ninelivesonce (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ninelivesonce) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
damned_institute2010-06-27 11:20 pm
ninelivesonce) wrote in damned_institute2010-06-27 11:20 pm
Entry tags:
- brainiac 5,
- callisto,
- claire bennet,
- germany,
- japan,
- kenshin,
- matt,
- mele,
- minako,
- scott pilgrim,
- sylar,
- taura,
- the flash,
- venom,
- yukari yakumo,
- zack
Day 50: Sun Room (4th Shift)
The Sun Room was dark when Taura re-entered it; her eyes adjusted quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid one of the 'techs coming over to talk to her.
"Were you going to join us for the movie, Kitty?" she asked, waving a hand at what appeared to be a 2-D projector screen.
"Movie?" This was, apparently, the wrong question to ask, as the woman's face fell into a moue of practiced disappointment.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Kitty." Doing what, exactly, was something 'Kitty' was evidently supposed to know. Then the screen flicked on, and some sort of advertisement was playing while a staffer adjusted the volume. Oh. The term was unfamiliar, but entertainment hadn't changed that much.
"I mean, er, what movie is it?" Taura rumbled, keeping her voice low so as not to interrupt. That must have been the right question; the woman brightened back up and started explaining.
"King Kong!" she said, clearly expecting a reply. Then she sighed, and continued. "It's about a giant ape, brought back from an exploration," she began. "It's also a love story -- oh, just trust me. It's a classic."
"The ape falls in love?" That sounded a little outré, at least by Institute standards of entertainment. Not by Jacksonian ones, but those Taura had been just as pleased to leave behind.
"Oh, nothing like that. Well, the ape does fall in love -- but it's just a beast. Why, Fay Wray doesn't even come up to its waist." Taura blinked at her again. What did height have to do with it, anyway? She was leaning, just a little, without even realizing it. Perhaps looming would be a better word. The 'tech blinked back, and then finally the penny dropped. "Oh...oh. Maybe it wouldn't be to your taste, dear." And with that, she scurried off to adjust a chair that was already facing the screen quite adequately. Taura sighed, and slipped through the gathering crowd to the bulletin board.
[Zack]
"Were you going to join us for the movie, Kitty?" she asked, waving a hand at what appeared to be a 2-D projector screen.
"Movie?" This was, apparently, the wrong question to ask, as the woman's face fell into a moue of practiced disappointment.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Kitty." Doing what, exactly, was something 'Kitty' was evidently supposed to know. Then the screen flicked on, and some sort of advertisement was playing while a staffer adjusted the volume. Oh. The term was unfamiliar, but entertainment hadn't changed that much.
"I mean, er, what movie is it?" Taura rumbled, keeping her voice low so as not to interrupt. That must have been the right question; the woman brightened back up and started explaining.
"King Kong!" she said, clearly expecting a reply. Then she sighed, and continued. "It's about a giant ape, brought back from an exploration," she began. "It's also a love story -- oh, just trust me. It's a classic."
"The ape falls in love?" That sounded a little outré, at least by Institute standards of entertainment. Not by Jacksonian ones, but those Taura had been just as pleased to leave behind.
"Oh, nothing like that. Well, the ape does fall in love -- but it's just a beast. Why, Fay Wray doesn't even come up to its waist." Taura blinked at her again. What did height have to do with it, anyway? She was leaning, just a little, without even realizing it. Perhaps looming would be a better word. The 'tech blinked back, and then finally the penny dropped. "Oh...oh. Maybe it wouldn't be to your taste, dear." And with that, she scurried off to adjust a chair that was already facing the screen quite adequately. Taura sighed, and slipped through the gathering crowd to the bulletin board.
[Zack]
no subject
As brief as it was, his mind still flashed back to the night before. He wanted to put it away. He didn't want to think about it. It was already in the past and it couldn't have been real; the Guild would never abandon him out of fear of punishment alone. Master Zato would never betray him or melt into some demon. He didn't care if proof lived on in bloodsmeared metal and fiberglass, in the pain still coursing along his bones. It had no bearing on him anymore. It didn't matter what they had shown him.
