Day 25: Sun Room (Second Shift)

[rope_victim]

Miku was very glad that the breakfast shift (and the uncomfortable conversation) was over. She hadn't felt like gardening - the photographer was likely more apt to killing plants - and her arm throbbed beneath its bandages

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[somber_secret]

Hisoka had never been happier to see his nurse, especially considering the direction his conversation with Tsuzuki had been going. It had been treading dangerous grounds and the last thing Hisoka needed was for Tsuzuki to actually believe he was going soft.

So for the first time since his arrival at Landel's, Hisoka had actually been relieved as the woman showed up to drag him outside.

Only the nurse's plans got skewed along the way as her not-so-angry-today charge managed to convince her that he had already been outside yesterday and today he would like to go to the Sun Room.

Hell, it worked. Today was a day filled with surprises. When he arrived there was only two other individuals in the room-- two girl, one Hisoka did not recognize, the other Rukia. Despite the girl's solitude, Hisoka really doubted she was in the mood for conversation, a decision the empath was quite grateful for. He wasn't all that willing for conversation right now, either.

As for Rukia, well... asking about kidou could wait a bit. Just until Hisoka decided conversation wasn't the spawn of some demon. Without a word, the shinigami seated himself on an empty couch and closed his eyes.

[akarusa]

As people began leaving the cafeteria, Hokuto looked down at the uniform they all wore, and resisted the urge to puke on it. It was by far the most hideous thing she'd ever been forced to wear, preschool smock included--honestly, she would have prefered that to this, ugly green shade and all. Even at age four, she'd hated it... and yet, looking at her uniform now, she missed it. Still, she didn't like the idea of digging around in the dirt with it--she liked flowers, but she wasn't really into gardening, even if a coat of dirt would be an improvement on this thing.

"Do you like gardening, Kazuko?" a nurse asked, coming up to her.

Hokuto just looked at her, schooling her face to be expressionless. Weren't there any other options? "I don't want to garden," she said. "I was eaten by a tree once. Just a few days ago. It hurt."

"Oh, honey..." The nurse looked like she wanted to hug her. "You know that's not true. You made it up. How could you be here if a tree had eaten you?"

Hokuto somehow kept a straight face. "The doctors took me from where I belonged, put me in a new body, and gave me a new name. That's how." Her voice was very soft and she was deliberately putting stress on the wrong words. It sounded a little creepy even to her.

"Let's see if you like the Sun Room," the nurse suggested. She didn't sound weirded out at all; Hokuto was disappointed.

Once inside, she stood very still in the spot she was escorted to, then walked away once the nurse did. She'd seen other kids here...

A lone boy on a couch caught her attention. His eyes were closed, but she doubted he was asleep; she came over and sat next to him. "Interesting place," she commented dryly. "I'm Hokuto, what's your name?"

[somber_secret]

Of course, out of all the other people in the room to talk to, this woman had to single him out for interrogation. It was divine irony, as Renji had put it, being forced into countless conversations when Hisoka was quite certain that if he never spoke again it'd be too soon.

The boy opened his eyes and fixed Hokuta with a cool stare. If anything, this woman was going to be annoying. He could tell this already even with the few seven words already spoken based on the fact that she was willing to speak with a complete stranger regardless of if they had obviously isolated themselves on purpose and obviously attempting to sleep.

Hisoka fought back a sigh. "Kurosaki Hisoka" Might as well give her that much, maybe she would go away soon.

[akarusa]

Hokuto just smiled when he opened his eyes and spoke to her. "Nice to meet you. Have you been here long?"

She was leaning back against the couch, fairly close to Hisoka but not touching, and not leaning forward. Fun as it could be, she wasn't trying to flirt in any sense; she could tell he wouldn't exactly appreciate it. She considered asking what he was supposedly in here for, but decided he might not take that well... besides, she hadn't yet managed to find out what her own "illness" was. Extreme fear of trees and pink petals? Delusions of an unbeating heart? (Neither was true in any sense, but considering she was pretty sure she was still perfectly sane...)

[somber_secret]

And yet she didn't. Go away, that is. Hisoka could now recall why he disliked going out in public, extroverted idiots liked to single him out and strike up a conversation. Not missing how close the woman was to him, Hisoka narrowed his eyes slightly, a subtle hint to the boy's readiness to take action should Hokuto prove a threat.

"About five days." Maybe six. He was losing track, he would have to start keeping better record in his journal to prevent this...

[akarusa]

"Ouch," she said sympathetically. "Do you know anyone here? I don't, but so far everyone seems nice enough--the nurses are a little patronizing, but they're okay. Not as creepy as I would have expected after what I heard during Nightshift." She was casual, but respectful--aside from not acknowledging that Hisoka didn't seem to want to talk.

