat himself down and stared off, surprisingly thoughtful.

[gothamsfuture.livejournal.com]

Terry left breakfast feeling sorry for Forte, but he couldn't exactly let that keep him from getting his own plans done. Which was why he made a line straight for the bulletin once he got into the Sun Room, looking for answers that scanning faces in the cafeteria hadn't provided. Tim Drake had answered, and things were looking good there at least. But the one person he wanted to hear from most still hadn't replied, and Terry slammed a fist against the corkboard in frustration.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." A nurse's scornful look made the show of temper brief, and Terry let out a sigh. "Sorry." Though he didn't mean it, not when for all he knew, Nurse Happy Face could tell him just what trick this hellhole had played on Bruce that was keeping him from talking to anyone. Even if he didn't trust Terry, Alfred was here, not to mention a Robin and one of the founding members of the JLU. Even for someone as solitary as Bruce Wayne, leaving that many people to worry just wasn't like him.

Something was wrong. What pissed Terry off then was that he couldn't do anything about it.

[For Fuzzy and Spidey~]

[replicatedorder.livejournal.com]

That was a pretty annoying announcement, Luke decided, as he was ushered away from the cafeteria into the sun room by the same nurse who had greeted him when he woke up. It was the first time he heard one all the way through and without the grogginess of sleep getting in the way, and he counted himself lucky for having managed to skip the majority of the past ones. Somehow, it was worsened by the fact that he was being forced to leave where he was and head to a different room. He wanted to stay by Guy's side and talk about other things—like maybe encourage Guy to talk about the different machines here—but it didn't seem like a good idea.

Either way, he needed to let the rest of his friends know he was there. Luke considered adding an additional part of the note to Asch, but he decided against it. As much as he wanted to talk to him, he would hope to see him face to face, as that might make it difficult for Asch to cut off interaction when he got frustrated. If he didn't see him as the time ticked closer to dinner, he would return to the bulletin to speak to him.

With that part of his goals handled, Luke moved to take a seat with a sigh. He observed who was coming in curiously, doubting that he would recognize most of the people. This wasn't Auldrant. It was a fact that would need to settle in, along with everything else. Yes, he had accepted it, just as he would accept most anything from Guy at face value. He trusted his friend to be honest, and it wasn't the type of thing he would lie about. All it did was add another level of confusion for Luke when he had time away from his friend to stop and observe.

He realized observing just made him frustrated and restless, but he didn't want to know what would happen if he decided to act out. Luke didn't have the means or the energy to do so. Still, he thought left him holding on to his notebook more tightly than he realized, a rather serious expression left over his features.

[for Sync!]

[nobleman]

Guy entered the Sun Room feeling far better than when he'd woken up this morning. It was remarkable how just talking with Luke again could improve his mood so drastically, but that was just how it went when you were separated from a friend for a while and didn't even know where they were. He watched as the redhead moved over to the bulletin board and smiled to himself.

Honestly, he wouldn't have minded spending the entire day with Luke (who was going to stop them?), but he knew that his friend probably wanted to track down some of the others, and Guy had his own people to check up on, especially after last night. While Anise and Claude had found him in the end, they hadn't gotten the chance to talk for too long before night had ended.

There usually wasn't enough time in the day to see everyone as it was, so he couldn't spend all of it with Luke, as much as he'd like to. Besides, there was the matter of giving the younger man some space. Guy wasn't exactly a babysitter anymore.

Sinking down into a seat, Guy lifted up his arms and tried to do some stretching exercises to get the stiffness out of them. It hurt, but it had to be done. He needed to be able to lift and swing a sword again sooner rather than later.

[For Claude; strict reserve.]

[winged_moon]

Waking was like slogging through waist-deep snow, difficult and only worsening the bone-deep weariness he felt. When the morning came, accompanied by the sound of that voice on the intercom, he'd given up on it entirely and fled deeper into unconsciousness. It might not be something he could do forever, but for now and as long as he needed to, he wanted to hide from the world, from this place in which he'd been trapped and forced to make an impossible decision. Until Fai had made the decision for him, at least, and he'd caused the death of someone he was supposed to protect.

