damned_institute | Day 53: Music Room

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Day 53: Music Room

Well, if it wasn't his favorite time of the week. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. Of course in this case, distance makes Klavier feel like an abused, neglected animal who was only now being allowed a taste of actual food. These people were such savages. It was still absolutely absurd that they were allowed access to this room so rarely. But the tactic was also brilliant on their part, sad to say. Klavier was always at his quietest and most obedient on Music Room days. The perfect model patient. He would give them no excuse to deprive him of this precious time.

Today was going to be a little different, however. Not only was he given access to music today, but a bout of entertainment as well. Apparently that band that had been setting up tryouts for the last week was ready to get the show on the road and start their auditions. Normally, this was the sort of project he wouldn't hesitate to take part in. But aside from the injury to his left hand and shoulder, there were three critical factors keeping him from doing so:

1. The band was named "Sex Bob-Omb." Klavier may have missed the band scene, but he had no intention of attaching his name to some Tom Jones cover band.
2. There weren't many actual instruments in the Music Room; certainly not enough variety to form the type of band they want. The one who made the poster said something about improvising instruments through whatever means necessary. A noble goal, but again, Klavier was not so desperate yet as to reduce himself to playing with a box of tissues strung up with rubber bands. That was too pathetic an image to ever place himself into.
3. The person who had posted placed up a sample music sheet of one of their songs. Klavier had no idea how many people here could actually read music enough to know what it was they were looking at there, but he had been able to decipher it perfectly. Their music... it was kind of god-awful.

In short, this was basically a disaster waiting to happen. The hints were enough to tell him this was likely going to be something akin to nails on a chalkboard... amplified by five. So honestly, he should be as far away from this room as humanly possible.

But he was not going to let these people ruin his rare access time to the Music Room. No, instead he took one of their old CD players and a carefully selected CD of choice (for the sake of his sanity) and took a seat at one of the tables, turning the chair so as to get an optimal view of the show. Why not? No harm in indulging in a little "entertainment," yes?

[free to anyone who wants to watch this train wreck with him :D ]

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His talk with Mom certainly could have gone worse, but Claude still left the cafeteria feeling more anxious than he would have liked. That was to expected, though, right? She'd been captured and thrown into this hell-hole by a mad man, in a place that had ultimately gotten the best of people like Dias and Dad. Not that he didn't trust in his mother's strength, but Claude recognized that the odds were in no one's favor here. They were all in terrible danger, and now his own family had gotten involved.

On top of that, he had the stress of having to hide his relation to his own mother. That meant being dishonest about more than a few things. And, as the institute had demonstrated time and time again, he probably wasn't going to be able to keep it up forever. But what else could he do? Somehow, hey, there, Ilia, you don't know this, but I'm actually your son from about twenty years into the future, didn't quite cut it.

Now it was the final shift of the day before dinner, though, which meant he had some time to kill before he got sent back to his room. As if sensing his mood, the nurse suggested he go to the music room in order to relax. That sounded like as good a place as any, if only because it was one of the areas he didn't get to go to so often.

Once he arrived, however, he didn't immediately look for an instrument or a disc player like he normally would have. Instead, his attention was drawn toward the group of patients who he soon realized had signed up for that "Sex Bob-omb" band. Weird name aside, it didn't sound like such a bad idea. Claude would have been tempted to do it himself, if a) he didn't already have a bunch on his mind, and b) he'd developed some sense of pitch at some point in his life. And, quite frankly, if he hadn't done it during his travels, he wasn't so sure he'd magically discover it while playing around on a recorder in here. On the other hand, his rhythm sense wasn't half-bad, if he said so himself...

Either way, it meant he was content with just watching for now. Claude leaned against the wall of the room, folding his arms over his chest as he got a better look at the people who were involved. They sure seemed like kind of a strange bunch...except, say! Wasn't that Tifa over there? Her piano playing had been soothing to listen to, from what he remembered, and the thought of her signing up for that band stuff was enough to put a smile on his face.

[For Leon]

This pizza stuff they fed them every so often in the Institute was quite a bit more greasy than Leon approved of and certainly wasn't the best thing to start the day off right for a growing boy of his age. Granted, if he hadn't slept through breakfast it wouldn't have been his first meal of the day, but the point still stood. He was grateful they were at least considerate enough to offer salad as an option so he didn't end up feeling outright disgusting when he was moved on to the next shift.

