damned_institute | Day 23: Lunch

Entry tags:

Day 23: Lunch

The second the intercom sounded, while the man on the intercom was still talking, Ashton pulled himself off the couch in the Music Room and slowly made his way to the door. He walked, glided even, as if he were a ghost in a dream. The nurses had already filed up to escort the patients to the lunchroom, and one bustled over to walk Ashton those few feet from one room to another.

"You're not looking very well, Mr. Pritchett," she said cheerfully. "Didn't you enjoy your shower?"

Ashton replied with a small, forced smile, then shook his head. He didn't feel like talking now. Though the nurses were pushy and downright annoying, he figured he owed this one at least a little explanation. They didn't know - or didn't believe - what went on after dark, but he owed them the benefit of the doubt. "Bad day," he decided on telling her.

Bad day indeed. The showers and the music had done nothing for his nerves. But then again, what could get that graphic image out of his head?

He glided ghostily through the taco line and settled on two chicken and bean tacos, with chips, a scoop of guacamole, two churros on the side, and a glass of apple juice. He wasn't used to this sort of food (save the juice) and he wasn't even sure he'd eat it, but the chances were high that he'd be able to pass it off on someone.

He was on the verge of tears again, too. What he would have given to just sit down next to a barrel and eat a hamburger.

Thank goodness the cafeteria was bare just now, too. It left all the corner tables open, the tables that shouted 'Don't talk to me, I'm brooding over here.' He sat at one, pushed his food a little away from him, and buried his head in his arms.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Showering? Had not been pleasant. Nor had been the humiliation of being helped to clean herself and then trussed into bandages by those damned nurses. Her wounds stung, her muscles ached, her ribs hurt and the mark on her face seemed even more livid after being washed.

She wheeled herself into the dining hall with a scowl on her face, and waited while a nurse set a tray full of food on her lap. Glaring, she wheeled herself to where Ed was sitting, and didn't even bother with pleasant talk.

"If you happen to see Envy," she said, her words laced with deadly venom. "Kill him with my blessing."

Ed looked up and his eyes widened at the sight of Lust. What the fuck had happened? In all the time he'd known her, she'd been a figure of power, someone to be feared and someone he definitely wouldn't want to fight. What had happened to put her in such a state?

Her venomous words took him a little by surprise. "Eh..." he began before they'd actually registered. Then a slow, nasty smile crossed his lips. "I'll keep that in min. I think I owe him a death."

His expression turned to one of concern. "Can I take it he has something to do with your ah... condition?" He wasn't usually one to be tactful, but facing a pissed off not-quite-homunculus was probably a good time to remember his manners.

"Yes, he does." Lust set her tray on the table, her eyes narrowed in clear anger. "He and I had... a fight of sorts last night. The details are nothing your virgin ears need to hear." She poked at the strange food and leaned back in the wheeled chair, her hands limp in her lap.

"I hold no alliances with that man any longer. He is weak, today he is injured, and he will find no friends or allies if I have anything to do with it. So do to him what you will, Edward, I don't care if he lives or dies in this place."

And she didn't. He had squandered his chance with her the moment he pinned her to that bed. Anything else, perhaps she could have forgiven. But not that.

Ed would have protested at that comment; he'd heard plenty of terrible things in his life, had caused several of them and he was definitely old enough to hear details!! He wasn't a child! Why didn't people believe him? But the expression on Lust's face stopped him, forcing him to keep his mouth shut for once. She looked more dangerous than Ed thought he'd ever seen her look.

"He won't have any allies if I have any say in it either," Ed replied coldly, hands clenching around the knife and fork he was holding Envy had done nothing but hurt and kill. "I've never hated anyone more. I want to destroy him."

It was possibly a little worrying, the rage he felt towards the homunculus. But Envy had targeted himself and Al especially, over perceived slights which were really nothing to do with him. And he could never forget the feeling of that creature's hand through his chest.

