damned_institute | Day 46: Lunch

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Day 46: Lunch

The mere fact that she'd been susceptible to whatever hold the Institute had had on her yesterday was sufficient to leave Ayumu both upset and angry - no, not angry, downright furious, both at herself and whoever was responsible for that. But there was also the fact that because of it, she'd lost out on an entire day of work, and in several ways had ruined some of what she'd done already. That little conversation with Himura the day before, for instance, was something she'd sincerely prefer not to remember if she'd had any choice in the matter.

Unless the man was a complete moron, which, unfortunately, was one thing she couldn't believe of him, he had to have realized just who her brother was. After all the effort to keep that fact quiet (not exactly a secret, but certainly not advertised; half the Shinsengumi probably never even realized it because there was no reason to) she'd gone and chatted about it with him. Told him all about it, practically painted a bright target around a weakness that shouldn't have existed in the first place.

She'd spent the shift in the Sun Room pretending to sleep, while in truth forcing herself into calm. After years of practice she could shunt away the useless and distracting emotions, focusing only on what was important and needed to be at the forefront of her mind, and by the time the intercom signaled the lunch period she was feeling considerably calmer. The time to silently observe others had, as well, alerted her to something she probably should have noticed earlier: Mello was back. Would her previous objective be reinstated now? He seemed to have far less of a bulletin presence this time, so perhaps not. Still, though, it bore investigating.

None of her thoughts were visible, of course, as she moved through the line, examining the lunch selection somewhat dubiously. Now with the benefit of Yuuko's memories she might recognize the food, but she certainly didn't share the enthusiasm for it that her imaginary self apparently had. Ayumu skipped past that part and settled for the salad bar and some bread, then positioned herself in a place where she could watch both the door and the rest of the room, setting her journal open in front of herself as though planning to write something. There was far too much that she'd missed, too much work to do now.

[for Okita]

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Aidou looked up as another prisoner came close, having been lost in thought over an oddly shaped mushroom on the edge of a pizza slice. It was a male’s voice, and a new face, at that, he saw as he watched the other sit. Not to mention, the greeting was informally friendly. Atypical for a stranger like him in approaching someone like Aidou.

Well, this is Landel’s, isn’t it? As usual.

He wasn‘t about to use the energy to try and match the man, so he just politely blanked his expression and said, “Hello.”

… It was the last thing he really had room to be thinking about, but honestly? Were there no girls left, or something? A part of him preferred the treatment the Night Class received… and might always. He was at his best in those surroundings. But then again, the screaming and the clinginess would never work well in the Institute. So he could make do with this.

For someone so young, this kid really had a sour look on his face, didn't he? Zack could pick it out from a mile away, and he would have been reminded of Cloud if his friend hadn't always tried so hard when they were around each other. Cloud had been full of insecurities and eagerness, whereas this guy just seemed bored.

Still, in this case? Bored might be good. It might mean that the stranger was used to this place to the point that most things didn't surprise him, which meant that he'd know a lot about it.

First things first, though. "I'm Zack," he started, scooting his chair closer to the edge of the table so that he could stick his hand out to the teen. "Nice to meet you, though it'd be a little nicer if I could figure out how I ended up here."

That would make it obvious that he was new (if the kid hadn't figured it out already), and then maybe Zack would be able to find out some more while attempting to cheer the guy up. All in a day's work, right?

If he hadn’t already been suspicious of it, the man practically came out and said he was one of the latest captives to be introduced into the main population, like lifestock.

The vampire pitied the new ones, he did. Especially if they had no way to defend themselves.

This one, though… He looked down at the proffered hand--handshakes again, was it?--before following it back to its source and considering the scar on the man’s face. This guy had a particular kind of musculature. Not the average young adult. He probably wasn’t physically defenceless by the evidence, and also considering how unbalanced the ratio of skilled to unskilled prisoners was. But if the hospital had been all about physical abilities, the noble would’ve been long gone even with the repression of his other faculties…

And there was still the hand.

