damned_institute | DAY 23: BREAKFAST

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DAY 23: BREAKFAST

That hadn't felt like an entire night.

And his goddamn head hurt. Pounded, even. Enough that he wondered if he was going to end up playing another round of "Christen the nurse" this morning.

Maybe it was because he'd spent so much time and energy trying to find Nowe. That could be the reason behind both those problems. Just the thought of it made his stomach turn, made him want to fucking choke something.

Still, there was shit to do. He forced himself out of bed to put away his pens and the other leftovers from the adventures that didn't happen last night. He'd have to try to talk to Sora today, to see if they could just do tonight what they were going to do last night... and to see if the kid was doing alright.

...he just wished his head would stop hurting. That was probably the result of just how badly he'd overreached himself the previous morning.

The nurse that showed up to get him was cheerful. He grunted at her, listening to her with only half an ear until she mentioned all the excitement, about someone pretending to be a patient, all that crap that Landel had mentioned.

Renji gave her a narrow-eyed look. "Dr. Landel is a goddamn lying coward, and he's lying about that, too," he said. Whether it was true or not, there was only so much good cheer he could take on a shitty morning. "I hope he chokes on a cock." No matter how much venom he put in that statement, it wasn't enough.

Then he had to listen to a lecture about language and gratitude for the rest of the walk to the cafeteria, so maybe it wasn't worth it after all. She dragged him through the breakfast line, and he ended up with granola and toast and tea and a cinnamon roll, because not even a shitty fucking night could ruin his sweet tooth. Though that thing was looking a little too sweet.

The cafeteria was pretty much empty; he had his run of the place. He sat himself about as far from the doors as he could get, and proceeded to stare at his breakfast.

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Obi-Wan was all too aware of Phoenix's stare, and it might have made him feel a little uncomfortable if he hadn't gotten a similar reaction from a couple of other patients here.

"Seen me before?" he echoed, faintly curious, and he took a sip of his juice. "Are you Earthian? A girl here told me of a 'movie' about Jedi, but she's the only Earthian I've met who's mentioned it to me." Star Wars or whatever it was called. Obi-Wan remembered how upset RC-1136 had been when Claire told him that everything he knew was essentially a work of fiction, and he supposed he didn't quite blame him. Still, he was who he was whether people believe him to be real or not. Then again, it was a little irritating to have the prisoners, in addition to the staff, insist he wasn't Obi-Wan Kenobi. It really wasn't helping his "I'm actually quite sane" case.

But then Obi-Wan perked up a little. "Or are you from the Republic?" While he wasn't exactly a galaxy-renowned celebrity where he came from, RC had certainly recognized him right away. Maybe this was a similar case.

"What's a Jedi?" Ashton asked, and Obi-Wan turned towards the swordsman. Something in his demeanor had changed a little bit, but Obi-Wan decided it was probably best not to call attention to it just yet, if at all. "Enlighten us...or, well, me, at least."

"Jedi act as peacekeepers who help maintain good interplanetary relations within the Republic, which is basically a vast government consisting of countless worlds and systems," Obi-Wan explained. "Because Jedi handle most political disputes that come up, the Republic doesn't really have much of a military or anything of that nature." At least, in his timeline, but that was a different issue altogether.

"We're observant of the ways of the Force," Obi-Wan added. "That is, we're in tune with the energy found in living things, and we use our abilities for the benefit of others."

Phoenix flushed a bit in embarrassment, and he smiled slightly, scratching his head awkwardly. Am I really that transparent? "No, I'm not...but...wait...an Earthian? I know I'm from Earth, but..." he trailed off, as he listened to the rest of what Obi-Wan had to say. After a few moments of quiet listening, Phoenix understood a bit more. He'd been a kid when he had watched Star Wars -- but he could remember the kind of universe they came from. And following the same kind of logic as he had from the beginning -- it made sense, in a quasi-freakish way, if Phoenix was to assume that anything made sense in this place.

His expression brightened a bit at Obi-Wan's description of the Jedi. "The Jedi sound a lot like defense attorneys from my world." Although, not all of the defense attorneys Phoenix knew were interested in promoting good -- but he knew he himself was, and he liked the idea of being a 'peacekeeper'. In the name of justice, of course.

Phoenix had never recalled ever being in touch with any sort of energy around him, though. Every time he'd tried to grow plants, they had always died on him -- even cacti gave up the ghost after a while. It was a sad realization that he wasn't in touch with the Force. "We don't have any powers, though."

It really was too bad. Phoenix wouldn't have minded being a Jedi. The look on his face was slightly amused at the thought -- that was the kind of thing he'd dreamed of being when he was little! And now...he was sitting next to someone who was, in his world, a fictional character...and he was actually musing about realistically becoming a Jedi.