When the intercom sounded for the second time, though, this time he wasn't allowed to continue sleeping, as one of the nurses had arrived and was shaking his shoulder in an insistient fashion. "Come now, Alex, you can't sleep all day," she said, in a chiding tone, even as he tried to ignore her. "You've already missed breakfast. Up and at 'em."

He finally gave in so that she would leave him alone, allowing himself to be led to the Sun Room. It wasn't as sunny as usual, however, and that suited his mood perfectly. He found an unoccupied couch and settled down, fully intending to go back to sleep, ignoring the momentary flare of annoyance as he sat on his hair and pulled it painfully. Putting it up into the usual braid was too much effort, though, and he allowed the idea to fade away as he dozed off.

[reserved for Touya]

[guardiancomplex.livejournal.com]

Touya awoke in much the same position he'd lost consciousness in: on his back.

His wounds still stung, but fortunately it seemed as though nothing was serious enough that it required a stitch or a butterfly closure. He was simply bandaged--though he noted with some disdain that he smelled like blood and antiseptic.

He stared at the ceiling, wondering if it was too much to hope that last night had just been some sort of dream or nightmare. The pangs in his chest and stomach told him otherwise. Somehow, Touya knew that if he asked about Fai, he wouldn't like the answer he got.

And how was he supposed to feel anyway? Someone had died and they were no closer to escaping. Worse, it was partially his fault. He'd been the one to push going to the basement. It was he who had insisted they explore more. And then Yue had to kill Fai. It was too much for his mind to take in.

"Thomas?" his nurse said quietly from a crack in the door. Touya lazily lifted his head and looked at her. "Did you want to get up? Breakfast is over, and--"

Breakfast. Yuki. Yuki might have been at breakfast. Looking for him.

The nurse entered the room quickly as Touya began hoisting himself out of bed at what must have been record speed for someone who had been shot twice and had some odd cuts on him. She fussed and he walked. She warned him not to move too much and he ignored her.

Fortunately, he didn't have to go very far. Yue and Yuki were nearly asleep on a couch, and while he normally would have taken a seat on the floor and waited for them to wake up, he thought waiting wasn't the way to do this. He took long strides to the couch, slid next to them and, without wondering if Yue or Yuki was in control now, pulled him into his arms and held him fast.

[tightsofmight]

"I hope you all enjoyed that delicious breakfast!"

And with that, Peter snapped upright in bed, grappling for a pillow sack that wasn't there. Where was - oh. Oh, fantastic. He'd passed out just waiting for Kurt and pals. And then, he'd slept through breakfast. Today was waffle day.

Peter flopped face first back onto his pillow in despair. "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmrgh!"

That was it. That was the last night he was wasting on a sum total of zilch. From here on out he was booking it through every hallway and today? Today he was getting Kurt's room number. And Kitty's. Maybe that Alex guy's too, if only to keep a close eye on him.

And Matt, god. And Logan. At this rate they'd never find out what happened to them. Looked like it was about time to bite the bullet and ask the last person he trusted.

Right on time, she pushed through the door, yapping about how he'd been out cold since last shift yesterday and how he'd better get a move on his day. All Peter could do was grit his teeth and play along, and throw out the question as innocuously as possible.

"Hey, there was a blind guy around here. Reddish hair, tall? I haven't seen him in a while..."

"Oh, Matthew?" The nurse blinked in surprise. "He was released some time ago, I think. Just after the Doyleton trip. I had no idea you were close."

Peter's heart sank. Right after Doyleton. Shit. Oh god. It had been absolute chaos, and Matt relied on his hearing and his sense of smell. He would have been completely overwhelmed between the smell off the zombie things and the screaming and the moaning - okay, no, some people faded away. Like, just disappeared. He'd heard about that happening, right? There was a fifty fifty chance that he'd just vanished instead. Those were good enough odds.