Aidou raised his own hand onto the table, then put it into Zack’s with just enough pressure to inform them that they were actually touching. “You can call me Aidou,” he said, and in the same breath, “I doubt anyone knows. It’s the same for everyone.”

It wasn't much of a handshake that he got, but it was good enough. Zack didn't know what the kid's problem was, but he wasn't going to get offended by it. He'd still gotten a name out of him, and while Aidou wasn't the most talkative teenager in the world (not by a long shot), he was still saying enough to get Zack interested.

While it was hard being in the position of the ignorant when he was so used to instructing subordinates, Zack knew that the only way to get past that stage was by learning as much as possible. He knew better than most that it was stupid to underestimate someone just because they were young. He still wasn't sure how Cloud had managed to take down Sephiroth the way he had.

"What do you mean by the same for everyone?" Zack asked after a small pause. He couldn't imagine every single person in this place had woken up after dying, nor did he want it to be true. It seemed like there would be more panicking if that was the case, but maybe everyone else felt the same way that he did. How upset could you really be, when you were alive again despite all odds?

He still didn't know how he felt about it, but he was going to have to make the best of it now that it had happened.

“I mean, currently no one knows how they arrived here,” the vampire clarified, retracting his hand in order to fold one arm over the other in front of him. “You probably woke up in a bed with no memory of how, am I right? It’s the same for each one of us. It doesn’t seem to matter where you were or what you were doing--you’ll suddenly find yourself conscious here, with a nurse calling you by a different name and thinking you’re crazy.”

Aidou’s self-righteous anger was a fire that never burnt out, even when it didn’t involve all the humiliations and violations of the Institute, but his tone of voice was moderated by a kind of placidity. Facts were facts, though he still had to fight to keep a frown from darkening his face. He didn’t entirely succeed in preventing his derision from coloring the word ‘crazy’, either. But if this guy was going to sit there the whole time, he’d probably have questions. If Aidou couldn’t keep a lid on his emotions while answering, what kind of noble was he?

“Have you had any of this explained to you already?”

Okay, so it would be a little harder to keep an even face if he had to inform someone that this was actually a demented prison, and not a quaint hospital.

Where you were or what you were doing—but what if you were dead? Zack had to fight to keep a frown off of his face as he thought it over. The way Aidou explained it made it sound like most people were just plucked out of their daily lives and deposited in this place. While that was kind of crazy on its own, it wasn't anywhere near the idea of resurrections. Still, it was good to hear that he might be the only one who'd been a result of some back-from-the-dead experimenting.

"I've heard a few things," Zack explained when Aidou tried to get an idea of how much he knew. It looked like he'd picked the right moody teenager to sit with, seeing how Aidou didn't seem to have a problem with giving out information even if he seemed pretty sick of the whole thing. That wasn't a good sign, but Zack hoped the boy wouldn't mind if he took advantage of his knowledge for a little while.

"I know that this is some sort of organization that's taken us all for brainwashing and what sounds like slow torture, especially for all the civilians who probably aren't used to dealing with monsters," he summarized. Zack didn't know how many gritty details he was still unaware of, but it looked like he might be about to find out.

"Thanks for hearing me out, by the way," Zack finished as he sent the kid an appreciative smile. He could tell that Aidou was at least slightly annoyed, so it was best to show him that he was grateful.

A few things were better than nothing at all, he supposed… Not that he was a gigantic bleeding heart that was going to write weepy bulletin board messages if this guy happened to turn up missing, or got seriously injured during the course of the night, but… eh, he wasn’t heartless, either. It looked like he was going to be providing some information over lunch, and all things considered, one could do worse than getting it from him. He hadn’t been stuck in Landel’s this long and come out with nothing to show for it.

Just almost nothing. Which was… unfortunately one of those things he just had to swallow.