God, maybe I really am crazy.

The thought of being a Jedi seemed rather interesting, Ashton had to admit. He enjoyed being around living things quite a bit, to be honest, and interacted with them as much as possible. Heck, he'd gotten closer to other living beings (two in particular) than most people he knew ever even could. "Huh," he mused as Obi-Wan explained. "What kind of specific abilities are you talking about? Heraldry? Or.." He raised his head a little more, looking Obi-Wan over. He wiped his hands of the icing from his latest cinnamon roll, then tapped his chin with a finger. "Sword techniques maybe?.. Cause you look kind of like a fellow warrior to me," Ashton noted. Even though the Jedi hadn't said anything about that part of his job, it looked at least a little apparent in the way he carried himself.

And whatever Phoenix was saying about defense attorneys completely flew over his head. "And what's a defense attorney..?" he asked. "I know what defense is, but.. yeah, that last word. Help."

His blush hadn't spread any more, though it was still a definite presence in his cheeks.

"Defense attorneys?" Obi-Wan took another sip of his juice, hiding the mildly incredulous look on his face. "Perhaps they're more noble on Earth than where I come from, then."

Unlike Ashton, he was familiar with the term, and a Jedi was the last thing he'd compare a defense attorney to. Many of the lawyers he'd encountered during his life were the type to defend or prosecute depending on how much money their clients offered, not because of anything like justice, truth or peace. Granted, that was probably a terrible generalization, and there were more than likely some lawyers out there who were good, kind people.

But whenever he thought of lawyers, he usually thought of Sano Sauro, and that was never exactly a good thing. That man had tried to ruin his life in one of the worst ways possible, and while Obi-Wan wasn't the type to hold grudges, he wasn't going to forget it anytime soon.

"Defense attorneys and prosecutors generally don't have powers where I come from either," Obi-Wan told Phoenix. Still, it was a little surprising to meet someone who had no special powers or combat abilities, like just about everyone else who was here. "Would you describe yourself as a typical Earthian?"

Then Ashton was asking him about his own abilities, and Obi-Wan paused for a moment. (It was odd the man was blushing a little, especially considering the food incident was over with.) "I'm mostly trained to use the Force in combat situations," he admitted. "Though some things are useful even if fighting isn't involved. I'm able to use the Force to undo some of the locks around here, for example."

Obi-Wan was impressed that Ashton was so perceptive. He was obviously skilled in what he did if he was able to pick out other swordsmen so well. "We're trained to use a lightsaber, which is the traditional weapon Jedi use," he explained. "They're essentially swords made from energy beams instead of metal."

"Well...defense attorneys in my world..." Phoenix awkwardly scratched his head again, smiling a bit sheepishly. "...to tell you the truth, not every one is interested in really defending people for the better good. Lots of them are interested in just money, like you said. But my mentor and I...she taught me everything she knows about law. And I don't care about money -- all I care about is defending people who can't defend themselves when they're wrongly accused. That's what I do, and she taught me to believe in my clients. So I guess that's why I said that."

Phoenix then began to pick apart his cinnamon bun, trying to avoid the ketchup, and he peeled off a layer and looked over at Ashton, popping a piece in his mouth and explaining while he ate. "And...where I'm from, when someone is accused of a crime and brought to a trial, a defense attorney is the person who represents the person being accused. Like a spokesperson when they can't do anything for themselves."

And...typical Earthian? What kind of question was that? He'd been an Earthian -- NO, a human being, all his life. And no one had ever asked him that kind of question. It was as if he were an alien, being peered at with a magnifying glass. "And I guess I'm a typical...Earthian. Although, you know...I...uhm...I don't know what else there is, since I've never heard anyone say I was an Earthian."

It took a minute for it to sink in for Ashton.

Lightsaber. Energy... beams? ...Was that like Energy Arrow, one of Celine's spells..? A sword made out of that sort of energy... would be a...

"Sword of Light.." Ashton mouthed to himself slowly as the two talked about and explained the definition of defense attorneys. He meant to be listening, he really did, and met Phoenix's eyes as he explained, nodded occasionally. They didn't have such a system on Expel, with little need of one - sentences were passed down by kings with little debate.

But a Sword of Light!

He stuffed a quarter of a cinnamon roll into his mouth in a huge bite, chewed only a few times and swallowed hard, washing down the chunks with orange juice. His smile swelled with excitement.

He'd remembered Rena going on about Claude being the Hero of Light and wielding the legendary Sword of Light, but he hadn't actually seen proof of the Sword even actually existing, and Claude would always hastily deny such a title if it was suggested to him. Ashton, at this point, was given to assume that Claude wasn't really the Hero of Light of legend...