Having already napped in the sun room, he was easily escorted to the music room for a change of pace. He too had his attention drawn to the group setting up to play, and unlike Claude the young mage had a fair amount of confidence in his own ability to provide accompaniment. In fact, he was soon wondering if they had a violin available, and if he'd be allowed to join in with it if they did. Every group could use a violinist, couldn't they? Of course, not knowing anyone involved very well made asking such a thing difficult.

He almost missed Claude, hanging back against the wall as he was, but as soon as he noticed him he was headed that way, band forgotten. The message he'd left on the board hadn't been outright troubling, but it worried him all the same. Leon gave his friend a smile as he got near. "Hey!"

As soon as he saw a familiar blue-haired boy wandering his way, Claude straightened up from where he'd been leaning against the wall, a bright smile on his face. "Hey, there, Leon!"

Once again, he was grateful to have the chance to look Leon over himself, rather than having to rely on his other senses in finding out whether he was injured or not. All in all, he appeared to be in good health. If it was true that he hadn't gotten harassed by his shadow last night, then that was all the better.

Maybe all that alchemy he'd been working on had done a good job of keeping him out of trouble. That wasn't too surprising, though, since Claude imagined Leon stayed quite busy with helping other patients.

"What have you been up to?" he asked him after a moment.

Claude looked all right, at least. He was all in one piece and not rolling around in a wheelchair, so that definitely counted for something. And he was smiling. Smiling was always a good sign. The cheerful greeting rubbed off on Leon and he ended up smiling right back as he stopped in front of him.

Maybe if he'd missed whatever had his friend worried, he was simply better off for it and bringing it up wouldn't do anyone any good. He was curious, but he didn't want to get into a bad subject, either. If Claude wanted to talk about it, he would. It might even be nothing.

"Just the usual." He gave a little shrug. "Seems like there may be a no show tonight, though, so I might end up without plans."

A no show? Claude's smile dipped a little. "Oh, I see..." They might have been released or something. He wondered how often patients disappeared before they were able to acquire a weapon. It probably happened enough. But then, with how casual Leon was acting about it, maybe the no show was because of a conflicting schedule.

Either way, it sounded like things hadn't been set in stone yet. It was possible whoever was next would get back to him over the board after all. And then there was that mysterious message from Mordio, asking about heraldry, that had been posted right after lunch...

"You know, it's really nice of you to volunteer your time like that," he commented. "I guess these days you're the only alchemist the patients here have to rely on."

"It's happened before." Leon shrugged again. It was an unfortunate thing, but he didn't really know the person well and disappearances were commonplace here. If he got upset over every one of them, he'd be a mess. So he had to shrug it off and move on. Hopefully they were somewhere better than here now. "I'm thinking that after I'm done with this list I might change up the way I handle things. Because you're right - I am the only alchemist here, and I need to make sure I give everyone enough of an opportunity, but I need the occasional bit of time for myself too."

Right now, he was getting that only when he was done with the list or whenever there was a no-show. Or he would in theory, except that so far he'd ended up giving up some of that time to others as well. Tonight, for example, it looked like he'd be talking to another patient about heraldry. Hopefully she wouldn't be asking him to write a book too.

He felt as if they'd had some of this conversation before, but he didn't mind. Claude cared about how he was doing, and that lifted his spirits.

That seemed like an awful lot of responsibility to heap onto the shoulders of a young boy, but Claude also knew Leon enjoyed it when people relied on him for things. He was also probably used to it to some extent, particularly given his position back on Expel. On the other hand, he had a point about needing to take some time off for himself.

"It's important to make sure you don't stretch yourself thin," Claude agreed. "How were you thinking of changing things around, though? Are you going to shorten your next list?"

Claude wished there was at least one other alchemist here to help take the load off of Leon. Unless someone like Ed came back again, though, that seemed unlikely. At least it sounded like the boy was being mindful not to push himself too hard.

Leon looked thoughtful. He hadn't come to a real conclusion yet on how he was going to solve the problem, but he thought his current idea was his best so far. Discussing issues like these always helped. "I was thinking of getting rid of lists completely. It's depressing, but you never know how long people are going to be around."

Then you had people sign up and vanish before their turn is ever reached, and new arrivals who don't have the opportunity to have a spot. He supposed he should be more worried than he was that he would just up and vanish, but perhaps he'd become too complacent after all this time. When you saw so many come and go while you yourself remained, it was hard to imagine the same thing happening to you.