He dropped his chin into the palm of one hand, and took a bite of pizza while Zack talked. ‘Civilians’, he’d said. Regular humans didn’t invoke that kind of language, nor did they discuss monsters without batting an eyelash. Guess he’d been right. And the man, himself, was pretty correct in his own right. At the thanks, though, he gave Zack a sideways look. “I have done anything worth your thanks yet,” he reminded the guy. If not the vampire, there’d have been someone else… For as much as the prisoners completely failed in getting one cohesive act together, most of them were at least capable of passing on the basics by word-of-mouth.

“That’s a fairly apt summary,” he went on. “Brainwashing happens to be a particular favorite; a select number will be subjected to it at least every second day.” Of course, a generalization was a generalization: yesterday was a prime example of how nothing was ever exactly routine. It was disgusting. “You’ve been told about what happens when the sun sets, then?”

Nothing worth his thanks? What kind of comment was that? Zack laughed and shook his head. "'Course you have! You've been willing to hear me out about all this even though it probably bores you to death, and that's something." As someone who had stumbled into a position where he was often training the newest recruits, Zack knew how often he had to repeat himself or give the same lessons in how to be a good SOLDIER. He'd tried not to borrow too much of Angeal's philosophy, since he'd wanted to craft a Zack philosophy, but either way it got repetitious after a while.

It seemed odd that there was a set pattern for when the brainwashing happened, but did that mean that they could only do it to a few people at a time, or did that mean that it wore off? Zack wasn't going to like the answer either way, but Aidou seemed to know way more about it than Anthy had (understandably so), and so he wanted to get the full story now.

When asked how much he knew about night, Zack leaned back in his seat and shrugged. "Well, I know that there are monsters around, and I'm guessing that means we have some range of movement." They were probably locked into the building somehow, though. This place seemed expansive enough to have a large security system.

"But how exactly does the brainwashing work?" he continued. "Someone I met said it happened to her friend and she thought she was someone else, but is there more to it than that?" Zack was going to avoid letting it happen to him at all costs, but he wondered how much luck he'd have with that. These people had managed to bring him back without his permission, so how much could he do to stop anything else they tried? It got his blood flowing just thinking about it.

Oh, this guy must just really be one of those types. If Aidou had gotten a proper amount of blood each time a prisoner snarked at him because they mistakenly assumed he was some dumbass kid not worth talking to, he would’ve weighed five hundred pounds by now. Huh. Only the man really had no idea how not bored Aidou was.

He lifted his brows in a wry expression. “Oh, I wish. Bored is comics, or deciding what to wear. Or being the one running the show and not a player in it. You know?” Bored was normal life. Bored was starlit nights, other vampires, warm beds, and blood tablets that wouldn’t leave him constantly keeping his fangs in check. Bored was being unleashed and at full power. Bored was… not this. But Aidou wasn’t about to refute the comment too much; it was all the same. If he came across as bored, that was better than the truth of what he was feeling.

There was a lot to say in response to Zack’s questions, and he had to start laying out the most fundamental details.

“Regarding how things happen here, there’s usually no answer as of yet. I don’t think any of the prisoners know how exactly their brainwashing works. Most commonly, at dinner a handful of people will be taken to the third floor by the staff for the procedure, but they don’t seem to remember much more than that, and as far as I know, no one has broken into the third floor yet.” He paused for a moment, eyes pale blue and distant. Then: “Yesterday… a large number of people woke up believing they were the person the nurses identify them as, wholly and truly. There was no warning. It’s never happened before, and I’ve been here twenty-four days.” How that cut deep to put into words… but he clamped down on his composed expression, merely adding, “And you’re right. You’ll be able to traverse the building at night, even the area beyond the hospital. But how far you’ll get is another question.”

That wasn't really the response Zack had been expecting. He carefully watched the boy as he spoke about what was truly boring, and with some deliberation Zack had to agree. Boring was those ordinary things that became routine, whereas this was nothing but. They were trapped and being played with and while it wasn't boring, at this point Zack's greatest wish would be returning to those mundane parts of life. Four years had been long enough.