But this guy seemed so nonchalant about it! He had to know. Turning to Obi-Wan suddenly, Ashton racked his brain for something to say to him about his lightsaber. He opened his mouth a number of times quite incredulously, trying to think of something, anything, that would get his thoughts across. "You know, there's a legend on Expel. Uh.. about a guy with one of those things.. a Sword of Light.. who comes and saves us all." He grinned then: talking about it made the idea sound natural. "Maybe that guy's supposed to be a Jedi."

Obi-Wan listened politely as Phoenix explained about Earthian lawyers, occasionally nodding and taking a bite of his swirly, gooey pastry. Wanting to put aside material wants for the greater good, as Phoenix claimed he did, was certainly an admirable trait Jedi sought after. "Legal systems would greatly benefit if there were more people like that," Obi-Wan said at length. "Though I imagine it isn't an easy path to follow, especially when others in the same profession are more concerned about themselves."

"And I guess I'm a typical...Earthian," Phoenix had said. "Although, you know...I...uhm...I don't know what else there is, since I've never heard anyone say I was an Earthian."

By now, Obi-Wan was starting to become accustomed to these Earthians' backward ways. He supposed they couldn't help it if they didn't have the means to establish interplanetary relations. Still, this ignorance of other cultures besides Earth's was a little bizarre, especially considering how many worlds the Republic consisted of. Space travel was simply the norm, and even planets who kept to themselves had the means to visit any world they so desired.

"I'm a little curious because most of the Earthians I've met so far have either some sort of hand-to-hand combat abilities, or they have extraordinary powers. You're the first person I've seen who has neither," Obi-Wan explained. He gave a small, dry smile. "I was starting to wonder if your Earth was mostly comprised of Force-sensitives and military personnel."

He paused as he took a sip of his juice. It was all very relevant, this business about Earth. After all, it's where they were supposedly located, right? And the fact Obi-Wan knew virtually nothing about its people, culture, laws and geography put him at a serious disadvantage. He wanted to learn more, not because of any pure curiosity like Qui-Gon's, but because it was the practical thing to do.

"Do you find the term 'Earthian' offensive?" he asked the defense attorney. "I apologize if I sound rude, but I don't know what else to call your people, so I'm afraid it will have to do unless you can think of a better term."

When Ashton suddenly turned to him, Obi-Wan was a little curious about what had made the swordsman so excited. "You know," Ashton said, "there's a legend on Expel. Uh...about a guy with one of those things...a Sword of Light...who comes and saves us all." He gave a grin. "Maybe that guy's supposed to be a Jedi."

Obi-Wan paused for a moment, blinking in faint surprise. Sword of Light...lightsaber...they certainly sounded similar. He'd heard various terms used by non-Jedi to describe the weapon, including "light sword" and "laser sword". And, in his galaxy, most people would probably think of the Jedi if they heard anything about a sword of light.

Expel would certainly not have been the first planet to have "prophecies" about the coming of the Jedi, though Obi-Wan generally went out of his way to not put too much faith in those sorts of things. Even when Qui-Gon had taken Anakin under his wing with the claim that the boy was the "Chosen One" from Jedi lore, Obi-Wan had found the story difficult to swallow.

"Perhaps. It could certainly be interpreted that way," Obi-Wan said, his voice neutral. He didn't really feel like getting into a debate about whether prophecies were real or not. "The future is never entirely set into stone, however."

"No, no! I...um. I'm just...Phoenix? Or Nick, if you'd like to call me that." Phoenix really wasn't sure what to make of the term Earthian -- it felt almost like racist profiling, yet not, because Phoenix understood where Obi-Wan was coming from just with his fuzzy memories of the movies.

Listening to the conversation between Ashton and Obi-Wan, Phoenix picked at his cinnamon roll, feeling strangely about the topic. He'd seen the lightsabers in the movies -- and then he was reminded strongly of the night where he, Adel, and the rest had rescued people from the experimentation rooms. There had been a huge metal monster that had held several lightsabers in the hall -- the last time Phoenix had even thought about it was when he'd been a kid, and he hadn't been able to recognize it at the time. Now all the kids were into the Steel Samurai, which...Phoenix had to agree, was pretty cool, but compared to something like Star Wars?

Phoenix was sure that if Maya had heard what he'd just thought, that she'd have taken a lunch tray and smacked him with it. But only after she'd taken her plate off of it, of course. Maya never wasted food.

He couldn't resist smiling at Ashton's exuberance, though -- it reminded Phoenix of Maya and her nonstop excitement. Phoenix presumed Expel was somewhere that he was from, and the thought was interesting. "Well...we do have some people in our world who can channel spirits. So I guess they're sensitive to the Force? They contact the dead...but I don't know about any other civilization beyond Earth's," which had a civilization that comprised of bugs, plants, humans, animals, and germ-things (Phoenix had never been into science much), "so I can't really tell you. We've been able to travel around in space, but not super far..."

