Day 30: Patient Library (Fourth Shift)

[jei]

While he waited for his bulletin board correspondant, Farfarello perused the library's offerings once more. There was no sign of any of the books he'd requested in the suggestion box but he wasn't very suprised that this was the case--even if, by some chance, the Head Doctor actually intended to grant any of the reasonable requests it still would

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[blood_and_pocky]

Aidou knew getting gloriously upset wouldn't do a damn thing (unlike home, where he could have anything he desired), but it still couldn't relieve his mounting exasperation. Today's little riot had ruined everything. Not only had he not spoken with Sasuke yet, but he hadn't gotten to the E class yet, either. The only productive thing had been a brief, cleansing shower at the end of third shift, a safeguard against being in the eye of the public.

Thinking 'at least I'm clean' was even more foolish, since the vampire knew better than to start becoming habituated. Once that happened, one was better off dead. And he deserved better. Having his freedom, having his powers, having his cousin. Better.

Picking a newer book that didn't smell like must, Aidou reclined back in a chair, legs crossed on the seat of another, and put the open novel over his face. The library was at least out of the sun, if not totally quiet--it would do for some much needed rest.

[rope_victim]

Miku had emerged from her shower feeling more awake than she had before, and thank goodness. Still, there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, and sometimes, if she concentrated hard enough she could almost feel the tattoos crawling over her palms

[blood_and_pocky]

Ugh, when one such as himself was too tense to sleep, even when he needed it, it was a deplorable thing. Though he couldn't blame himself. He could smell blood, made worse by that afternoon's riot, and unlike most days, his hunger begged him not to ignore it. Vampire's prerogative, unfortunately--one that was both soothingly familiar and mildly annoying, given he couldn't just take his pick anymore.

And speaking of girls, there was one in particular creeping around his table.

Sighing, he nudged the seat of the second chair with his heel. He didn't need to see to know who it was. "Take it if you don't mind my head in your lap. I'm getting a pain in my neck anyway." Even it wasn't Hinasaki Miku, no doubt Aidou would have made the same proposition to any other female, regardless of having a book over his face and being unable to gauge physical attractiveness.

[rope_victim]

Miku raised her eyebrows into her bangs, but sat down as directed. It was really forward of him, wasn't it?

Then again, she'd paid the price of a kiss for a knife and a camera, so who exactly was more forward? Her, the Radio Man or Aidou? "I don't mind," she replied quietly. She paged through her journal and looked for a blank page. It wasn't too hard, though some were missing from her first set of maps.

Aidou plopped his head in her lap a moment later. She looked down at him, half- amused, but reminding herself to be careful. He had a terrible temper, didn't he?

[blood_and_pocky]

Switching seats might have seem a stupid waste of energy, but Aidou didn't care. He tossed the book onto the table, forgotten. It was so much more comfortable having his head pillowed in a warm girl's lap, even if she didn't smell like lavender. Any one of the Night Class would have understood the attraction.

That, and Aidou could agree to be less annoyed with someone, so long as they pampered him in some way. Borrowing Miku's lap was a start. He could overlook his complete and utter irritation with her, at least until she did something stupid again.

"So?" he sighed. His eyes fluttered closed again. "Are you prepared for our talk now?"

[rope_victim]

Miku very carefully removed a piece of hair from his face so she could see it better. "Yes," she replied carefully, waiting for his tongue to become a razor. "I'm ready." In her other hand she carefully turned over her pen.

There was a weird feeling in her heart, like something heavy had sat on it.

[blood_and_pocky]

He blinked slightly under the attention, then stilled again. It was not exactly the usual image one called in their mind when they thought of 'ravenous vampire', but there it was.

Of course, if she'd really been... touched as he had, then she wasn't in her right mind, not really. Aidou didn't like to dwell on his experience, simply because he was not a human, and having human emotions boiling in his heart had been a hard blow. Probably more difficult than a human could comprehend.

But it was the worst kind of violation. He, at least, could sympathize with that.

"Then there do you want to start?" Now that you're not acting like a fool.

[rope_victim]

"Ah..." she gathered together her thoughts and words, ignoring the sudden flare of needle pricks in her arms and face by wincing slightly. "When she touched me, I got to witness some of her memories. I got a second set... when I pushed her away." The thing she knew she hadn't been able to see anyone else do, but how it had tired her. He would be the third one to know. "I can do that sometimes, with the dead," Miku kept her voice as soft as she could get it, the last thing she needed was some stranger to blurt things out

[blood_and_pocky]

Aidou listened attentively enough; the only outward sign of irritation he gave was cracking one eye open at talk of her bulletin board post. Fairly benign, given his penchant for violence. Of course he knew one of those respondents was Allen Walker, that puling little wretch--how easily that waste of skin gave away his information on a public notice board.