It didn't help that twinge in his chest. Another knot in his throat. He'd barely known the guy, all things considered, but he'd latched on to him, he supposed. The Daredevil he knew was a total ass, but this one was cool and made jokes and came with him to the morgue so he could sob like a baby over Harry. Hung out with him and Kurt. Watched his back. Matt had said that he was friends with the older Spider-Man back home, and maybe that made Peter kind of...assume things...

He licked his lips and tried again. "What about Logan? Shortish kind of guy, really hairy. Uh. Canadian?"

"Hmm, I believe he was released? I'll have to double check, but I'm sure he went home a few days ago. If I'm thinking of the right man of course."

This was not good.

Peter slunk into the Sun Room with heavy feet. It didn't help that instead of Kurt or even Kitty, the first person he saw from his failed expedition last night was Alex, lurking around the bulletin board. Great. Well, there was no use avoiding him. The room was only so big, and he'd look like an even bigger dork than he already did trying to duck behind couches. The guy probably wanted an explanation for being stood up last night anyway.

He slouched into the wall far enough to interrupt his staring contest with the board, noting that Alex looked in about as good of spirits as he was. Hooray. He tucked away that knot in the throat for the time being and dug up something that could pass for his normal motor mouthy-self. Alex didn't know Matt or Logan. Why should he give two anythings about them?

"Okay, so either I was wrong in thinking that that hallway where Kurt tackled me on my first night wasn't in front of his block, or the night ended way earlier for me than it did for you guys. And the universe has already punished me for this by denying me waffles, so please don't punch me in the gut again."

[swornandbroken.livejournal.com]

Mello's second meeting with Sai had proved less irritating than the first, and he'd finally given in and eaten the food the Institute provided, so while he was cranky, it was due to being stuck in this fucking place, not hunger. He really had expected to bust his way out the previous night.

Then again, there was still the question of 'Daniel' to be resolved. Mello tried to be vigilant against believing things he thought ought to be true, as opposed to things that were demonstrably true, and he knew he was susceptible to wishful thinking in this case. He still wanted to know what the hell Landel's, Daniel, L, or some combination thereof, were playing at.

After disposing of his tray, he followed the nurse, giving a pretty good outward display of cooperation, to the sun room. He'd already gotten into the habit of tuning out the intercom announcements, and he didn't even bother rolling his eyes at this one.

Even if he didn't get an opportunity to observe Daniel again, he'd become resigned to the need for finding allies here. He automatically noted all the windows, looking up and shielding his sensitive left eye from the light that came through even on a rainy day like this one. This room was like a fucking fishbowl.

He took some time at the bulletin board, this being the first time he had seen it. The message that was obviously from an L less addled than he had been (who else here knew about the Coil connection?) was moderately encouraging. Mello quickly posted a question of his own, then backed off for discretion's sake, finding a seat in one of the off-white chairs and settling into his usual sprawl.

[For Edgeworth!]

[gothamsfuture.livejournal.com]

At least someone was okay, in some sense of the word. Peter looked about as cheerful as Terry felt just then, and Terry couldn't help but wonder what he'd found out that had him so obviously down. But they'd gotten the whole "don't ask, don't tell" thing pretty established, so Terry decided not to pry. He'd listen, sure; he liked Peter and all. But possible friendship didn't equal spilling out their deepest darkest secrets. He hadn't even told Dana that he was Batman yet (and hadn't had to, since Max found out and helped him cover). For all he knew, Peter kept it the same with the people he was closest to back home. So just opening up to a relative stranger? Yeah, not something that happened in their line of work.

Instead, Terry turned away from the bulletin and shook his head. "Don't think I need to. You look slagged enough as is." Terry had fallen into bed on more than one night feeling the same way even back home. And here, they didn't have the luxury, or comfortable mattresses. "Night ended pretty quick for Kurt and me too. Kitty never showed up, so we didn't leave the room. M1, by the way. Kurt and I are roommates."