Obi-Wan almost seemed to have heard something like that before, like Expel's legend. Maybe, Ashton thought for a moment, the Jedi were also people who traveled to different planets to enact prophecies! Sure, the Jedi had said that they were 'peacekeepers,' and Expel certainly needed peace right now. He marveled for a moment at the thought, then nodded. "It's true. The future can't be told for sure, and I generally hate fortunetelling anyway. But.. I don't know. It seems like a ... a really cool coincidence. A hopeful one."

And now they were talking about space exploration. "Heeey, I know stuff about Earthlings traveling." He grinned a little bit. "When I'm from, they fly all across the galaxy in things called 'speships.' I imagine I'm probably, um.. 400 years in your future, though, Nick. Or something. That seems to be the trend here, anyway. Most people are taken from around a certain time." He grinned energetically. He'd been reading the bulletin board. He'd been doing his research.

"Channel spirits, though? I wonder if a sort of spirit medium would be able to channel my dragons," Ashton thought aloud. "I wanna know that they're okay." He realized that they'd probably have questions (people always did) so he decided to go ahead and explain a little bit. "Oh. Uh. Yeah, until yesterday morning, I had a coupla dragons on my back. They were really good friends of mine." His smile was both a little bit proud and a little bit sad.

Obi-Wan gave a faintly amused smile at Phoenix's reaction to being called an Earthian. He supposed it would make sense that the word would seem strange to someone who had never met an off-worlder before, seeing that he'd have no reason to identify what planet he was from. "Of course," he replied. "I may refer to you as an Earthian, but it isn't meant in a negative way."

"Well...we do have some people in our world who can channel spirits," Phoenix had said. "So I guess they're sensitive to the Force? They contact the dead...but I don't know about any other civilization beyond Earth's, so I can't really tell you. We've been able to travel around in space, but not super far..."

Channeling spirits? Obi-Wan had visited many, many different cultures in his lifetime, so the idea of people acting as mediums for the dead wasn't exactly new. He wasn't quite sure if he'd say it was a Force-sensitive ability, though. As far as he was concerned, people lost their sense of self once they died and became one with the Force, which rendered the idea of spirits lingering around a little useless.

Still, he wasn't about to say that to Phoenix. He didn't want to insult something that could be a sacred Earthian tradition, regardless of what he thought about it. It wouldn't have been very tactful. So, he'd politely listened, nodding occasionally as the defense attorney spoke.

"Everyone has to start from somewhere," Obi-Wan said instead, a response to the comment about Earth's space travel. "Maybe your planet will make contact with other civilizations in the future."

Then Ashton spoke, and the Jedi regarded him with a neutral expression. "Yes, maybe so," he replied. "Sometimes people need such things for hope. But it's also good to look at what we can do to help ourselves instead of waiting for someone to fulfill a prophecy."

Obi-Wan was a little surprised to find yet another person who spoke of Earth as if it were a space-faring planet. There were so many contradictions in what people had to say about their own planet. It was a little frustrating sometimes. And yet, most Earthians he'd spoken to claimed that Earth had no advanced means of space travel at all.

But he knew firsthand about the differences in timelines. Obi-Wan remembered how shocked he was when he'd come across RC-1136, who claimed to know of his future self. It had been a bit unusual, to say the least, especially when he found out he was supposedly a general in charge of a clone army, of all things.

"Dragons," Obi-Wan echoed, and he frowned a little. "I'm sorry you were separated from your companions. Perhaps you'll be able to find them before we manage to escape."

To say the least, Phoenix's expression was boggled at the mention of dragons, and when he spoke, it was with a mouth full of food, and his voice was muffled.

"W-wait, what?! Dragons? But dragons..." ...they don't exist. And Obi-Wan does. And so does that energy ball that Adel was showing me... Phoenix shook his head, narrowly avoiding being insulting. It had been a knee-jerk reaction, but considering the look on Ashton's face, what Phoenix had been about to say wouldn't have fared well. It was even more perplexing to hear about dragons that were on Ashton's back. But in the light of everything that had happened within the past couple of days, Phoenix was certainly not as surprised as he could have been.

And then there was that Earthling/Earthian/whatevertheheckitwas mention again, and Phoenix felt strangely as if he were part of a minority of some sort. Were people from Earth that hard to find? He'd never thought it was odd before, since Earth was Earth...and had never been anything else to him.