"I'll announce when I have a free night to make a weapon, perhaps. Other patients can respond then and... I don't know. Maybe I'll draw names. Then it'll just be for that night."

When Leon worded it that way, Claude could understand how lists might be unfair toward captives who hadn't been around that long. But even if he did away with lists, it sounded like there would be a long waiting period regardless, and maybe some long-time patients who would never get a chance if they weren't lucky enough to get selected. But if Leon wanted to be fair to everyone, including himself, then a system like that would probably be best after all.

Claude rubbed his chin, thinking the idea over. "Well, I can definitely see how taking things one day at a time would be less hassle for you." With the way some patients came and went, and even came around all over again, there was no telling who'd be able to follow through on a promise they made even three or four days ago. Plus it would allow Leon more flexibility with his nights.

"I'll bet newer people would appreciate the chance, too," Claude added with a small smile. "But if you think doing away with lists would work best for you, it wouldn't hurt to at least experiment with it, right? If it turns out you don't like it for whatever reason, you could easily go back to how things were before."

Leon nodded. Claude was merely pointing out some of the pros he'd already thought over himself, though it helped to hear someone else say them. It made it feel like a more viable option. And he was right - he could always go back to the way things were if it didn't work out as he hoped.

That was the plus side of being the only one in charge of this sort of thing. He got to decide how it worked out. It was a bit of a burden, knowing there was no one else for anyone to go to with their weapon needs, but everyone had been pleasant enough to him so far and things had gone along relatively smoothly. It would be even better if alchemy didn't wear him out as much as it did and he was able to craft more than one order a night, but this was better than doing nothing at all.

"Is this all right with you, Claude?" He tilted his head, watching his older brother figure carefully. "It doesn't bother you that I've taken this on, does it?"

Claude hadn't expected that question, and his expression grew more puzzled as he looked at Leon. "Not at all," he answered honestly. "I think it's really great that you were able to learn a technique from another world, and that you're using it to help other people."

And in a place where everyone's combat abilities were limited, it was probably for the best that he'd chosen to channel his power into something so productive. Claude had spent so many nights getting his hands dirty and exploring, but what did he have to show for it? Two of his friends had died in the basement, partly due to his own inability to keep them safe. And all going out into the woods seemed to do was take Asch away from them and spew his and Guy's best-kept secrets into the open.

That thought was depressing enough on its own, so he pushed it aside and tried to focus his attention on the boy for now. "Why do you ask, Leon?"

That response made the young mage feel genuinely relieved. He hadn't doubted too much that Claude approved of what he did, but it was always good to hear it straight from him. He shook his head, smiling at his friend.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to make sure." He'd hate to think Claude spent any amount of his time worrying over what he was getting up to. Some worry was normal, of course - he worried about what the blond got up to all the time, but concern mixed with disapproval would make him feel bad about taking on these tasks. And he considered using his alchemy like he was a very important task.

"What have you been up to, by the way?"

Claude returned Leon's smile. He could see why he'd want to make sure his friends were okay with what he was doing. But, really, so long as Leon wasn't damaging his health, or taking on more than he could comfortably chew, then Claude was in full support of whatever Leon wanted to do. That's what friends did for each other, right?

When the boy asked what he'd been up to, however, he was quiet a moment. He wished he had some positive news to give, but there wasn't much he could say in that department. Ashton and Dias seemed to be missing, which meant the two of them were likely the only ones from their group these days. Neither of them seemed to be ready to broach that topic out loud, though. On the other hand, Claude supposed it was true that Leon hadn't been particularly close to Dias, so maybe some of that wasn't even necessary to discuss.

"Oh, you know, the usual..." he said with a small shrug. "Now that my eyes are finally better, though, I think I'd like to continue exploring the institute." Claude straightened up in an attempt to look more confident. "There's bound to be a way back home. It's just a matter of finding it."

The smile on Leon's face didn't diminish, even if he was beginning to think returning home through any method of escape might be impossible. So many people had tried, but how many had actually succeeded? The disappearances weren't natural.

Still, if there was anyone who could find a way out for all of them, it was Claude. That's why he was able to nod in response and not look depressed just at the thought. Big Brother would find a way out for all of them eventually. It would just be Leon's job to keep others equipped and capable of dealing with the Institute's monsters until then. If there was anything to face once they made an escape, at least some of the patients wouldn't be heading into danger unarmed.

"So your eyes are really okay? No lasting effects?" Maybe he shouldn't have changed the topic to this, but it was bad enough he'd found out about what happened to Claude as late as he did.

"Nope, my eyes are just fine," Claude assured him. Even if he was still suffering from some other minor side effects, at least he wasn't blind. "You don't have to worry about that anymore." He grinned at the boy. "Guy's friend Natalia healed me, actually."

He still owed her a big one after she put herself on the line for his sake. They hadn't even known each other for more than a day, and yet she'd willingly strained herself for his sake. It was comforting to know that some of the patients here were as good-hearted as people like her and Leon.

Of course, it would have been better if they didn't have to be subjected to this place at all. But that just made finding a way out all the more important, right?

"That's great!" Leon practically beamed. "Is she a healer?" The young mage would always feel at least a small pang of jealousy when speaking of people with the ability to heal wounds magically. For all that he was capable of doing, magically mending flesh wasn't on that list. Even with alchemy, he was only capable of working with metals - just a slight improvement on the form of alchemy he'd known before.

He had to push aside thoughts like that, though. It was good enough that there were those here who could. Patients healed fast in Landel's, but sometimes not fast enough - such as the instance with Claude's eyes. To hear that there was no lasting damage really brightened the boy's day. He'd been so worried since it had happened, what with seeing the results of other experimentations.

Though... "You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"

"Yeah, she is, actually," Claude replied. "She uses something called fonons to power her healing spells. It took a few tries, but she was able to repair the damage in my eyes." Really, all the different kinds of "magic" that came from various worlds was quite interesting. Of course, it wasn't so surprising that different societies wouldn't evolve in the same way. It did make him wonder what Auldrant would eventually do in terms of finding an alternate energy source, however.

Leon's next question took him by surprise, and he blinked a moment. He had to admit to himself that burdening Leon with his own issues wasn't something he was in a hurry to do. With all the responsibilities he was shouldering, it didn't seem right to add to his load.

"You don't need to worry about me, Leon," he said with a small smile. "Compared to some of the others here, I'd say I got off pretty lucky."

But there was something he'd put off telling him for too long. Claude's face grew a little more serious. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you, though," he continued. "That Sync kid hasn't come to talk to you lately, has he?"

"Sync?" Wait, who was that? Some friend of Claude's? He couldn't put a face to the name. Oh! No, he remembered now. That was the one with green hair that he'd been talking with at lunch the other day.

He shook his head. "No... the last time I saw him was when he was with you." Well, perhaps he'd seen him around the building out of the corner of his eye in the meanwhile, but they hadn't spoken. He didn't understand the concern, though. Had the two of them not been getting along? "Why, did something happen?"

Leon didn't think it good form to point out that Claude sounded particularly fatherish at that moment in time, as if scolding his son for going off and playing with some other neighborhood boy he didn't approve of. ...Not that Leon had ever received that sort of scolding from his own father, mostly because he hadn't had many real friends growing up.

When Leon informed him that he hadn't had anymore contact with the boy, Claude let out a small breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. As far as he was concerned, Sync could come harass him all he wanted. But if Sync ever thought for one second that he could get away with trying to hurt Leon, Claude knew he couldn't be held responsible for hunting him down right then and there, nurses be damned. They were lucky things hadn't come to that, but Claude wasn't going to put any kind of faith in Sync if he could avoid it.

"If he ever approaches you, be very careful," Claude cautioned him. "He's a fierce enemy of Guy and his friends."

There had once been a time when he'd thought it would make sense for people to put aside old grudges long enough to find an escape, but Claude had since come to realize that some things ran too deeply for even a temporary truce.

"Sync isn't above resorting to all kinds of trickery to get his way," he continued. "So let me know if he starts giving you trouble, all right?"

That guy was an enemy? He hadn't seemed all that threatening when he'd seen him last, but if Claude said he wasn't to be trusted then he'd listen to his friend. He had no reason in the slightest not to believe him - never had, really.

So Sync was an enemy. He'd definitely remember that. It wasn't as if he'd be difficult to watch out for, either, what with that color of hair. It was far less common here than it was on a place like, say, Expel.

He was curious at this point, and really wanted to ask more about the young man, but it seemed as though it might not be the best of topics. There was no reason to go ending their time together this shift on too sour of a note.

"All right." Leon nodded, serious. "I'll tell you."

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Day 53: Music Room

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