At least that was something done. Congratulations, Mr. McGinnis. You finally managed to accomplish a task that should've taken you all of five seconds at lunch yesterday.

...Yeah, not getting much comfort from that one.

"So I'm guessing you haven't seen him yet." Terry pointed to the note Kurt had left for Peter and Kitty, which remained unanswered. "He's worried, you know."

[meironohosoku.livejournal.com]

The day was going on as it always had. It was still early, of course, and there really wasn't a reason for things not to be normal, but Hanyuu wasn't really sure what she had expected. She honestly believed that she had simply gone to sleep after dinner the night before last, and then slept through most of the day yesterday, only to wake up in time for night to begin. That was what her memories told her, but if she believed what Arlene had said last night (and she did), then she had been missing for several days. It was very... confusing, to say the very least.

Sighing, the spirit curled up on the end of one of the couches. Not only that, but now she knew that Archer was gone. She should've been happy -- she knew that she should have been glad that Archer wasn't here any more, but... She wasn't even sure whether he had died, or just... disappeared, and she had been too scared to ask. In a way, she didn't want to know. At least that way she could pretend his disappearance was similar to her own, and she could hold on to the thought that maybe he'd return someday. She shouldn't have wanted that, and she felt guilty since she did, but he had been one of her closest friends in this place. She would've liked to see him again.

Hanyuu leaned her arms on the arm of the couch and rested her head against her arms. She'd be able to talk to Arlene again in a little bit, and then hopefully she and Rika would be able to figure things out later tonight too. For now though, the spirit would just have to wait.

[lostonlifesroad.livejournal.com]

By the time the nurses had taken them to breakfast, there was just enough of the shift left for Kakashi to eat. That was fine with him, since he never minded the opportunity to lose himself a book. Though it wasn't entirely possible with everything going on, the novels by Phil Randy, as bad as Jiraiya claimed them to be, still were a welcome distraction. After all, starting with the next shift, Kakashi would have to resume his duties again. It didn't bother him of course, but he knew just how important it was to take a breather every now and then too.

And it was a good thing he had. Nothing could have prepared him for what he'd find on the bulletin next time he looked.

They'd brought Obito here. Uchiha Obito, straight from Grass Country, and from the sounds of it, before Kakashi had realized how terrible his own mistakes were as a child. How many times had he read the name before it really sunk in, that it was his actual best friend, and the ninja who had influenced his life more than any other? Everything, from the philosophy Kakashi lived by to the sharingan eye that had made him infamous in the ninja world, he owed to Uchiha Obito.

Because Obito had died.

Suddenly the weight of everything that had happened since that day, both in the Institute and out, collided in Kakashi's mind with renewed fervor. All the things Obito wouldn't know, but would ask about, would expect Kakashi to provide the answers for--but how could he? What was he supposed to say? Everyone you cared for is dead, Obito. Even me. Sorry about that? Somehow, Kakashi didn't exactly feel eager about it.

Yet responsibility aside, the jounin couldn't help a childish sense of glee. He'd wanted to say so many things to the real Obito since then, words he'd only been able to speak to a stone with his name carved in it. He wouldn't understand, not the way that the spirit that lingered in Kakashi's memories had. But it was better, would be so much so, because he could see Obito flail and stumble, and then get up to prove he really did have the heart and soul of a ninja. Even if he was a crybaby.

And Kakashi could show how much he really had changed. He'd never forgiven himself for his choice to abandon Rin, because of what it had cost, and Kakashi knew that wouldn't be altered now. Still, he had the sense that if he really did let Obito see the kind of man and ninja he'd become, there'd be something gained from it. Maybe something so small as Obito not regretting the idea of his own death so much, once he found out about it.

It wasn't exactly a topic Kakashi wanted to bring up, but one he couldn't so easily avoid. Even if he didn't go into that part of what happened during the war, how long would it be before Sasuke and Obito found each other? Somehow he didn't think his student would hold back information on the massacre that had followed some years later (particularly if Kakashi couldn't talk to Sasuke first), and the assumption would naturally be there. No, it would be better for Kakashi to be the one to tell Obito, and to make sure his friend knew how significant his death was.

