Day 53: Intercom, Evening

[damned_intercom]

The commotion just after the intercom's jingle displayed the same kind of erratic energy that the Head Doctor had been exuding all day.

"Come on, get those papers out of the way - no, I don't...! Ah! Good evening, everyone, and I hope you all enjoyed the activities we had to

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M11

[winged_moon]

Once again it had been a spectacularly unproductive day, but -- even though he hadn't been able to see her, Yue had definitely sensed Sakura's presence somewhere nearby during the last shift. Was that a positive sign, then? She'd been awake and out of her room, at least, but he had no idea what other signs warned that someone was about to be "released." Nobody really did. People were simply there one day and then not, usually without any warning.

At least Yukito and Touya had broached the subject of what they would do if one of them disappeared; the possibility always existed, but nobody wanted to talk about it. Pretending it wasn't going to happen wasn't productive in the slightest, though it did surprise the guardian a little that Yukito had been the one to bring it up. If he were to be honest with himself Yue had to admit that was more the sort of thing he would point out, even if lately he'd been trying to be more... tactful. It made him wonder yet again about the boundaries between himself and his false-- no, his other self, and how they seemed to be so blurred. Should he be more concerned? Did Sakura or Touya need to know?

Yue didn't bother to acknowledge the nurse when she deposited his dinner tray and left the room, instead seating himself at the desk and withdrawing into the back of their shared mind to think. Yukito was as willing as always to deal with mealtime, even if dinner was always composed of such small portions, which gave Yue the relative peace to mull over the situation... at least until their roommate arrived. That was another mess entirely.

Re: M11

[itneverwas]

The final shift before dinner had given the day an appreciated measure of productivity; the conversation with Erika had been a source of useful information. Small pieces and hints, but useful ones nonetheless. Even the smallest pieces of knowledge could bring him one step closer to his goals, after all.

His roommate was already present once Xemnas entered the room. A fortunate development, for he had many questions for the other patient. It remained to be seen whether such answers could be acquired easily, however, but the Nobody was a patient man.

"Good evening," he offered as he made his way to the desk on his side of the room and took a seat.

M11

[winged_moon]

By the time their roommate appeared Yukito had managed to polish off almost all of the food he'd been given; he was just contemplating the slice of pie as the door opened, whereupon Yue gently but firmly pushed him back and reasserted control over his own body. You could have waited until I finished the pie, Yukito observed a little wistfully, but didn't object. He was accustomed to it by now, especially when it came to this situation-- Ken had been friendly enough that Yue hadn't minded him (much) but this Xemnas was different.

Yue inclined his head slightly in dignified and equally impersonal greeting, then pushed the tray away from himself and rose to his feet again, turning toward the closet. He might as well make preparations for the night, such as they were. It wasn't as though he had all that much to do or equipment to carry... especially since his flashlight still was without fresh batteries. They were clearly doomed to never complete that errand.

M11

[itneverwas]

The other went about what could only be preparations for the night, having finished his dinner so quickly. Xemnas merely continued to eat his own, allowing a moment of silence to pass before the inevitable would occur.

Still, considering Yue's behavior it would hardly be surprising if he would not be as cooperative as the Nobody would hope.

"Following previous nights, I find myself rather curious about certain matters," he began calmly. "Would you be willing to answer?" The words had not been spoken on a different tone as the ones he had spoken earlier, but they still contained a certain air of authoritative firmness, as if implying he would not easily take a 'no' for an answer, as if he would continue to pry until the other would finally give in no matter how many dinners it would take.

[winged_moon]

Curious about certain matters. Yue had no doubt at all what those certain matters would be, given the way he'd already transformed in front of the man; anyone had to be curious about that kind of thing. And yet, as usual, he had no interest whatsoever in talking about himself, especially not to someone who was essentially a stranger.

The guardian frowned slightly at the closet door, then stepped back and began to fuss with his hair without bothering to look back at his roommate. "That would depend on the question," he replied in a dry tone, carefully separating his hair into three strands and twisting them into a neat braid. If nothing else he needed it out of the way before he could go wandering that night.

[itneverwas]

"I am certain you are already aware of what questions I will be asking," Xemnas continued simply, paying the dry tone of the response no mind. He turned his head to watch the one across the room, who was in the progress of braiding his hair.

"You grow wings. You change form. Is it not natural for one to desire an explanation?"

[winged_moon]

One strand over the other, each placed with even more careful precision than Yue would normally have shown when braiding his hair; he might have been preparing for a formal appearance rather than simply pulling it out of the way for the night. Not that it would have been braided if he intended to show himself at his best, but with so many of his abilities crippled it was simply the best he could do. He frowned down at his hair as he worked, still refusing to look over at the other man.

"You seem to already have information," he replied. "Is that not sufficient?" He grew wings and shifted from false form to true once night fell. What else did Xemnas want, a detailed account of his own creation? That was something Yue probably couldn't answer even if he wanted to.

[itneverwas]

The lack of cooperation was anticipated, but Xemnas did not falter. "It is not, I'm afraid," he answered simply, unfazed. He continued to watch - to study - his roommate even though the gaze was not returned. Perhaps Yue was lucky that the Nobody did not care for such needless things; any other man - one part of an existence - may have felt otherwise, may have been offended at the lack of eye contact in the middle of a conversation.

"Do things not occur without a reason? Without a purpose?" he continued, "Certainly, your changes are no exception."

[winged_moon]

"I simply return to how I should be," Yue replied after another brief pause, his attention on his hair despite the gaze he could almost feel. He disliked the idea of being studied like that, but what could he do about it? Demand that Xemnas stop looking at him? Without a way to enforce such a command, one that would be somewhat ridiculous in a room so small, it could do nothing but make him look a fool.

The guardian continued his work, finding himself wishing for likely the first time that the intercom announcement would come quickly, heralding the beginning of night. The time when the doors would unlock and allow him to leave this place, and questions he had no desire to answer in detail, for he suspected only detail would make Xemnas happy.

[itneverwas]

Yue's suspicions were not far off, as the answer he had provided wasn't enough to satisfy the Nobody's curiosity. "Is that so?" Then, what is it that you are?" Xemnas questioned. He did not know of many who possessed wings appearing and disappeared by a ray of light, after all.

"Furthermore, that still does not tell the reason why you had appeared as a boy only mere nights ago." A boy that had behaved differently, a sharp contrast with the one he was conversing with. Either Yue, or Yukito, had been a remarkable actor, or he was dealing with two individuals in a single shell.

[winged_moon]

Yue continued working in silence until he'd reached the end of the long braid, then focused on carefully wrapping the end with a rubber band before he flicked it behind his back again. "I am as I was created," he replied, with a tone that said it was the last thing he intended to say on the matter, no matter what his roommate might think. He didn't particularly care what Xemnas wanted, as long as there wasn't any open hostility between them during the short time they had to spend together daily.