damned_institute | Night 48: M51-M60 Hallway

[M57]

Having no roommate pretty much sucked. Even if the first guy who'd been in here with him had just slept the whole time, at least there'd been someone else around. It was one small thing to focus on, even if only as a perplexity. Tieria had actually given him someone to talk to after that, but this evening the man had just never shown up. Did that mean he was gone? Or maybe the nurses switched things around sometime. If not, though, that'd make the second roommate of his who'd just up and disappeared.

Was he bad luck or something?

It looked like he had the room to himself for the moment, but that wasn't something Zack liked. He'd prefer to have someone to chat with over dinner, but instead he'd been forced to eat in silence and then scribble in his journal to pass the time. He'd made sure to get a hold of his flashlight before the lights went out, but since that was really the only thing he needed at this point, it wasn't like he'd had to do much preparation.

The announcements from the Head Doc spiced things up a little, but it was hard to care too much when Zack had barely any idea of what the man was going on about. Jill, a rebel... what was all that? Maybe he could ask Aidou, since the kid seemed to be well-informed. If they got the chance, anyway. He didn't know how much effort this task of theirs was going to take, but he'd stay focused on the matter at hand if that was what it came to. He was nothing if not a good soldier, as much as it hurt him to admit these days.

Once Landel was done talking, all Zack could do was wait. He stood in the center of the room and started in on some squats, figuring that he could limber up while he waited for Aidou to arrive. He hoped it wouldn't take too long.

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It was harder than usual to be cheery, but it was also something of a distraction. If he kept himself busy meeting new people and trying new things, he didn't have time to be sad about his missing friends. At least, not until it was dark and he was alone with his thoughts. It hurt that Takashi hadn't told him and part of him knew why his cousin kept it from him, but... it was the other part that wanted to go wild and throw a raging temper tantrum on the floor, even if all the screaming and tears wouldn't bring his friends back and even if it really wasn't at all Takashi's fault.

When there was a knock on the door, he went to it automatically, opening it a crack before he pulled it further, brown eyes glancing up at his friend for a moment before they went down to the floor, somber and much cooler than usual. Even if being perky and happy were fun, Takashi was one of the few people he could completely be himself around, happy or sad.

"Only Remy-chan signed up today," he reported, going to collect his things and fetch Usa-chan from his bed. "So we can go after he gets here."

The change in Mitsukuni's normal behavior was glaringly obvious. Even those who hadn't been raised with him would be able to tell, which made this feel all that much worse when Mori saw him. He was somber, hurt and unhappy - and it was all Mori's fault. He needed to be punished for disappointing the Haninozuka heir, but unlike that time with the cavity, Mori wasn't quite sure how to go about getting that punishment.

Instead, he followed Mitsukuni into the room and closed the door. If Remy was coming soon, that meant they didn't have much time alone before Mitsukuni had to pretend to be happy-go-lucky again. Forcing him into a leadership position with this club was the last thing Mori had wanted, but that was exactly how it'd turned out.

But for the time being, they could be themselves. "Don't hold back." If Mitsukuni wanted to throw a tantrum and launch Mori across the room, Mori would take it. He'd do anything to make his cousin feel better, even if he wasn't sure what was within his power to do right now.

Takashi followed him into the room and Honey was quick to retrieve his stuffed toy and hug it to his chest. As much of a relief as it might be to throw things and scream, it was his cousin who always gave him the opportunity to be himself. Whether it was in the host club or now, where he had to try so hard to be strong, Takashi didn't care if Honey was himself. His lower lip shook for a moment before he attached himself to his friend's side, tears welling up and spilling over his cheeks as he sobbed loudly into the other boy's shirt. As often as he'd cried crocodile tears over spilled cakes or missed naps, these tears were nothing like that.

He cried for his missing friends, both the ones he'd had before and the ones he'd made here. He cried because for all his training, he'd been helpless to stop it from happening. He cried because sometimes it was hard to believe that they'd ever get back home or save everyone like he promised. And even if he never said a word of it out loud, in-between the sobs he'd been holding back, he knew somehow that Takashi would understand. Even if he didn't, it was enough that he was here now.

While he'd half expected a fight, what happened was something Mori felt infinitely worse about. It wasn't often that Mitsukuni really cried. Sure, he cried and let a tear or two escape at an opportune time to get extra cake or sympathy from a pretty girl, but it was rare that he really cried from the heart. Seeing those tears well up and feeling his friend press against him, Mori felt his heart break and his brow furrowed. This was no place for them, no place for Mitsukuni. As strong as his cousin was, this place? He didn't deserve this.

When Mitsukuni cried into his shirt, Mori held onto him, one hand holding his head gently. They were family, after all, even if Mori acted more like a servant sometimes. Mitsukuni was his family and even without words, he understood. It was painful, watching people disappear one by one, seeing people leave them for other things, missing that cohesiveness that Tamaki had always brought. The broken promises, the fear, the pain, the doubt - it all pressed in on them from every side and Mori had known from the moment that he'd noticed Tamaki's scent being absent that things would only get harder.

And he knew they would only get harder still.

He didn't need to say that he understood. He hoped Mitsukuni knew though. He knew how hard this was and how much his cousin was trying. Closing his eyes, he let Mitsukuni cry as long as he needed. They didn't need to be strong when it was just the two of them. Not now, when it was hard to be strong even with everyone around.

Night 48: M51-M60 Hallway

Re: Outside M60

Re: Outside M60

M60

Re: M60