Now, if he could only figure out a way to do that.

First thing first though, and Kakashi moved off to the side of the Sun Room where he could easily scan the crowd. Obito would be there eventually, and Kakashi didn't want to waste any time. Not when they only had a limited amount of time to not only cover the past, but also the present danger.

[Closed to Obito. Strict reserve.]

[tightsofmight]

"Really?" Peter tilted his head and furrowed his brows. "I was wondering where you two had met. I'm in M71, but my roommate's kind of iffy about bringing people around." Or rather, Brainy was just fresh out of the wheelchair from the last time somebody had paid a visit to their room, and the last thing Peter wanted was another trail leading back to him. Especially now that Grell might be keeping an eye on both of them, watching who they talked to. The less attention paid to where they slept, the better. "So we still don't know which one Kitty's in?"

His eyes trailed after the finger and landed on the note, and Peter felt another familiar twinge - guilt. "Yeah, no. I just woke up like, two seconds ago." Nothing else to do but snag a pen from the runner on the board and write him back. Man, he sucked at keeping track of people.

"But he's okay otherwise? I mean, he's had some crappy luck since he got here. I don't know. I haven't had a chance to sit down with him since I threw him at your head, and that wasn't exactly a prime bonding opportunity." Peter paused, frowning. He wasn't sure what he would prefer. Telling Kurt the news and ruining his good mood, or taking his bad mood and making it worse.

"Between you and me? I worry about them. I get the feeling they haven't been in a situation like this before. Both Kurt an Kitty. They're-" He stopped himself again. How to put this without sounding like a jerk? "-like normal kids. I mean they've obviously been in fights with their powers and stuff before, but nothing like here. Pointy things coming at your jugular. People shooting at you."

In other words, not like you and me.

[scalyfishman.livejournal.com]

Depth Charge, when he woke up, wasn't just cranky. Oh, no. He was furious.

Maybe he'd had it coming to him- he'd been letting his guard down a lot over the last couple of days, getting complacent, just sucking up the daily grind and rolling with it without blowing a gasket or two over it when he probably should have done. Well, to the Pit with that. Nothing justified what they'd done to him. Nothing. They could tear out his circuits or rip out his gears, but his processor- his personality core, Primus, his mind- that was strictly off-limits. Do not pass Go, do not collect energon.

He felt oddly queasy, standing in the Sun Room. How had they done it? He couldn't remember any experiments, any surgery, any treatment... zip. Was he really so easily manipulated? Well, whatever the case, they'd done a slagging good job of it- everything he'd said, everything he'd done... just knowing how deeply he'd fallen for it was enough to ignite something inside of him. Something, he realised, that had been conspicuously cool for what felt like an age, but, in reality, couldn't have been more than the week he had spent here.

It occurred to him that he was going to make them pay for this, and that was odd enough- feeling that old instinct kick in. He hadn't exactly sworn an oath in mech fluid, Depth Charge conceded, but there was more than enough passion to back him up.

"Mr. Price? Are you alright?"

He blinked uncertainly, then realised he was standing in front of his nurse. Right.

"Get out of my face," he snapped back, sidestepping the woman before she could object and kicking back on a sofa across the room. The power he felt for it was immense. Primus, it was good to be back.

[shamusdoggydog.livejournal.com]

Sam stood in front of the bulletin board with the intention of rereading that monster list he'd seen yesterday, but he couldn't find it anymore. All he found were a bunch of messages for people he didn't know, and a surprisingly large amount notes claiming that the writer hadn't been themself yesterday.

Sam thought he saw the word MAX on one of the notes, and his heart leapt. But once he'd read the rest of the note, he realised that it couldn't be him. The handwriting was messy enough, but it wasn't Max's kind of messy, and the writing style was strangely formal. Not his Max.