Phoenix swallowed and leaned forward in his chair, clearly interested in everything these two had to say, while he somehow managed to absorb the idea that dragons...were real, perhaps not in his world, but in Ashton's. "How did they get on your back, though?" It was weird, to think of dragons being real -- Phoenix had read a lot of fantasy novels in his lifetime, and he liked the idea of dragons...but had never thought of them as being real creatures.

Ashton eyed Obi-Wan. The man gave sound advice. What we can do to help ourselves, instead of fulfilling a prophecy? We can save the galaxy, when we know we're the only ones who can. We can hold this fragile moment close to our heart and guide it toward the future. Together.. "Yeah.. I learned that. My friends and I - we all did. It's best to reach out with both hands and grasp your own fate." It was a startling moment of clarity for Ashton. Feelings like this were just refreshing. He hadn't had time to reflect on what he'd just done before arriving at Landel's - he and his friends had saved the galaxy from being devoured by the Crest of Annihilation..

And it felt great. No matter how much he had talked about it before now, Ashton had finally understood exactly what it was that he had done with the help of Dias and Claude, Celine and Rena... Gyoro and Ururun. The Ten Wise Men were dead, and bajillions of people everywhere were alive right now because of it.

The thought made him bubble over in happiness. He was grinning at Phoenix as he explained, "You're exactly right! Isn't it weird? Dragons don't normally possess people!" He'd missed the point of Phoenix's stammering, but he'd gotten such a response from people who knew dragons existed.. "Gyoro and Ururun, though, they were real pals. So here's how it happened: I had heard rumors of the great twin-headed dragon of Salva, right? Salva's a town near where I'm from. I go in there to do what I need to do, and these people come running up and cheer me on. It was a bit, um, distracting."

He looked sheepish now, though still terribly bubbly. "So I turned around and asked the people to stop, and the dragons decided that they wanted to survive, so there they were on my back all of a sudden! I didn't like it at first, but then we all became great friends-- the people who cheered me on, the dragons, and myself. It did wacky things to my privacy, but I sort of got over it, I guess!" He'd obviously told this story before, but this time he was telling it with a kind of raw excitement. He'd never been more thankful for his dragons.

"Yeah," Ashton had said, "I learned that. My friends and I - we all did. It's best to reach out with both hands and grasp your own fate."

For someone who seemed so ill-coordinated, Ashton was certainly capable of saying some profound things. "That attitude will serve you well. While others are waiting around to be saved, you can help yourself and those around you." Obi-Wan gave a faint smile. "I imagine that's partly why you're a swordsman, though, so you don't need me saying any of that."

Obi-Wan supposed he couldn't blame Phoenix's reaction to hearing about Ashton's dragons. The Jedi had to admit that the whole idea was rather bizarre, especially after listening to Ashton's whole story. (Come to think of it, he wasn't entirely sure what a dragon even was in the first place.) But Obi-Wan had seen a lot of the galaxy, along with a good deal of its different oddities. And after more recent events (such as a dead man coming back to life, for example), few things seemed to really faze Obi-Wan these days.

He could sense the happiness practically radiating off of the young man as he recalled his experiences with his dragon friends. It was oddly refreshing to see someone so cheery and uplifting despite how grim their situation was. Obi-Wan wasn't entirely sure what Martin Landel had done with the dragons, but he suspected it probably wasn't anything good.

It wasn't really any of his business, though, so Obi-Wan decided not to mention anything about that. At least, not now.

"That's...quite a story," Obi-Wan said after a moment, not entirely sure what to think. He didn't think he would have adjusted quite so well to suddenly having a couple of creatures attached to him. It said a lot about Ashton. For some reason, Obi-Wan couldn't help but think of the old Jedi saying "life is filled with surprises; accept the gift". The swordsman apparently had that last part down to an art.

Phoenix's gaze softened at Ashton's story.

He didn't understand the realistic terms of what Ashton was talking about -- really, he didn't. He couldn't imagine dragons or being possessed, and he couldn't imagine being a swordsman. But the kind of emotion that he saw in Ashton was one that he had seen in only a few people -- Maya, most of all.

Maya had always dragged him around to buy hamburgers [even when he was going broke], but Phoenix never regretted it, even when his bank account went into the negatives. What wasn't negative were the emotions that Maya expressed, how her happiness had a tendency to lend itself to his own. She had been his pillar of support, until she had needed to leave. But what she had left behind -- it had helped Phoenix to still stand, even if it was on his own.

Phoenix was feeling the same kind of emotion then, just by the fact that Ashton had shown that tendency to persevere and accept the worst things around him in stride -- Phoenix could only imagine what it had been like to have, of all things, dragons attach themselves to his back. Just like Maya and her channeling, and her long line of family that had been given the burden of summoning the dead. Both of those situations were something that Phoenix couldn't even pretend to understand, but it was something that he could appreciate to a certain extent.