But if Brainiac had found something useful - if it managed to work - the information to be gained from it could be invaluable. The only thing he needed now was a willingness to share it.
"And would you be willing to do something of the sort? Finding its functionality and recording the results as soon as possible would be preferred, of course, but if you plan on that, I'm afraid I won't be able to join you tonight." While his eyes remained unseen, that tone of voice spoke of nothing of stubborn privacy; his plans for this night were absolutely none of Brainiac 5's business and he would not tolerate any asking of it. ...However, the blond showed amazing faith in his own abilities and, while Venom was unsure of how far he could trust that faith, he could always trust an intense need to prove oneself as useful. "I would not say no to any written results, however. I imagine you're capable of doing that?"
no subject
"I'd assume that if I'm capable of extrapolating the reason for abilities being limited here, then I should be able to write down the data I find out as well," he said flatly, folding his arms and glaring at the movie playing instead. He'd been enjoying it before now, even if it was just in the background, but now he couldn't wait until it was over and they could leave.
"Of course, that's assuming I actually decide to share what I learn with you still. If you think I can't even write something down on my own, maybe you shouldn't be looking to me for information."
no subject
Venom took the moment to stare silently at the boy, the light of the projector flickering over the white and blue masking his face, the sounds of wanton destruction and mayhem filling the air around them. He did not move, did not betray any emotion he may have been having at the time. All there was was that large, blue eye bearing down at the other.
"You misunderstand," he said at last, voice as quiet and calm as always. "I've already told you that I was in need of someone understanding of the technological aspects of this institute, implying that I cannot do it myself. The knowledge you have and hold dear is something that has been both banned and forgotten in my time, and the information I am aware of is a) not nearly enough to decipher what is happening and b) in the study of various weapons. If the device you have is capable of what you claimed it is, I would have preferred an explanation of how it would function as well as the results."
Whether by a shift in weight or a tilt of the head, the veil of hair parted in the slightest, allowing one eye to stare at the child. "You would forgive me for having doubts with you, what with your unwillingness to share even the most basic of your knowledge, wouldn't you?"
no subject
He tilted his head slightly as Venom spoke again, though still pointedly refused to try and make eye contact. ...admittedly in part because it wasn't actually possible.
"No, I wouldn't," he said flatly once the other man was finished talking. "When you ask someone for assistance with something, you don't then try and imply they're incapable of the task you requested of them or suggest that it's suspicious if they don't freely give you every piece of information they possess."
Then he turned to look at Venom, matching the one-eyed glare with one of his own. "You're asking me to tell you how the most useful and potentially important device I currently own works, while you refuse to share even trivial details about yourself. If anything, I have far more reason to be suspicious of your motives. Why shouldn't I think that you're not planning to take my equipment once you've found out what it is or how to operate it?"
no subject
It was disheartening, really. If Brainiac refused his service, it would be two subordinates who would have fallen through, leading him to depend on Edward and only him. Considering the man's penchant for ignoring the Guild Head's commands in order to peruse his own dilemmas, this would not be suitable in the least.
Though it didn't seem this boy was fairing any better...
Venom's voice remained calm despite Brainiac's childish attitude, almost eerily so. There was no hiding the building irritation amongst the tranquility, however. It was showing crystal clear in his viable eye. "My objective has not changed from our first discussion. I have no reason to steal from you. I have no desire to steal from someone I have repetitively stated to need the assistance and intelligence of. I refuse to answer your petty questions on the ground that how I see through my hair should not and has no bearing on the fact that we are being unjustly kept as prisoners and it is not the right time. It should have no bearing on whether or not you decide to assist me.
"I apologize if you see my actions as rude - my only wish was to spur you on that task and prove yourself, but it appears I have failed to calculate how badly you would respond to the slightest negative input." Blunt as ever.
no subject
While Brainiac 5 could perhaps, a little grudgingly, admit that he could be a bit overly sensitive to critique, he felt that he was perfectly justified in his reactions here. He'd been more than willing to share his findings with Venom before now, but the man persisted in acting as though Brainiac 5 was either some sort of employee of his - which he'd objected to from the beginning - or that the Coluan stood to lose more from not working with him. Neither of which were true in Brainiac 5's mind. He already knew a few others who were skilled in similar areas and far more pleasant to work with, so he was perfectly capable of politely declining other offers if he didn't think they'd work out well.
Possibly it was better to find out how well he and Venom could work together now, then, before he'd given away anything that could make him a target again. Easier to break away and make a note to either avoid communication or only consider it when there was little other choice. Like the conversation with Lelouch some time previously...
He carefully set that memory aside, not wanting it to influence his behaviour right now. Instead he focussed on what the older man had to say, doing his best to hold his tongue until he was done.
"You might think they're petty questions," he said once Venom was done. "But answering trivial things can help create something of a sense of trust." He remembered that lecture from Saturn Girl. And Cosmic Boy. And Superman. It was a little difficult to forget it after that many times, even if he didn't have a perfect memory.
"Regardless, I was perfectly willing to help you to begin with, and even made it clear under what conditions, so I can't imagine why you'd think you'd need to 'spur me' to anything. If anything it seems like you miscalculated badly."
no subject
"I apologize, Brainiac 5," he repeated, each word clipped and cold in the mist of this unimpressed irritation. If the boy was expecting anything more than that, expecting him to beg for forgiveness or anything of the sort, he was going to find himself extremely displeased. He apologized and was not going to repeat the action - that should have been enough.
It still left the negative air between them, however. Brainiac was paranoid of his motivations and was pressuring him to speak of himself when such things did not matter. He didn't like to talk about himself. There was no reason for anyone, not even allies, to know the reasoning behind such unimportant mysteries. "If we work together, I forewarn you that I am a very private person and would prefer to keep my distance; gaining trust through small-talk has no place in my line of duty. I will gladly answer any questions you have on my motivations, plans, and any past actions I may have taken to further said plans in this institute, but I reserve the right to deny any personal questions. I will not challenge your same right to deny any questions I may have for you. I do not expect you to tell me everything, nor give anything you may have to a man you neither know or trust."
His head lowered in the slightest, his hair following the motion and obscuring what little of his face had been visible. "May we return to the topic at hand?" Or was the boy going to continue his tantrum?
no subject
"I already had returned to the topic you initially wanted to discuss," he pointed out instead. "I said that I had been perfectly happy to work with you, and I'd already said what I was attempting tonight and previously laid down what my conditions were. You were the one who apparently felt the need to 'spur me'-" The inverted commas couldn't have been more pronounced if he'd tried. "-with some bizarre implication about my work."
He settled back in his chair and eyed the mask of hair obscuring the other man's face. "So do you have anything else to add? Or are we done here?"
no subject
He could have honored that with a response, but he was not going to. It didn't deserve one. The more he apologized and explained himself, the more Brainiac sought to argue with it. The boy should have been thanking his intelligence. It was the only thing saving his ego from facing the full brunt of the Guild Head's wrath.
Continuing on, Venom followed Brainiac's lead, leaning back into his own chair and turning his attention to the screen again. The credits had begun rolling by now. Hmph. "Should the device you located fall through, it would be useful to consider a second plan of action. What might you need to accomplish finding this information?"
no subject
"Ideally? I'm not sure the institute will have everything I need, or at least not anywhere that I can get to easily," he answered, biting back the snide comment that of course he had a second plan of action. "But I can perform some less specific tests with more basic equipment. A microscope and some slides would be a good place to start."
Unfortunately it was more difficult to think of where to go beyond that. He doubted there would be any old Earth equipment for scanning the human body just lying around the institute, after all. So on the chance that the omnicom couldn't do that... He'd essentially be right back where he started. Still, having just a plan was better than nothing.
no subject
But not this night. Tonight--
"Mr. Lant!" Nurse's voice cut into the thought, her right arm raised in the air as she waved at him from across the room.
The nurses were beginning to collect their charges. He'd take that as his cue to leave, then. Rising from his spot on the couch, the assassin bowed at the waist - a show of respect that may or may not have one last effort to preserve the teenager's willingness to speak with him. "If you can think of anything else, please let me now. I will see what I can do."
With that, he was gone.