damned_institute | Day 23: Lunch

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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.

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"Ah, I'm doing quite well!" Alfons beamed as he saw the man who had seen fit to sit with him, and found that Vergil being there was a wonderfully heartening experience. Mostly because he still hoped to go with him during the night, which would be good for both of them. And he just needed some lockpicks to be really useful, too... well, he'd have to see about all of that. For now, he was also a bit curious of the white-haired person.

"I took a nap during the last shift, so I'm feeling a little better than normal," he decided to add, not wanting to ask about how Vergil's shift had gone. He could only imagine how communal showers had to be.

"That's good. It's not likely we're going to be getting much sleeping done at night anyway, with the way things are playing out." Vergil took a wary look at his taco and decided to try a bite, at which point is hunger took over and he chomped down like a starved man who hadn't eaten in weeks. After finishing his first taco, and wasahing it down with some water, Vergil looked back at Alfons.

"My apologies...I skipped breakfast." Vergil wondered how long it had actualy been since he'd eaten. He didn't remember any eating getting done while serving Mundus. This might've been his first meal in over a year. "So about tonight, if you stop by my room again, it should be fine for you to come by."

Alfons was confused for a moment, but then, a soft smile on his face, he removed the taco that he himself had been eating and offered the rest of his food to Vergil. "I had a lot, so I'm not too hungry; if you're hungry after yours, feel free to have some of mine?" There wasn't anything at all to apologize for, in the blond's opinion; sometimes people forgot to eat, particularly when preoccupied. And it wasn't like he couldn't get some more if he was hungry.

"That sounds good to me," he assented to the other's plan, "I'm going to be going to a friend's room to fix up his arm, but after that I'll go straight to your room. Please wait for me until then?" Though, no matter how much he tried to hide it, Alfons's smile only got a little wider, happiness dancing in his eyes. Someone who didn't have any connection with him was letting him come along! He was being useful, to an extent! A small part of his mind told him how utterly pathetic that was, but the rest of him didn't care too much.

Therefore, Vergil was caught in ~~a crossfire of moe~~ between Alfons's happiness and Miku's own when the two of them caught their gazes. Miku waved, and Alfons happily waved back, beckoning her over to them if she felt like coming; after what happened last night, Alfons was still a little worried that she might not be completely all right. Only one way to check for certain, right?

[[From here]] (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/90002.html?thread=5366930#t5366930)

Miku was glad she had a good memory, seeing Alfons and Vergil (healthy and not a figment of her imagination!) helped the continuing theme of cheerfulness ~~and moe~~ that had helped her through the day since her shower. Her bangs were mostly dry now, and the tips of her dark hair, but the bun-like mass at the back of her head was as damp as ever.

And then Alfons waved her over and her smile widened just a bit more. He really was a nice person, she concluded and got up to join the other two men.

As she approached the table, she cleared her throat gently. It wouldn't do for her to thank them fully and properly, if they couldn't hear her over the din of conversation in the cafeteria. "Excuse me, Alfon-san, Vergil-san?" she started, not wanting to intrude on their conversation (he might of waved her over, but she had seen them talking). Miku's hand rested on her chest in its usual nervous position, though at odds with her cheerful smile. "Do you mind if I join you?"

I suppose I can do to wait for a while. Don't take the whole night, though. If you feel you're going to be longer than expected, find a way to let me know so I can leave." Vergil sipped some more of his water down and saw Miku come by "Feel free to join us." he said in response to her question "There's certainly nothing to stop you."

Vergil still didn't like this girl too much, he always did have a problem with people as submissive as she was, but he couldn't necessarily stop her, and Alfons seemed to like her, so Vergil decided he'd just have to deal with her for now. He gestured for her a place to sit, and went back to Alfons.

"I'll assume this is that Ed person I've heard so much about." Vergil said to Alfons "If you could, I was told he'd be contacted about a request of mine through a network of alchemist. Ask him if he's heard anything about my request, if you would."

"Please feel free to join us; I hope that you're feeling better today," Alfons politely answered to Miku, though now he was a little confused. Her hair was damp, but she didn't look older than he was... that was really weird. Maybe she was just small for her age?