Strangely enough, usually he had something to say in response, but all he could do was admire Ashton from afar, even while the swordsman had just accidentally smacked him in the face with a cinnamon bun.

After a few moments of silence as Phoenix listened to Obi-Wan's response, Phoenix took a drink of his water, putting the cup down carefully as he thought through what he was about to say. "I agree with you, Obi-Wan." A chill of fanboyish glee at even saying his name ran down Phoenix's spine, and it was so extremely strange that Phoenix needed to pause. "Our fates, though...I can't help but think that we have it in our hands all along. And we just realize that we have it once in a while, in little glimpses. What we do with those glimpses...our desires and thoughts really form what our lives are, I think." I know that my choice to become a lawyer was like that. So I could defend people who were wrongly accused, like I was back in school...when Edgeworth had saved me. Rolling the cup inbetween his palms on the table, his expression was thoughtful. "Sometimes...I think that we have more control over what happens to us than we think."

Ashton cupped his last cinnamon roll in his hands, staring at the spiral, noticing how the pastry curled into itself, like it was giving itself a big, warm, gooey hug. He felt much the same way about himself right now, as if everything around him was meant to be this way, and life itself was spiraling about him. All the bad luck he'd been handed seemed so trivial right now, even the showing up in Landel's...

It made him think about things in ways he might not ever have; it made him meet people he'd never thought could exist. Maybe, in some strange and wonderful way, his terrible luck was actually a blessing of Tria.

He started pulling apart the spiral of roll then, making sure not to break the doughy pastry, until it was long and strange-looking.

"You know, Nick, I, um, I think you're right. I think you're right too, Obi-Wan. Thanks... thanks for helping me realize that." Ashton spoke shyly now, though still full of happiness. "It's the thoughts and desires that shape our fates.. I'm, er, convinced of that much. But what's most important to me is the people - dragons, too, in my case - that shape our lives. I think we all have someone special to us."

Ashton was thinking of all of his friends, his two newest ones included, but there was a special reserved part in his heart that couldn't help but think of the blue-haired fellow swordsman from his world who had saved him more than once the previous night.

He started munching at the unrolled pastry then, beginning with the absolute stickiest part - the middle. His hands were an utter mess.. to say nothing of his face.

Obi-Wan noticed the way Phoenix's eyes seemed to soften when he heard Ashton's story. It was subtle and might have been easy for someone less perceptive to miss, but Obi-Wan had always been one to carefully observe those around him as best as he could.

He listened to the defense attorney's remarks, and he took a slow, careful bite of the cinnamon bun. It was very true that people generally had more control over their lives than they were willing to take responsibility for. Though, at the same time, Obi-Wan wasn't sure if he could completely discard any ideas concerning destiny or fate.

He felt certain that the universe was made of a sort of tapestry, weaved by the Force as it bound all living things together. Like a gently flowing river, the will of the Force quietly pushed the universe in a general direction. Sometimes specific people were instrumental in this, but other times it was simply the result of the natural winds of change.

That didn't mean people couldn't take rresponsibility for their own actions, their own destinies. But Obi-Wan knew some things, like how he and Qui-Gon had just happened to wind up on their way to Bandomeer at the same time all those years ago, could not be attributed to a mere coincidence. But they had ultimately been the ones to take the initiative and form their own Master/Padawan team. Obi-Wan was a Jedi because that was what he wanted to do, with all of his heart and soul. Sometimes Obi-Wan wondered what would have happened if he and Qui-Gon had decided to not listen to the whisperings of the Force, and he found that he didn't like the answer at all.

Perhaps it was true, that there was a balance in all things. Sometimes it was difficult for Obi-Wan to remember that. Maybe discussions like these were supposed to remind him of that important principle.

"It's the thoughts and desires that shape our fates," Ashton had said, albeit a bit shyly this time around. "I'm, er, convinced of that much. But what's most important to me is the people - dragons, too, in my case - that shape our lives. I think we all have someone special to us."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile a little bit at that, his gaze settling onto what was left of his juice. It vaguely reminded him of the kind of philosophy Qui-Gon might have agreed with - that the living beings of the universe were the life blood of everything that happened, each individual having his or her own unique, individual traits that could be used for the greater good, to shape others' lives in a positive way.

He knew he did not see the same things Qui-Gon saw, especially in that regard. Where Qui-Gon might see a wise fool, all Obi-Wan saw was a bumbling idiot. Where he saw the Chosen One of infinite potential, all Obi-Wan saw was an insignificant slave boy who was doomed to a hard life under the suns of Tatooine.