"I guess I do know, but... let me rephrase? You seem like you're used to all this, so I'm grateful you're willing to deal with my ignorance." Zack had never been all that appreciative of his instructors when he'd first joined SOLDIER. He'd just wanted to learn more, more, more, and now that he looked back on his earlier days, he realized he'd bordered on obnoxious sometimes. He owed a lot to Angeal for putting up with him...

He would have owed Sephiroth too, but he'd paid his debt in full when it came to that man.

As Aidou launched into a more in-depth explanation, Zack clasped his hands together and tried to listen. He was getting antsy (why couldn't they all just band together and break out of this joint?), but it had taken years for him to break out of that lab in the Shin-Ra mansion. He was more mobile in this place, but maybe that was just a false sense of freedom. He had wings, but they were broken.

His goal quickly became getting to the third floor (that had to be where all the answers were, and it was something tangible he could hold onto). Though as Aidou continued, it seemed to Zack that what Anthy had told him about had been a result of whatever had happened yesterday, rather than the dinnertime kidnappings that seemed more common.

"In a way, that's good news. I was starting to worry that most of the people here were brainwashed all the time, but I guess that's not the case." It would make it a little easier to just talk to people without second guessing himself, at least. "And what makes it so hard to get anywhere?" If Aidou was right and it was possible to get out of the building, then what stopped people from just making a break for it? Zack was sure there was some sort of reason, but he'd rather know in advance before trying it himself.

“It’s all right,” he said slowly. Hey, there was nothing wrong with a little appreciation. In fact, he thought he deserved a lot more of it--though not all from this guy. That he hadn’t been expecting it in this situation made Zack’s humbling all the more apparent.

And it was sincere enough, too, which meant he wasn’t dealing with the usual two-faced suck up. That was nice.

Discussing the most common elements of the hospital was unnecessary repetition when he’d already mulled everything over a thousand times over (or more, probably) in his own head, but it did serve as a reminder. A reminder that things didn’t make much more sense to Aidou than they could to this man, meaning the vampire was either the stupidest genius on Earth, which he wasn’t, or Landel’s was just that effective. He had to admit, things would be easier if it were actually the former and not the latter.

“For those imprisoned, at least. Any of the staff you meet is likely being manipulated, if they’re even human. They transform into beasts after hours, too, and it’s the creatures you’ll encounter that cause a large part of the problem. There are all kinds of guards, not to mention the people taken for brainwashing during dinner--they are sent back out during the night and directed to attack their fellows with their full powers back.” Aidou held up a finger before immediately raising a second. “The fact most prisoners’ special abilities are nonexistent during the day and severely restricted at night is another problem. It creates a vast gap in power.” A third finger. “And progress can be impeded at any time if our captor so wishes. You’ll have to get used to unpleasant surprises and spontaneous blackouts. Our time’s not really our own.”

It hadn't occurred to Zack that the nurses themselves might be just as trapped as they were, and he definitely hadn't thought that any of the pretty-faced women he'd seen so far today might turn into something different the moment it got dark. He was used to Shin-Ra, where most physical defects were constant and obvious. He had seen Genesis degrade, and while it had been gradual, it hadn't been pretty by the end. How could there be a switch between the normal and the grotesque like that? Did the poor people even realize?

As if that wasn't bad enough, it turned out that there were two different kinds of brainwashing. Zack wasn't sure what was worse, thinking you were an entirely different person or feeling compelled to attack people who should have been your allies. He resolved to not found out what either was like, but the fact that so many others had been put through it already was enough to set him on edge.

And... seriously? Restricted abilities? Zack knew that he had an advantage with his SOLDIER conditioning, but did this mean that he might not have that extra push anymore? He knew he wasn't supposed to rely on it, but it was kind of hard not to, and if there really were as many monsters as Aidou was reporting, then...

He'd been resigned to not having any Materia and somewhat irked about not having a sword, but now he was weaker in one more aspect? It really didn't seem fair, and Zack felt his shoulders droop into a defeated stance before he caught himself and quickly straightened. No, he had to stay focused. A SOLDIER never let his guard down; even if he'd retired from the company, so many of those instincts were still there.