"You'll have to get in line, I think." Lust forced herself to take a bite of her lunch, not all that hungry. "I thought Scar was going to kill him last night - would have, if Envy hadn't finally regained enough sense to run." She couldn't remember seeing such fury in the Ishbalan's eyes before. There was a thrill of pride that the rage had been for her. In defense of her.

"Envy won't have an easy time in this place, that's certain. Has he bothered you at all?" She glanced away, remembering how last night had happened. "He swore to me he'd leave you and your brother alone, but that was before he decided to... put me in my place."

"Shame he didn't succeed," Ed muttered, stuffing things into the taco thing and rolling it up awkwardly with one hand. It fell apart a few times but he finally managed, taking a large bite and munching it hungrily. If his automail was going to get fixed and he was going to be doing a lot of alchemy tonight, then he'd need all the energy he could get.

He shook his head in reply to Lust's question. "No. Haven't even seen him." Don't want to his head supplied. "I don't trust his word under any circumstances, I'm afraid," he said, but then smiled thankfully at her. "Thanks for trying to protect us, Lust." It was odd to think that he did trust her now, to some extent at least. But she'd helped both himself and Al several times.

"Then he would have needed to dispose of the body and I was in need of medical attention." Lust was logical about the situation. "I'm sure he'll go after him again - God knows Scar can't let a grudge die." It was infuriating at times.

"Envy listened to me, as much as he listened to anyway. And I felt I had a hold over him, and enough power on my side to threaten him. But he's too egotistical, too sure of himself. But I do have a great deal of power on my side - you'd be surprised how easily men are to pledge themselves in service to a beautiful woman." And now she needed to rely on them.

"You're welcome." She turned her eyes to him, her expression mild. "You don't remember it, but I made your brother and you a promise. And I do keep my promises."

"Yeah, I realised that," Ed snorted in reply. He'd been on the receiving end of one of Scar's grudges a couple of times, even though he'd only been a young child at the time of the Ishbal War. He also didn't think that disposing a body in Landel's would be particularly difficult. Dump it outside a room (perferably of someone you didn't like), leave it for the beasts to get and it would probably all be cleaned away in the morning.

He'd just have to assume she was right about men wanting to pledge themselves to her service. It wasn't really the type of thing he thought about much.

His smiled widened slightly. "That's nice to know. If you ever need... stuff. Weapons or information, you know you can ask me."

"I have a weapon that your brother made me, months ago." Lust nodded her head. "It serves me well and requires little maitenence. And I'm not lacking in information." Her network was an extensive one, and she had eyes and ears among a vast portion of the patients. She had always kept her eyes on things, it wasn't much difference here.

"And don't worry about Scar. He likes you, you know. As much as he likes anyone." Which probably wasn't saying much, as Scar really didn't like anyone. Tolerated, accepted, but like? She wasn't certain he even liked her and they were lovers.

"But thank you for the offer. If I do ever need anything, I'll come to you."

The mention of Al made him glance around the cafeteria again, only to slump in disappointment when it turned out that Al wasn't there again. "He's here again," he said, smiling weakly in case she hadn;t seen him. "Or he was yesterday. I haven't seen him since then." He felt terrible for wishing that Al was still here, but he didn't want to lose him again. It hurt too much so he just had to hope.

It was a bit of a shock to learn that Scar didn't hate him. They'd talked in the desert of course, but that had been a necessary agreement to save the lives of the people of Liore. Still, he couldn't help but smile slightly. "He saved Al's life. I'm grateful to him."

"Your brother and I had lunch yesterday," Lust said, nodding. "He was quite eager to find you. We spoke some." Before Rabastan had come, and Lust had found herself more confused than she had been since arriving here.

"I was there," she said, quietly, when Edward mentioned what Scar had done. "He gave his own life for you and your brother. He... is not quite so frightening and hard the man he presents himself to be." She tapped her fingers against her knee, thinking before continuing to speak.

She was heading into delicate territory, she knew that, but speaking with Scar hadn't resulted in much. He had avoided and refused to answer her.

"You told me that you saw your mother, yesterday. During visits. Scar and I saw his brother."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Day 23: Lunch

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject