Day 57: Cafeteria

[gald_digger]

Edgar's charming company had raised Anise's spirits enough that not even the Head Doctor's voice could bring them back down. Besides, she was feeling pretty sure that Landel wasn't actually around. To begin with, it wouldn't make sense, and secondly, his announcements sounded suspiciously like ones she'd already heard before. While Anise wasn't

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[predictator]

The young man may not have said anything in response to Izaya's comment on visitors, but the expression on his face said enough to satisfy him. He was stumbling over his words after that, and Izaya's smile was back. He hoped it would be taken as sympathy rather than amusement, even if the latter was more accurate.

Coming over here had definitely been the right decision. While Izaya himself had only limited information about the 'Joshua' they had him on file as, he had been able to meet with one of the doctors here before the military had taken over the daily operations. Still, there were really only a few details he needed right now: it was often difficult to get useful information from the nurses, the doctors knew his (and presumably others') real name(s), and he-along with everyone else here-was supposedly insane. It didn't seem like much of a stretch to say that this youth might be willing to believe that they were.

"I see," he said, averting his eyes. He wouldn't suggest (right away, in plain words) that the young man had lost his mind, but helping the thought to grow would be a worthy endeavor. He wondered what facet of humanity the boy would show him in the process. "Have you had a chance to... talk things over with the doctors yet? They're here to help, you know; even with your head trauma, maybe they can help you to recall what happened."

Izaya paused, thinking over the young man's words again. 'Jumping in front of a bus' didn't sound exactly like an accident when phrased that way. Had it been intentional, then? After a moment he added, "But then again, maybe it's best not to remember..."

Ippo and his paper-thin flood gates

[rolling_go]

"I'd like to talk to them, though. I want to get out of here! But uhmm..." Were there doctors anywhere around this place? Honestly, Ippo had heard very little about help once the military had taken over. "The nurses had been friendly and then..." he pittered out when one of them walked past. "Well, they aren't anymore. This isn't--I'm not sure what this place is now. It's not so... warm." The last thing he wanted was to start ripples in this place. If anything were to be overheard, would the boxer be plucked and punished? The tear gas incident was still fresh in his mind.

"Well if remembering will get me out of her faster... I know brain damage is common, but I'm only nineteen and I can't imagine it could be this bad already. I've never forgot parts of my day before--" Oh, actually... Okay, scratch that. He had, but it was only for that match! He remembered everything after it! Oh god, maybe he did have brain damage!! Did he remember his match with Sanada? NO! HE DID NOT! He remembered the terrible pain in his head and organs. Maybe that was the bus!?

"I don't feel so good..." Sulking like a child, the boxer pushed his bowl further down the table.

[predictator]

Ah, the military. Izaya's companion didn't express that their current guards were not their former guards outright-he simply indicated that they were no longer friendly like they were before. While looking at the surface of the situation, that was certainly true, but was the surface the only thing the young man was looking at? He seemed open to the idea that talking to the doctors and remembering what he'd forgotten-or never known in the first place, if Izaya's guess was right-would lead to getting out of here, and so...

He was sulking now, and Izaya smiled at him again-his reaction to the Izaya's words, the resulting mood from a few well-placed words; Izaya wanted to see more and more and more! Humankind still had so much more to show him, and right now, this boy was so very interesting!

"I'm sure you'll remember in time," he suggested. "And even if the nurses aren't as friendly as before, I'm sure once the doctors come back during the week, they'll be the same as ever. Maybe you could request to see one of them soon."

His only experience with doctors here had been with Venkman-and he wasn't sure if the man could exactly be called 'friendly' or 'warm', at least by whatever definition his companion was using. But if the doctor did return to work on Monday and was different than he'd been before, that would be interesting in its own right. Izaya hoped he'd have a chance to see it, if it happened.

"By the way, I don't think I caught your name...?"

sorry its so short

[rolling_go]

"Y-Yeah?" Ippo perked up slightly, believing the confidence that the young man exuded through his words alone. It was nice to see someone who appreciated what this place was ultimately trying to do for them. The methods were not exactly what he expected, but it seemed that it was because of so much resistance from the patient-boy in general. So many were violent and without wish to help themselves. Ippo was relieved to hear a level-headed response to his problems.

"Okay, maybe I'll... ask a nurse about it--Oh, ah!" His name! How rude of him. Ippo was losing all his manners in this place! "I am so sorry! My name's Makunouchi Ippo! It's very nice to meet you!" He said with the utmost courtesy. He even bowed and made sure not to catch his forehead on the table in the process this time.

"W-Where in Japan do you live?" He had met two other people from Japan, but neither of them had lived very close to him. It would be nice to find someone to connect with on a level outside of "Oh hey, you're insane too?", unless this man had also happened to jump in front of a bus.

I should be the one apologizing for all my tl;dr

[predictator]

Makunouchi Ippo. Izaya made note of the name, wondering whether it was the boy's actual name or the false one he would have been listed as here. It didn't particularly matter which one it was, beyond whatever belief Ippo held in regards to his true identity, but it could be interesting to find out which it was.... A question for another time.

Izaya bowed his head towards Ippo in return at the introduction, but it was a slow, slight movement in comparison to the boy's.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ippo-kun. I'm Orihara Izaya," he said, after a short moment of silence in which he tried to decide which name he should give. If he was playing along with the idea of the hospital, giving the name 'Takahashi' might be better-but he was faced with the fact that he unfortunately knew precious little about who this 'Joshua Takahashi' was supposed to be. Giving out a false name in person was a little different than giving it out online-or over the bulletin board. His integrity could be put into question if Ippo learned that he'd lied about his name, and he certainly couldn't have that.

