Night 57: Infirmary

[antiheroed]

[ from here]For as direct as they were being, Riku understood how much of this section of Landel's remained unexplored. They were so focused on acquiring the drug that it hadn't occurred to them to stop-or, if it had, it was a thought stopped by his frustration with his partner for the night. To think he pushed off some old man because he thought he

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[antiheroed]

In another time, the assumption Albedo made would have gotten to him. Part of the reason why he and Sora functioned so differently was because they approached life in such contrasted ways; Sora followed his heart and didn't live in the past or future: he just lived in the moment, while Riku did exactly the opposite. He obsessed over information and added it up in his head until it made absolute sense. That wasn't to say he was without his impulses, but even his impulses made sense in the long run. They lined up. Tonight's excursion, for example, was one such impulse.

But this wasn't another time, and so Riku was left only smirking in respond to the boy's quip. There was a strong chance Sora wouldn't be pleased with him come morning, but he would find a way to make him understand. Riku did have the underlying guilt seeping in over not trying hard enough to find him, especially if he had been right there, but getting stuff done overcame that. They didn't need to always work together. And again, it was better knowing Sora was where he could find him, rather than gone just as he seemed to have been.

It was better to lay it on and redirect it from himself. There wasn't anything there to work with, anyway; Albedo wasn't like the Shadow that continued to resonate with him. For Riku, he was, as he'd already decided, a means. "What? Don't know how to have a good friend?" he shot back. "Weird that that's what you assumed, anyway. Sora'd be mad if I just ran around without finding something good." At that last bit, he motioned to the drugs. Not that Sora would be mad, per se, or anything close to that, but Riku figured his friend knew how he couldn't relax. He wouldn't understand an aimless goose chase, not when it might have been useless, whereas this could've helped him find his friend if he wasn't here. It was very simple logic.

Riku took up the drug, because he wanted to get it done with. He should've taken the opportunity to make Albedo go first. It was something that he recognized as smarter, but the competitive part of him responded to the goading. And either way, the lengthy answer revealed that his partner didn't have a clue of what to expect. "I've got this," he said, and in his mind, it revealed that he didn't care what the other guy observed. He had a feeling he'd go through with it, anyway. "Just in case you want to chicken out if anything unexpected happens."

[purpletaint]

Yes, it was far more amusing to return to viewing it as a game, and he only smiled to Riku's retort, batting his eyes. "Perhaps so," he said in sing-song. "I'm sure you know much better than I do, after all. I'm glad your friend approves so much of you risking yourself." Quite opposite from how Sora presented himself, actually, but Albedo wouldn't stay here. He wasn't that much of a hypocrite if it was opposite, and Albedo had a feeling if Nigredo did know, his darling little brother would not be pleased.

That was a guarantee, actually, especially after how Nigredo had reacted this morning. And learning of Albedo's dealings might allow a loophole in their agreement, and Albedo wouldn't have Nigredo go back on his word. It was far more important that his sibling not act as he had before, and prioritize his life over anything else.

Albedo's life.... Well, tendencies aside, he still could 'bounce back' quick enough. He hadn't yet found a poison that his regeneration couldn't cancel.

Which he couldn't speak for the other. In the weeks he had been here, Yomi was the first Albedo had found with anything near to his own ability, and yet still, this one rose to the challenge given. Albedo leaned against a nearby table, folding his arms across his chest in detached interest. Be it that this may be fun, he would rather watch first, for personal pleasure rather than any due cause of warning. The boy smiled. "Go ahead, then. I'm so touched by your concern."

[antiheroed]

This guy had a way of turning it back onto him, didn't he? Riku wondered how much of an impression he had of Sora, and how much he might end up twisting if he saw it to his benefit. At the moment, it was a rivalry, and they were brushing hardly against one another, but he wondered if it would continue. Would it become worse? Would the very instrument of his continuing forward that night cause it? Riku knew about the various special treatments. Would this cause something like that? Was he prepared?

In the end, it was simple enough. Riku had more fears when it came to his friends not accepting him and not loving him; if he did something reckless and stupid, they might be irritated, but they would surely smile and make a stupid face. Riku, they might say, you shouldn't work alone. (He wasn't, at least-for once, he could argue that much.)

He shrugged like it was nothing. The action reminded him of that day on the beach when he was too weak after the fight with Xemnas. His body was so exhausted by that point, especially without the increased power, that he could barely handle it. This guy didn't need the same reassurances. The show for him was merely a display of arrogance, a show that he was better than him. If he could face this, then what else wouldn't bother him? Though he wasn't actually bothered. The exclusion of the Sora and Kairi factor made it so that little bothered him if something needed to be completed.