The time issue was really just the icing on the cake. Zack wasn't sure he knew what Aidou meant specifically, but he got the feeling he'd find out soon enough. Once the teen had finished, Zack expelled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. That definitely was a lot stacked against them.

"I guess it makes more sense now," he replied after a moment. "I thought it was kind of weird that everyone hadn't managed to work together and just force their way out, especially if there are others who have been here as long as you." What had Aidou said earlier? Twenty-four days? It didn't get anywhere near the four years Zack had endured, but even one more day in captivity was too long for Zack.

Aidou did have a particular disinclination for beating around the bush in most respects; he hadn’t thought much of what that trait would do to the person he was dumping info. on. Not that he would have fudged stuff for Zack, but it was almost sort of depressing to see the reality of the situation embodied in the guy’s momentary slouch.

Hell, not even half the reality of the situation, actually. Ehhh.

“That’s because they’re stupid and don‘t know what they‘re doing,” the vampire put in, like it was an obvious observation. Zack had to be an optimist, or… well, yeah, there were plenty of fighters out there who were kind of thick. He didn’t immediately get that exact impression from this man, but he couldn’t rule it out. Denial was a powerful thing and all that. Even in the best of circumstances, Aidou was rather confident the prisoners’ behavior would be the same as it was now: backbiting and disorganized.

“Don’t worry, though,” he added, in regards to the issue of bringing Landel’s down, “I’m on it.” And coming from Aidou, it came across as more of a dead serious fact than a joke. Inwardly, it wasn’t a joke in the slightest, because damn it, he’d be the last man (vampire) standing, if that’s what it took.

That seemed like a pretty bold claim to be making, but Zack couldn't immediately brush it off. Aidou had been here for a while, after all, so he would have been able to meet with a lot of the other patients and get a general idea of what they were like. Zack would have to see for himself before he agreed with something like that (he usually had way more faith in people, or he tried to), but he would have to keep it in mind.

What was more amusing to him was the confidence in which the boy insisted that he had it all taken care of. It reminded Zack of when he'd been sixteen and in Second Class and felt like he was on top of the world. He'd thought he could do anything, and while he'd been good, he'd made his share of mistakes. That was something he could admit to now. At least it hadn't stopped him from getting a fan club eventually.

Still, there was no reason not to take Aidou seriously. If anything, Zack was further interested. It was exciting to come across someone who had a plan, especially if that someone wasn't a Shin-Ra executive who was just going to be condescending.

"Oh yeah? What did you have in mind? Maybe I can help out." Just having something to do with himself, or a goal in mind -- that would make Zack feel ten times better.

The vampire made a vague wave with his free hand, partially in order to dismiss the man’s offer of assistance, and partially due to how hard it would be to put all of his ideas into words. One of Aidou’s problems was more of less that he had too many plans, saw too many avenues to take. And until he’d followed the threads far enough back that they began revealing the greater picture, they each seemed like separate areas of study, taking their own time and energy. As he’d implied, progress was slow to obtain, and doing everything at once was impossible even for him. He’d been bouncing from dot to dot at his own discretion, and although the end goal was the same, it made outlining a strategy for another rather challenging.

He hadn’t done much sharing in that sense, anyway; for the most part, he’d worked closely with others solely when it was necessary.

… Like with the basement, which required a certain number of people.

Aidou gazed across the table at Zack. “The only way to flip the tables is to discover how they do what they do. I’m investigating what I can, so I’d always be interested in hearing anything you’d have to share.” As ever, second-hand accounts had their flaws, but they were probably the best and most ready tool available. Connections could have their price, though. “We could swap, of course, if you need.” Although it was obvious this guy had yet to get sucked into a particular group, who knew if he would, or if he’d attach strings to his offers in the future. It was too early to tell. His expression turned thoughtful. “You seem to me like you’ve got experience in this sort of thing. Conflict. Are you a fighter?”

So it was about gathering information, huh? Zack knew how important that would be, but at this point he knew woefully little about his situation. He intended to find out more, of course, but he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to learn anything that Aidou hadn't already found out for himself. The kid just had so many more days under his belt that Zack got the feeling that anything of note that he discovered would just be old news.