Disappointed, Sam walked away from the bulletin board and slumped into a chair. He'd give anything to be playing Fizzball with Max right now. Or baseball. Or golf, or even cricket. Really, he just wanted to hit something with a stick.

[for Scott Pilgrim]

[gothamsfuture.livejournal.com]

"Technically, we met just before you decided to show just how stubborn you could be." Terry knew it wasn't something they needed to talk about, but it was one of the precious things he could bring up that was safe. He'd long forgiven Peter for that night, having his own idea of just what it was like to be manipulated that way thanks to Spellbinder. And it didn't reach into any of that private territory, so Terry shrugged. "Then in the showers. Kind of surprising the first time you see him without the fur."

He could understand the whole deal about a roommate wanting privacy. "That's fine. We can keep the meeting place to our room or Kitty's, whenever we find out where she is. It's just good to know in case of emergency." Like if someone mysteriously disappeared for days on end. And now that he'd ripped that wound right open again, Terry yet again kicked himself mentally for not getting Bruce's room number. Peter might have felt guilty about Kurt, but at least he had a way to just ask about him.

"Yeah. As much as any of us can be. He was more angry about why the nurses took down his note than anything else. Except maybe everyone thinking he and Kitty are an item." Terry would've still bet on rejection himself, but whatever the reason, Kurt made the answer clear each and every time it was brought up. Enough so Terry was feeling a bit bad for the guy over it.

What Peter brought up next was unexpected, but when he thought about it, Terry had to nod. Things that had been brought up, like his enemies knowing who he was and where he lived, along with how he'd seen Kurt act in a few situations kind of pointed in that direction. Along with another conversation they had. "Yeah, I can see that. Even powers aren't going to be much help in deal with how this place tries to mess with heads." Nowhere near as good as experience, or so Terry thought. Considering that he was pretty much an ordinary human hanging around a bunch of super-powered teens, he figured the assumption was reasonable.

"Kurt brought up something the other night too. He's worried about having to kill." And before Peter could go making the wrong assumption, Terry quickly continued. "I told him I'm not exactly a fan of the idea either. Truth is I've made it a point not to go there back home." Not that he hadn't wanted to; Blight, Fixx, even Big Time. They weren't people that Terry was exactly quick to mourn. But at the same time, there were moments when he'd almost had to kill someone. That time when Superman tried to off the entire JLU came to mind, and what had Terry done then? Hesitated and almost gotten them all killed.

"I told him that it's better for us to take on the burden than letting innocent people get sucked into this mess. The kind who don't have any sort of experience or powers." And if the comparison Peter had made held true, Terry knew there'd be just as many faces popping into Peter's head then as there were in his own. "It's not comforting, but it's the truth, and I think Kurt agreed with that. Still though."

Saying, doing. Two things that were farther apart than the worlds they were all from. Even Terry couldn't say with certainty that he could kill a human being when the time came. Just thinking about it made his stomach tighten enough to make him think Peter had been lucky to miss the waffles.

"All we can do is be there for them, you know?" They couldn't stop Kurt and Kitty from fighting; not only did Terry think the other two wouldn't go for it, the truth was that even people like Peter and Terry needed the help. Hell, even someone like Bruce Wayne needed the help in a situation like this, and that was saying something. "They've got a good start, so maybe they'll be able to toughen up okay. At least I don't think they'll break."

Or so he hoped. But the lingering voice in the back of his kept reminding him that Wayne was missing, and as much as Terry wanted to deny it, that it could mean he was broken too.

[screwthegods]

Coming away from breakfast in a decent mood, Homura made his way into the Sun Room and immediately posted the club notice. It'd been considerably more difficult to come up with the wording, which was part of why the demi-god hadn't done it the day before. Of course, the stress of the prior night combined with the effects of Landel's brainwashing also factored into the choice. Now, however, they would resume their efforts, ideally with replenished vigor, as he'd hoped certain members would've taken the night to rest.