Of Miku's confession, he said nothing. Only, "No, mine were also blue, and it seems that's a common indicator. If you are connected to her in some way, even if you don't realize it, then it explains why your case is different." He paused there, as though waiting for her to interject. There were other reasons as to why she could be labelled different... "Anyway, the rest of your experience is similar to mine. It fits."

[rope_victim]

Miku looked down at Aidou, and smiled a little, if sadly. "I'm not looking forward to their growth this evening. I'm scared, isn't that silly?" She didn't interject when he mentioned different.

She was just as normal as anyone else... plus or minus a few things. "That's all, though, just that little thing. What about you? Are you all right now?" Have you stopped being angry with me? Miku brought her fingers to her clavicle, searching for the little black band that usually decorated it. It wasn't there, and no one had yet returned that little piece of comfort. What could she do? Make a new one?

[blood_and_pocky]

"You think it will grow?" asked Aidou. This time, he opened both eyes. That was an interesting comment to make--his had not "grown", they'd only appeared on his skin come nightfall, with the itching pain.

He shifted his head, looking upside down at her, analyzing her.

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it," said the vampire. He wouldn't dare say that about her fear, but what about her warranted such a shift... That was worth protesting. "It might be important. The goal is, after all, to destroy it once and for all." Among the rest of the Institute, but that went without saying. As for any concern on his behalf... Curious how she was still able to consider others, whether sincere or not. It was interesting to note how they internalized in such different ways. Idly, anyway.

"The markings and that which comes with them as not reappeared," Aidou answered. It was a purposefully misleading response. He wasn't going to point out utterly not right everything and everyone was.

[rope_victim]

"I think so... there..." Miku paused, why was she telling Aidou, of all people, this. Aidou wasn't... he wasn't like Rituska and Alfons, who would understand, or at least try to. What could she expect from him but a snide remark?

No, she had to believe in him, that he was a good person. "There was something that happened, before I came here, it's not quite the same, but the feeling behind it is." If I must suffer, so must you. Wasn't that what all the grudged ghosts felt? She put her hands down on either side of Aidou's head and sighed quietly. "It will be fine, though, I'm tougher than I look, Aidou-kun."

[blood_and_pocky]

He reclined patiently enough, letting her get the words out. As with most things in this godforsaken place, Aidou had learned that rushing them would only make things worse. Seemed like it was personal. As a matter of fact, the last time he'd received a confession of personal history from a human girl, it'd been from Yuki, and right before he'd tried to kill her...

Hm.

"I don't believe it's fine, but if you say so," he allowed. If she wanted to believe in her 'toughness', then whatever. He wasn't going to start arguing with her over whether she was all right or not. "But what you're saying is that you've had a similar experience, is that it?"

Even if he was in a physically vulnerable position, he didn't see the point in avoiding the issue.

[rope_victim]

She nodded, slowly, leaning back in the padded seat to look down at him. "I have... but it was a long time ago." Two years was long enough, wasn't it? Or was it three now? This stupid place's sense of time was so confusing.

"While I was there, there were times that... they would put me to sleep, and when I awoke the next time, there would be another mark... and another... and another..." Miku shook her head, the sudden flare of pain in her face and palms surprising.

Survived. Wasn't able to save him. Shouldn't have survived.

She touched the inside of her right wrist in memory, where the first rope had appeared. The skin was pale and white, lined with the deep blue of her veins where it met the heel of her hand. "But, I stopped it, and they're gone now. Of course... I wonder if the cost was worth it sometimes..."

[blood_and_pocky]

The vampire's analytical mind whirred like an overdrawn machine. A premise worth being skeptical over, but Aidou couldn't deny the bizarre conglomeration of people and creatures within these walls... The sincerity of Miku's words was what made it easiest to not completely write them off.

And he had been marked by that bestial priestess too, hadn't he?

His chest expanded under a deep, silent breath, but he didn't say anything while she touched at her rest, just watching her upside down face. Finally: "Do you regret surviving?"

[rope_victim]

His question caught her off-guard. "I don't know..." It wasn't a lie, not really. She was happy that her brother had thought to send her ahead, but... he'd stayed without thinking that she'd be left alone too. It hurt.

She shrugged and kept looking down at him. "Sometimes. It's very lonely, sometimes." Even with Rei and Yuu, she knew she was encroaching on their to-be-family. They must've minded a little; the sister of a colleague that vanished, just suddenly taken in by Yuu. "Anyway, I think you've heard quite enough about me, Aidou-kun." Miku returned to rubbing away the phantom pain of the rope burn.