...and Alfons had to contain a sigh as his mind instantly added 'Just like Ed' before he could stop it.

As for Vergil's question? Alfons nodded, a little bit of a smile on his face. "Yes, it's Ed; he's the same person I was going to ask to make the sword for you as well, as I promised, but if he's already been asked then I'll just make sure of it. And if not... then I'll request it again. We kind of got everything smoothed over, so while it might take a little while, you'll get your katana eventually." The German was certain of that; with how well Vergil handled himself, and with how strong he seemed, a katana in his hands would make him tremendously powerful. And Alfons promised himself that he'd work as quickly as possible; he wanted to explore as much as he could, too!

Miku sat down next to Alfons, listening intently. In her mind, a map was being laid out - Alfons knew Vergil for a (possibly?) mercantile relationship, and Alfons's friend Ed was somehow related to that.

Perhaps it was Vergil's distaste in his expression for her that prompted her next sentence as she slid her seat closer to the table. "About last night, I'm very thankful that you helped me... I wasn't myself." She put her head slightly to the side and smiled, gratitude evident. "I don't want to think of what might of happened, because I have people waiting for me at home," it wasn't exactly true - there was only one person and a cat waiting for her - but they didn't need to know that. "And I want to get home to them as soon as possible." She was able to escape Himuro mansion in five days, Miku thought with a bit of pride and sorrow, she could make it out of Landel's too, with a little effort. Her smile brightened.

"So, tonight, when I go map-making, I'll be sure to make copies for you both, so you won't get lost either." Miku didn't mind being alone, that was certain. And now that she had Ritsuka's part, it was only a matter of time before she had a nice little chunk of map to share with Namine when she had a chance.

"Alone?" Vergil said inquisitively "If you're sure you can handle it, by all means go ahead. However, considering how last night went for you, and that was without any of the creatures we've been told to fear appearing, you might want to reconsider."

Vergil thought about what she had said about having people to come home to, and realized he really didn't have that privilege. No one was going to be excited and happy when he got back home. No one at all. "If you have people waiting for you, don't waste that. It's a luxury some of us don't have here." Vergil finished off his water and wished they served some good tea in this place.

"Regardless, if you insist on this map making venture of yours, at least find someone to come along with you."

"It's all right, I was happy to help you. But Vergil's right, you shouldn't go alone if you can help it; we might not be there next time, or you might run into something more dangerous. ...besides, the people who are waiting for you would be sad if something happened. So you should at least try to take care of yourself. For that matter, we could possibly take you with us? I know that I'm just getting in the way as well, so... at least with two of us there, we could make sure that both could get away if it was needed, right?"

After a moment's consideration, his smile faltered just a little when he looked at Vergil, some concern in his eyes. "Does that mean that you don't have anyone waiting for you, either?"

The idea that someone else didn't have anyone who cared if he lived or died was very saddening for the gentle blond; while he knew that he would just be going right back to his death, at least Maes had made it absolutely clear that he would be welcome if that could somehow be arranged. He'd like to offer the same to the older man; after all he'd done and promised to do, it was the least Alfons could do. To say nothing of his plain instinct of taking the unloved in and caring for them.

Something dangerous? Miku knew now she was treading carefully - how not to make them worry?
She smoothed her features into another slightly concerned one. Vergil-san was alone, then? And by his admission, so was Alfon-san. Miku could understand - while Rei and Yuu had been wonderful caring friends, they weren't Mafuyu ~~even if she knew he'd been... afraid of her ability~~. "Sonna..." she began in Japanese, in her hurry to gently correct them. She would have to suffer a little to see Rei again - it was how fate worked.

Alfons had a point, though. If she stayed with them, she and Alfons could run, and be marginally protected while she made her map. The thought didn't completely appeal to Miku - she wasn't much of an athlete on a good day, lifting those camera boxes week after week was hard work! "I understand," she said and nodded, a slight frown pulling down her lips. There was a 'but' hanging off the end of her sentence, and she didn't voice it. But what happens if we can't even do that?

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Day 23: Lunch

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