The task done, Homura made his way to a couch in the Sun Room, carefully lowering himself into one of the spaces. His ribs were better, yet far from healed, and even movements as simple as these tested his control. He could sense eyes on him from nearby, most likely the nurse who kept trying to force him into one of the wheeled-chairs, and who would continue to receive a stubborn refusal each time.

Laying his head back onto the cushion, Homura looked up through the glass ceiling. He was alone then, when it was far too early to make plans for the night, and thus he had only his thoughts to occupy him. He wondered what it felt like outside; days like these brought their own frustration if only because he couldn't feel the warmth or chill for himself, whichever it might be. Regardless, there was something calming about being able to close his eyes, however temporarily, and recall memories of days he did spend far away from walls and the secrets within them. He much preferred those times, in the one place where the gods resided that truly seemed pure.

[For Nataku]

[runner-up-robot.livejournal.com]

Breakfast had been quiet and uneventful. Which was... good? It meant that, other than a vague complaint, Forte didn't have to talk to anyone about what had happened. On the other hand, it meant he didn't have much to think about except what had happened - what was probably written in the journal he held, the things he'd said, the things he'd... felt.

That was the real problem, wasn't it? He could tell people that he'd been brainwashed, that he didn't mean what he said. But he had no idea what to do with these emotions that kept surfacing - were they just an effect of being stuck in this body, like hunger or pain, or maybe just a side-effect of whatever "Frank" was. Did he feel like this before yesterday? It was hard to remember that kind of thing, but he had been confused... especially when it came to Sheena.

*sigh*

Sheena... something about her made his brain shut down. Suddenly he became irrational, distracted, nervous. Frank's strongest feelings were definitely about Sheena, even if Forte didn't understand what he'd been talking about. But where they really just Frank's? There was something there, something more than just respecting her as a fighter, but he didn't know what it was, exactly, let alone what to do about it.

[mizuhomaiden.livejournal.com]

At least Sheena looked composed and okay by the time she left Raine and headed into the Sun Room. The half-elf was back, according to the board, some of the others were back. Yukari was not. That was just... unfair. Though it looked like, from the board, the youkai wasn't the only one still lingering in the previous day's delusions. Whoever 'Geoffrey' was, was also still stuck in them. That didn't really make the ninja feel any better. And she still couldn't deal with Yukari. So, it was time to play Avoid the Youkai again, but this time actually put effort into it.

Sheena was looking for someone to talk to that she normally wouldn't (but not someone knew - she didn't want to make any new friends at the moment) but spotted Forte. He had been a semi-topic between Raine and herself. She couldn't quite shake off the robot's confession when he'd been Frank, especially now that she'd realized that's what it had been. She also couldn't quite shake off that without her youkai, there was something just a bit appealing in his interest. Like it was something she could take comfort in for a bit.

Ugh. That feeling had a name - rebound. Gods, that damn youkai had messed with her emotions more than she'd thought if she was considering Forte for rebound. He was a robot. Robots didn't have feelings like that, right? Get a grip, Mizuho.

Well, she supposed she should at least say hi and see if he was back to being Forte like everyone else except her youkai. So, with a sigh, she started across the room to the robot.

[whos-da-man.livejournal.com]

['Sup, Ryoji. Let's scope some hot babes out!]

Junpei supposed Homura was... okay. For an asshole. Whatever.

Checking the board yielded a message from Minato. So, they'd taken him and brainwashed him like that had Yukari. That totally sucked. But it looked like someone had Minato's Evoker and was willing to give it back. Awesome! Noe they had two Evokers. A part of him was a bit irritated that he didn't have his Evoker, but he probably shouldn't wish for his considering what has to be done to get it; he had his own vampirism issues to deal with. But with Minato having been in the Sun Room, this did leave Junpei in an odd position. There was a very real chance that Ryoji had run into Minato and saw his Persona.

Well, shit. Mitsuru wasn't there anymore to do the explaining and she did say they should tell Ryoji about the whole Dark Hour/Persona crap. Junpei might as well bite the bullet and do it himself. Ryoji might be willing to believe more of it if it was Junpei telling him and not one of the senpai. So, finding a centrally located couch, Junpei kept an eye out for Ryoji.