She clearly noticed the unspoken threat, but as she didn't plan on hurting him (a sweet, innocent girl like her?) she didn't really react; they were just talking. Besides, if he decided to attack, she could take 'im.

[somber_secret]

"I know some people," Hisoka acknowledged carefully, ignoring the sympathetic-- or pitying-- words. He didn't know a great amount of people, but he also hadn't been here as long as some of the other "patients". It was to be expected.

[akarusa]

"That's good, I hope." Not everyone was a friend even to her, although if Seishirou was here, she didn't think she'd really mind... she still thought of him as Sei-chan, even after all he'd done. And she missed him.

"So I guess you're not into sports?" Otherwise he'd be out on the field; Hokuto figured she wouldn't mind a few rounds of tennis, at least, if it was the girls' turn next. Did they get gym uniforms or stay in their regular ones for sports?

[somber_secret]

Hisoka just shrugged at Hokuto's initial words, carefully keeping his shoulders from making any contact with the other woman at all. It didn't matter if it was good or bad, though there were some people here who the boy knew weren't trustworthy.

"No," Hisoka replied plainly to her question. He knew he was making it hard for the woman to keep a conversation going, but anything to do with others was not worth the effort. He wasn't "into people", as this woman could say.

[akarusa]

"Do they offer anything really fun around here? It's a little hard to get a decent tour of a place when all you have is a flashlight and monsters are around, so I haven't seen much," she commented.

A slightly more important question crossed her mind; she added, "Do you know where we are? All I know is that we're not in Japan." So much for calling home; it might be forbidden, but she didn't care, she wanted to talk to Subaru again. If he was in this world.

[somber_secret]

"A few people have maps." She was on her own when it came to getting a tour though, too many people had things to do when nightshift came around. The boy really doubted many would be willing to show her around. "Not many are fully completed though."

As for where they were, well... "Some believe we are in America, others are not quite so sure we are even in the same world. There is no way to really tell, everything here is outdated." Which is probably what Martin Landel was aiming for, keep his prisoners oblivious and they have no power.

[akarusa]

"If this is another world, it doesn't look like one," she commented. "I recognize all the furniture, and the food--at least it's something quality. I love McDonald's, but it's not something to live off of." She hesitated for a moment after saying that; here, unexpectedly, she needed something to live off of. "I heard the sweets are good too," she added after a pause. The light in her eyes had dimmed a little when she hesitated--she wasn't at the point where she badly needed a hug, but getting one would be nice.

The boy she was talking to did remind her of her brother, somehow, but going off his body language, she knew better than to touch him.

[somber_secret]

Hisoka nodded. There really wasn't anything different from the world he came from either, assuming that this woman wasn't from his world despite the mentioning of Japan. As for McDonald's, well... Hisoka tried to avoid the fast food places, they were disgustingly greasy.

"I wouldn't know," Hisoka shrugged at the comment of sweets, deciding at that moment not to point out the woman's pause. As long as she didn't pry, he wouldn't either.

[akarusa]

"Oh, well." She'd find out, somehow or other. And hopefully build up a stash of sweets--probably against the rules, but she could endure a little scolding if she was caught.

"So." Hokuto sat up a little more, still looking Hisoka in the eye but managing not to lean forward any further. "What do you do for fun around here?" She smiled, more cheerfully than flirtatiously. "I've heard rumors of a Game Room, and a Music Room--do you think we could borrow anything from one of them?" She needed a distraction, and it was obvious Hisoka did too. And he was now her elected victim partner-in-crime.

[somber_secret]

"They serve little treats at meals occasionally." He shrugged. He never ate them, not that he ever ate much anyway, but by how much Tsuzuki horded them the boy was willing to put his money on the quality of the said sweets.

If sweets ever had any quality in the first place.

When Hokuto straightened up further with a smile Hisoka could not help but get the 'Oh Shit' vibe he usually got when cornered by Yuma and Saya. This woman was just like them (minus the attempts to get him in a dress, but Hisoka wasn't about to put it past her). "I read," the boy replied, far more cautious than before. "There are those rooms you mentioned, but as prisoners we aren't allowed to go there for now."

[akarusa]

"We can ask, though!" Hokuto pointed out brightly. "Maybe they won't let us stay in there, but I don't see why we wouldn't just be able to grab something and use it in here. So what kind of games do you like to play?" She was fine with whatever, but she could tell he'd be a little pickier. She didn't want to be overly pushy, she just wanted to drag him into something fun.

She was well aware she would be dragging him into it, if he agreed at all, but he needed to do something fun, and she wanted someone to have fun with. So, for the moment, he was it.