For all of their differences, Obi-Wan realized it was one of the many reasons Qui-Gon was so special to him. Oh, he knew that it probably would have saved him a few headaches to have a Master who was more in tune with the Unified Force and less caught up in hopeless causes or taking in lost strays. But they were both so much better off to have enough similarities and differences to where their basic, core beliefs were strengthened, but they could challenge each other too.

At least, that's what he would often tell himself as he stood in background and worried that maybe, just maybe, Qui-Gon would someday wind up taking up a lost cause that was far bigger than either of them could ever imagine.

"We all have a sort of symbiotic relationship to one another," Obi-Wan said after a moment. "What happens to one affects us all. I think that's especially important to remember while we're trapped here."

"Here," Phoenix smiled a bit at the irony as he handed a napkin over to Ashton, before he motioned at his own face with a hand, "...you're um...you have icing all over your face."

He then let his gaze flick over to Obi-Wan as he listened to his words. "We all have a sort of symbiotic relationship to one another. What happens to one affects us all. I think that's especially important to remember while we're trapped here," he said, and Phoenix nodded.

"I think it's better if we're working together versus apart, too." Phoenix tilted his head as he looked down at his plate. "It'll help us to get out faster if we combine our efforts."

Ashton's words reminded him strongly of Edgeworth. Phoenix could remember it clear as day, the moments in court where Edgeworth had utterly refused to work with him, stuck in the rut of perfection and the desire for a guilty verdict -- even to the extent where he was willing to put Phoenix into jail.

And then he had changed. Phoenix wasn't sure when it had started, when Edgeworth's sharp corners started to soften, and it had felt like Edgeworth had started to trust him.

Edgeworth had disappeared, however. Phoenix still didn't know as if he could completely forgive him for that, for just leaving without a word. But the night before...the experience of it had softened the sting of the thought, even while Phoenix wasn't entirely convinced that Edgeworth was going to stay, no matter what he said.

There wasn't a question as to how much the prosecutor meant to him. However, there was the ever-lingering question of whether Edgeworth would run if he were given a chance. Here, in this place, he was forced to face Phoenix, not out of any particular personal need of Edgeworth's own -- but because they needed each other.

For now.

Swallowing down the insecurities, Phoenix scratched his head, deciding to focus more on the fact that he had met two new, incredibly interesting friends, versus his own mental grousing. "What did you guys think about last night, though? Mr. Radio and Landel..." he trailed off as he looked up at both of them, wanting to change the subject.

Obi-Wan watched as Phoenix passed Ashton a napkin with slight amusement, but didn't say anything. He wondered if Earthian breakfasts were usually so messy.

"I think it's better if we're working together versus apart, too," the defense attorney had said. "It'll help us to get out faster if we combine our efforts."

The Jedi considered Phoenix's words for a brief moment, and he idly turned his glass around in his fingers. That was essentially what Qui-Gon had told him, when Obi-Wan had been wondering if it was wise to work closely with others. It was easy to be suspicious of any prisoners, especially when trapped in a place that was supposedly for the mentally ill. And though he realized all of that was really a clever facade, Obi-Wan knew for a fact that some people here simply couldn't be trusted.

But that certainly didn't mean he couldn't trust anyone.

"I've been trying to form contacts with other prisoners here," Obi-Wan quietly admitted. "It's been slow work, but I've found out some interesting things, and I hope to learn more in the future."

When Phoenix asked what he and Ashton thought about the Radio Man and Martin Landel, the Jedi briefly paused. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest," he said. "My companion suggested the Radio Man was a trap set up by Martin Landel, but I disagree. I can't imagine why he'd go through such lengths to keep the prisoners under his control, only to set something up that could cause anyone to doubt his power."

He gave a small frown and finished off the rest of his juice. "I'm just as interested in learning about those 'visitors' we had the other day. I went to look for old patient files last night, but I'm afraid I didn't get very far before I was, ah, attacked."

Ashton happily took the napkin and wiped his face off with it, though it didn't really do quite a bit of good. "Ah.. th-thank you," he said a little sheepishly, cleaning the rest of his face up and making his hands a little less sticky.

Good thing, too, because he was just about to handle paper. He took out his journal, flipped to the back. A partial map (http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d24/misuchan/ashmap1.jpg) was drawn on two pieces of paper, which Ashton started to scribble on - although he'd only gotten a little bit more filled out (the layout of the kitchen.) "Speaking of working together, do you guys think you could take a look at my map and help fill in..? I've got file rooms listed on here if you wanted to check it out, Obi-Wan."