Still, he could keep things in mind just in case. Aidou was implying that there were still many things he didn't know, which meant that Zack might just end up stumbling on something new or different.

And then came the question about his fighting ability. In a way, that was the best skill that Zack had to offer. At this point, he kind of hated to admit it after being condescended to by the very company he'd worked for for so long (not anymore), but he knew it was what he was the best at. He had a knack for fighting, even for killing, and he couldn't deny that. He'd just have to stay proud of his skills and make sure to use them for the right reasons.

"Yeah, I'm a soldier of sorts, so I've been professionally trained. I'm best with a sword," Zack explained. Materia would have been helpful, but it wasn't the sort of thing he expected he could find here, especially if this was a whole different planet from Gaia. He knew it would pointless to rely on magic in the first place, though, so if he could just miraculously find himself a sword...

“Who isn’t around here…” Aidou mumbled at the pizza he picked up again before saying, louder, “I see.”

Being ‘professionally trained’ in whatever way was common, but not quite common enough to become a general assumption. Swordsman, though… they were getting there. Swords weren’t a rare speciality by any means--everyone Aidou knew was at least proficient with them, and Ichijou favored his style of blade--but every non-vampire under the sun here seemed to favor them, too.

Their practicality gave them points, of course. Still, the vampire wasn’t terribly surprised by Zack’s admission.

“Weapons like that are possible to obtain,” he revealed to the man. “You can get knives and pipes and things on the second floor, but there are also a few prisoners capable of making more complex weapons so long as you have the materials that go into them, I believe. Don’t ask me how. If you ask carefully on the bulletin in the Sun Room, one might get in touch with you and tell you more.” He took a bigger bite of pizza slice and swallowed. “But that’s good, good that you have some skills. There are some areas one can’t venture alone. I might borrow you to make a little group, then.”

If you last. And Aidou could get away with it.

While Zack had already been interested in this conversation, he was even more intrigued when Aidou revealed that it was actually possible to get a sword here. If he could manage that, then he would really be in business. He shot the boy a grin. He knew it would never match up to the Buster Sword, but Zack had already passed that on to someone else. Once again, he hoped that Cloud was safe, wherever he was.

The process for getting a weapon made almost sounded like Materia Fusion. Gather up all the necessary components, combine them all together, and then out came a sword. This talk about a bulletin was new to him, too, and Zack was becoming more and more aware of the fact that he had a lot to learn.

"I'll look into it, thanks," he said sincerely. As for being "borrowed" into a group, Zack realized that it was far from him to refuse. While part of him wanted to work as his own person rather than under someone else's orders, he owed it to Aidou for being so patient with him.

"You got it," he added with a nod. "You ever need me for something, just let me know." He gave the kid a thumbs-up and then straightened in his chair when the intercom went off. So that was all for this meal, huh?

Letting out a sigh, Zack stood from his seat and gave Aidou one last smile. "Thanks again for all your help." Now he'd have to ask one of the nurses about that bulletin board...

He was used to mentoring other people. For all that’d been left unsaid--there were a hundred tips and warnings he could’ve given Zack, after all, some of which were better left on paper--Aidou had touched on some of the more important points. Combined with some sense and the Institute’s swift learning curve, the guy had a pretty good start, didn’t he?

The vampire would keep him in mind, too. Usually if either of them were going to write the other off, whether because Aidou found something lacking, or Zack knew a vampire when he saw one, it would’ve happened much earlier in the conversation. A workable acquaintance was always something to keep in mind. And there was time enough to consider his options… more than twenty-four hours before he could attempt the basement again, and with the preparation that went into it, tomorrow night was an overly optimistic judgment.

“You’re welcome,” the noble replied, and waggled his fingers at Zack in an idle goodbye. He still had a couple of slices of pizza to eat before he was collected by his own nurse. He could do it. “I’m sure we’ll see each other.”

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Day 46: Lunch

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