After the shrug, though, there wasn't much else to do or say. He took the drug quickly, and waited for the potential death and fear, but there was nothing. It sounded as innocent as the announcements had attempted to make it sound. Riku blinked and shrugged again. "I feel fine," he offered, and there was enough of a hint of bemusement to his voice to indicate that he expected something else.

[purpletaint]

Despite the lax attitude in which Albedo stood, the boy's eyes were intent as he watched the other tip the vial and swallow, throat working as the liquid settled into his form. A moment passed, then two, and then... The other spoke and Albedo stared incredulously. Nothing?

The expression dropped to sheer childish disappointment. "If this is just a waste of time...." The boy sighed, dropping his stance to shove a hand through his hair. "I don't know why I expected otherwise, really. Nothing really fun ever happens here."

Near-pouting more than anything else, Albedo moved to the stand set up and plucked up a different colored liquid. He frowned at it, then tipped it back, swallowing it down.

[antiheroed]

"Maybe mine was a placebo," Riku offered as he watched Albedo take his dosage of it. He considered taking another if that was the case, but it seemed moot; if anything, Riku figured that there was a good chance that something might turn up later. His knowledge of experiments was largely related to working for and alongside Ansem the Wise for as long as he did, but he picked up a few things. Science itself was cold, and results didn't always come out right away. Or, if they did, it meant that the work prior to those results was lengthy.

Which made him pause for a moment. If they were offering something like this serum, why was it already prepared? Did Landel have it on hand before this other guy came in, or was this all planned for a while? Riku considered it, but didn't pose it. They were questions better left to other people-or at least someone who didn't seem so childishly disappointed that he wasn't dying from sudden internal injuries.

All the same, he watched Albedo intently. He didn't care as deeply as he might with someone else, but he needed to see if anything happened. Any piece of information was necessary to move on.

[purpletaint]

The liquid settled in his stomach without the feel of acid or abatement. He closed his eyes idly, focusing on the feel inside of him. Nothing.... But not quite. Something hard in the depths of his being for one moment, and then it was like nothing at all. He opened his eyes in thought. Something, then, perhaps. Or something only for that brief moment. He eyed the tray carefully, then without a pause for hesitation, lifted two more and took them, one after the other, with a pause for reaction inbetween. With both, there wasn't even the off feeling of before. As if drinking water, or really, nothing at all.

He sighed to himself. The fun there was now done for the night, and with no further goal, his need for antagonism lessened. The boy slid both hands behind his head, glancing at Riku in curiosity. "Nothing for either of us, then." Tilting his head, he went on. "What are you going to do for the rest of the night?"

Albedo twisted his mouth in thought, considering the open door. Continuing to explore this area could end in something fun. Medical supplies did not only come in bandages and needles--the more detailed things of use were the things he would truly note.

[antiheroed]

For them to just take two like it was nothing led him to believe that there was more to this than he believed. Would this drug change them over time, or were they just unable to recognize what it managed to accomplish just yet? Riku considered both possibilities and weighed them in his mind before introducing a third: this was meant to be nothing more than a show of loyalty. Those who obtained the drug would be awarded for going along with it. They had the means to find out that they managed this trek, after all.

He frowned-an action that was barely discernible on his otherwise placid features-and decided to keep his suspicions to himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to help Albedo out-though he didn't have any strong feelings for or against that-but that he didn't have a solid theory on what happened. Riku didn't want to be caught off-guard, and if this guy was as clever and tricky as he presented himself (age was never a factor there, Riku was very smart at an even younger age), then he probably considered that this wasn't the last of what they'd seen of the drug.

"I want to check out this place. No one's ever been here before, right?" There wasn't some part of him that wanted to claim that he had first rights over the medical wing, but there was something about actually getting to see something first hand. It wouldn't be Sora's explanation-or Kairi's, for that matter. He liked feeling like he could do something of use. Knowing about this place would help his friends. Assuming, naturally, that both friends were still present within the institute.

[purpletaint]

The boy continued frowning at the chemicals for a moment, before deciding to shrug it off. Nigredo wouldn't have been pleased, if something would have happened that Albedo couldn't negate. If there was something else to be gained, he'd act on that instead. Which seemed to be the consensus Riku had arrived at, as well. Albedo looked up, bland amusement on his features. "How quaint. We want the same thing."

He stepped forward, rolling his shoulders in an idle stretch. "No one's been here before," he agreed, glancing backwards. "So it'd be interesting to see what's been left lying around."

[to here]