He hadn't thought about the Radio Man and Martin Landel very much, really. He hadn't been around to get a good sense of either of them, save for the radio's 'cool cat' nature and revolutionary-seeming sentiment, and the intercom's strange split personality. "I only got here yesterday in time to see ..what happened in the chapel, so I don't know a lot. But I can say that the drawn-out conversation of sorts last night between the intercom and the radio totally struck me as an ex-lovers' quarrel. I think they might be ex-boyfriends or something. They both kept takin' underhanded digs at each other." He spoke very seriously, even though he hadn't given it much thought. His feelings and his hunches weren't always to be trusted, but that's just what he'd assumed from hearing what the men had said.

Offering up a smile to Obi-Wan, Phoenix nodded slightly as he spoke softly as well, not wanting to draw anyone's attention to what they were talking about. "I've tried to do that, too...and I've heard a lot of things. Maybe we can put the information together and see what we can come up with?" He was honestly eager to collaborate with anyone he could find that had an interest in puzzling this place out.

Phoenix suddenly noticed his journal wasn't sitting next to him, and he realized he'd flailed it off the table. Leaning down to pick it up, Phoenix grabbed it and opened it up, flipping the pages after licking his thumb. Both Ashton and Obi-Wan seemed trustworthy, and Phoenix was more than willing to share all of the information he had gathered from his explorations so far.

Pushing his plate into an empty section of the table, the defense attorney brushed off some stray bits of icing from the surface and scooched close to Ashton, taking a pen out from the center of his book as he put it down on the table. "Oh, wow!" Phoenix's expression brightened at the sight of the map. "I can help you out a bit -- I've been on the second floor, and a little further down the hall past the library..."

He hadn't gotten a chance to draw his own map in his journal, and he decided to do it now, his pen moving quickly over the pages (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/teruteruboozu/1-1.png) of (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/teruteruboozu/2-1.png) his (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/teruteruboozu/3-1.png) journal (http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/teruteruboozu/4-1.png). "...there's another hall, full of doctor's offices. And then here's the second floor..." Phoenix made a messy sketch of what he had seen, and passed it over to Ashton, expression somewhat proud even while he knew the circumstances in which he'd explored the rooms hadn't been the best. The knowledge he'd gathered so far were almost like battle scars, in a way, even while he'd never gotten physically injured himself.

Obi-Wan glanced around to make sure none of the staff were nearby before he faintly returned Phoenix's smile. The suggestion sounded like a good one. Honestly, it'd be nice to feel like he was actually getting something accomplished for a change.

"I think that would be an excellent idea," he said. "Maybe we can get a complete map if we work at it enough."

The Jedi watched as the defense attorney brushed off his journal and shifted close to Ashton. He leaned forward a little bit, though he tried not to look too suspicious to anyone who might have been watching.

"Oh, wow!" Phoenix said when he saw Ashton's map. (Obi-Wan had to admit that it did look rather impressive compared to a lot of the blank pages he had in his own book.) "I can help you out a bit -- I've been on the second floor, and a little further down the hall past the library..."

Phoenix then proceeded to draw out the places he'd been, and Obi-Wan listened intently, making sure to get a good look at anything the man might have sketched. Due to his photographic memory, he never really had to bother keeping diagrams and maps on hand when the situation might have normally called for them.

After a few moments, Obi-Wan pointed to the unknown field on Ashton's map. "This area is a sort of recreational field, which is separated by a wall that outlines the courtyard," he told them. He glanced at the other sketches again, frowning a little. All he'd seen were the rooms in the southwestern-most corner, which were apparently the disciplinary rooms.

"I only got to explore that hallway last night," he added, pointing to Phoenix's drawing. "All I found were a bunch of locked doors and a strange creature that leeched off of people's life force and willpower. I'd be careful if you venture there again."

Ashton quickly set to work copying down Phoenix's maps, his left hand drawing surprisingly straight lines without a ruler. Although his sense of design was a little lacking, his hands were deft enough to be able to draw an almost perfectly straight line. He'd trained long and hard to be able to be successfully ambidextrous; the line was proof of that. He'd already made a base sketch of the second floor, but didn't have much added to it besides the chapel. That had changed now; Ashton's map was surprisingly filled out now, and it had been a group effort.

"Hey, um, thank you, you guys," Ashton said to the both of them. His smile was genuine, albeit a little shy. "This really helps me. I'll have to show Dias later." He hadn't shown Dias his map yet, choosing to save it until he actually had some useful information on it. Dias had, after all, been here a week longer than he had... and Ashton kind of wanted to impress him.

The intercom spoke up then, and nurses were filing in to take the men to the showers. Ashton was happy to hear it, though he didn't yet know the showers were communal.. He closed up his journal then, tucked it under an arm. "Hey, I'm gonna fix this, uh, situation," he said, pointing at the dribbled cranberry juice on his torso. "Perhaps we should congregate one nightshift." He nodded his head slightly, then headed to the showers.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

DAY 23: BREAKFAST

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