[number1smiley.livejournal.com]

[strict closed to the younger Winchester]

It seemed Teresa's unacknowledged desire for Lelouch to do something she understood that she felt justified in getting violent over was not going to come to pass. His and Euphemia's morning meal passed uneventfully as far as she could tell. So it was that Teresa decided to stop watching them and go look at the bulletin board.

So Homura had posted for the History Club. It seemed he was having as much trouble as she was talking about their activities. She would just bypass the restrictions by speaking to the demigod herself later on. Turning back to lean against the wall, arms crossed, she did spot Homura, but he appeared to be resting. He certainly looked like he needed it. She would find him come lunch and let him be for now.

[arc-wrench.livejournal.com]

Well, that had been surprisingly productive. HK was used to spending the day doing nothing more than staving off boredom in the form of antagonizing meatbags or being antagonized himself, not that it was his favorite way to not be bored. Now they had a third member to the group, if SubZero failed to show up again. A Decepticon. Hopefully, this would not be amusingly disastrous.

HK was escorted to the Sun Room and found a place to sit, stiff and mostly unmoving, apart from angular motions of his head to inspect the meatbags currently in the room. If none of them bothered him of their own volition, he'd have to chose a likely candidate to pester.

[For Tony Stark!]

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

After taking a moment to tack a napkin up (http://community.livejournal.com/damned_bulletin/625552.html) to the board at random, Momo rubbed her temple and yawned. She was a bit tired and the couches looked inviting.

Choosing one off to the side, but in view of the board, the shinigami sat down and tucked her legs underneath her. Her burns were mostly healed and at least the nurses finally agreed that she didn't need her left arm in a sling. Resting her head on her arm, eyes half-closed, Momo let her mind drift. She had therapy later on according to her nurse. Would Dr. Disraeli have the art supplied he'd promised her?

[For Artemis]

[composers-proxy.livejournal.com]

While the thought of some new music was enticing, even if it was played on CD, the nurse had other ideas and led him right back to the room he'd started in yesterday. It was big and there was that bulletin, but not being able to run around as he liked felt stifling. Shibuya, as crowded and dirty as it was, it was still home. But instead of the low hum of people around him talking and advertisements blaring every which way, there was just the strange static that seemed to grow louder the more people he was around. It was like listening to the radio on a channel he couldn't quite tune-in to.

Besides that, he could actually see the Arts and Crafts room, but the nurses wouldn't let him go inside. It was like being stuck outside the last obstacle of the week and running into a barrier. Only here there was no Reaper to play games with or challenge so that he could get through. Just a sea of grey pajamas, not a red hoodie in sight. It was probably the first and last time he'd ever actually wanted to see one of them.

With nothing better to do, Neku stood in front of the bulletin, fiddling with his radio and trying to find a station that would actually play something interesting and not the top 50 for those over 50.

[Reserved for Sho and Sora]

[offduty.livejournal.com]

Man, so much for meeting the the grand general yesterday.

Not that Reno was had looked forward to that meeting anymore than he looked forward to finding all they had was decaf in the morning, but still, it'd kinda been a done deal and he'd rather they come find him than have Sephiroth pop up over his shoulder outta nowhere. That would just be freaky.

Oh, well. At least everyone knew not to drive him nuts now.

His gaze settled on a familiar bush of spiky black hair over on the other side of the room.

Then again.

He blinked. What was this, a tenth anniversary reunion? Was everyone just popping back, dead or alive? And if so, what was with the lack of his people? This didn't seem fair. It was all...unbalanced. And stuff. 'Cause he could use Elena right now. He couldn't believe she'd disappeared both times, right under his nose, and he didn't even know how or why. It was just not right. Hell, he could use Tseng right now, too.

Rufus might be complicated. But he wasn't go there.

Reno found a couch and plunked down on it. Where was Rude when he needed someone to bitch at?

[Kagura? :3]