Not yet, at least.

"I'm from Tokyo. I live in Shinjuku these days." While he disliked giving (accurate) information about himself (especially twice now), the small bit of honesty was better than claiming to be from somewhere he was less intimately familiar with if questions were raised. But-hmm, perhaps he should have claimed Ikebukuro instead?

no tl;dr is luff!

[rolling_go]

"Eh, Shinjuku? Really?!" Ippo leaned a bit closer toward Izaya, suddenly a lot more energetic when talks turned to anything outside the realm of the institute. His large hands fidgeted on the table until he finally forced both palms flat on the plastic surface to stop his chronic anxiety.

"I live right above you! I'm in Ikebukuro, kind of south." Having a connection, even something as simple as proximity, made him feel a bit better. It was something to share with someone else, and that had been severely lacking lately. It had been years since the boxer had been thrown into a situation where everyone around him were complete strangers in every send of the word. For three years, Ippo had been surrounded by men who loved boxing. Even if they had no other common interests, their passion for the sport kept them together as friends. He had nothing like that here and it was hard to function without it.

"Ah, s-so... D-Do you like any, uhmm, sports? Do you ever go to Bunkyo to watch matches?" the boxer asked as nonchalantly as possible, which was not at all. It was such a long shot, but Ippo had to take it. What if the guy turned out to be a fan of the sport or himself? He was the current Japanese champion after all! It was totally possible! And a fan that looked kind of like Miyata--Jeez, that'd probably make his heart stop!

Re: no tl;dr is luff!

[predictator]

"Ah?" Ippo was from Ikebukuro? Perhaps he shouldn't have given his real name, after all... But how very peculiar, to meet someone from that city that he hadn't already been aware of! Granted, there were many, many humans that he hadn't met, that he didn't know, that he might never get to play with-but even so...!

He gave a small laugh, somewhere between a low chuckle and a high giggle. "For all its size, the world is still such a small place!" he said cheerily, pleased by this turn of events. Did Ippo know of Ikebukuro's very own urban legend? Had he heard of the color gangs, or of Dollars? "It seems you're not alone, Ippo-kun; I know that one or two other people from Ikebukuro are here as well. Ah, are you still in school, or have you graduated? You didn't happen to go to Raira...?" What a curious coincidence it would be if that were the case! Oh, but Raira Academy was in the east.

He laced his fingers together, resting his hands on the table as he leaned forward. Bunkyo? "And if you mean at Korakuen Hall, I don't have much of an opportunity, no," he answered, avoiding giving information about his likes and dislikes by side-stepping the first question. Why the question, though? Ippo had become much more energetic at having Tokyo in common, so perhaps it was a search for mutual interests? "You enjoy sports, I take it?"

[rolling_go]

"Eh?! Really? Ah--" Once Ippo realized he was suddenly towering over Izaya with both arms braced across the table, he staggered back into his seat, more than a little embarrassed by his behavior. "S-Sorry," he mumbled with his head tucked to his chest. He hadn't meant to make such a big deal about the comment, but it was more than the boxer could have ever hoped for in such a place.

"Oh, Raira?" He pondered the name, but it didn't sound familiar. "No, I just went to a public school close by..." Ippo didn't have very fond memories of his time there. Graduation day had probably been his favorite. His whole class had been eager to take pictures with the current National Rookie Champion. Other then that, well, Ippo had no interest in scraping any deeper. "I graduated a year ago, actually."

Still, the shock that there were more Japanese like Izaya here helped salve his bruised ego once the patient showed no signs of recognizing him. "Oh. Well. Eh, not exactly--I mean, maybe if I had had the chance to tryout for something, but I worked a lot--" and most of the kids at his school had always excluded him from playing with them no matter how light-hearted the game. "--But. I... actually am a p-professional boxer. I, ehm, f-fight a lot at Korakuen, s-so I was just curious..."

Maybe Izaya's other friends were a bit more into sports...

[predictator]

Ippo's reaction had been even more enthusiastic than Izaya had anticipated. He'd become energetic with the mention of Shinjuku, but with the mention of others from Ikebukuro as well, he'd shot up from his seat. Izaya tilted his head upwards as Ippo began apologizing, simply smiling at the boy.

He was a little disappointed that there would be one less coincidence today, but he'd known the idea that Ippo might have gone to Raira was a stretch-and anyway, he'd gotten to learn that he'd already graduated, and when. That put him at... nineteen or so?

There were some other nice pieces of information, too: he had never tried out for sports (though he was a boxer now) because he worked-was it a part-time job, he wondered, or helping the family business? In any case, there seemed to be a stark contrast between the image of a tough, professional boxer and the polite, almost transparent Ippo.

He was rather like another boy Izaya knew in that regard, and his smile took on a slight edge at the thought of Dollars' leader. He wondered what Ippo might do when backed into a corner-both in the ring and out. Maybe he really was everything he appeared to be, but maybe... Maybe there was more than met the eye.

"A professional boxer? That's amazing, Ippo-kun!" Izaya said, looking appropriately awed. "I've never met a professional before... Once we're both well and back home, I'll definitely have to come see one of your fights!"