Day 32: Lunch

[damnrudecock]

Sanosuke hadn't quite been ready to part ways from Kenshin, but his nurse was insistent, and she was offering food. That second thing was what really got Sano off the couch and headed to the cafeteria. And at the very least, the thing about Okita had been settled, which meant the fighter could focus on his meal

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[winged_moon]

Yue was feeling much better by the time the nurse had returned to tell him it was time to move on for lunch. He might have even recovered entirely from whatever drug he'd been given, though with how weakened he'd already been, it was hard for him to tell for certain. When the nurse (accompanied, he noted, by a pair of the burly orderlies this time) tried to take him to the cafeteria, he insisted on stopping at the bulletin board Ururu had indicated; he very carefully drew out one of Clow's circles and posted it there, just in case - anyone from his world who mattered would recognize that.

Once he had finished with the intricate design the cafeteria was already starting to fill up, though he wasn't terribly interested in the idea of lunch, since he didn't eat. He said as much to the nurse, who tut-tutted at him with a concerned look and murmured something about "eating disorders," then helped him load a tray with food nonetheless. Yue watched the proceedings without any interest whatsoever -- it didn't matter what she gave him, he wasn't going to eat it -- but then suddenly realized something was wrong. He was...hungry.

Yue wasn't supposed to be hungry, wasn't supposed to have to do something like eat food. Cerberus could, and often did so far more than was necessary, but he did not. That was something only his weaker false form did.

This growing evidence of just how humiliatingly he'd been crippled in this place only made the moon guardian even more irritated than before. Perhaps it was appropriate, then, that he found himself led to a table where another distinctly grumpy person was sitting. The nurse settled Yue at the table across from Edgeworth, then gave her charge a friendly pat on the shoulder (saying something cheery about the window seat that Yue didn't even bother to listen to) and disappeared once more.

Yue frowned down at the unoffending pizza on his tray, wishing desperately that he couldn't feel his mouth watering at the aroma wafting off the food. It was wrong. Degrading and wrong.

[high_prosecutor]

"Hello," Edgeworth said, looking across at the young man seated across from him. Noticing that he hadn't immediately moved to start lunch, he asked, "I take it you're not a fan of pizza either?" Most of the time, the food wasn't absolutely terrible here, but he was used to better Italian than the Institute generally provided.

He scribbled the last of the names and room numbers from the list he'd begun making on the bulletin board, having had just enough time to take a look at it before lunch. The simple act of getting the list together was brightening his mood just a bit - if it was enough to get someone assistance if it was needed, that was enough for the time being.

He closed the notebook, then added, "Miles Edgeworth, by the way. I don't think I've seen you around here before. If you don't mind my asking, are you one of the new patients they mentioned on the intercom?"

As he said that, he took note of his lunch companion's appearance, thinking, Teenagers. Maybe Wright was correct about trying to form something of an army...but that doesn't change the fact that people are disappearing.

"If so...I'm the person who wrote the bulletin post about what you should know right off the bat. It's a lot to take in - I've been here about two weeks, give or take a few days, and it's impossible to understand everything right away. I'll be honest, there are things I still don't entirely understand."

[winged_moon]

Not a fan of pizza? The corners of Yue's mouth twisted down just slightly at that, and he lifted a hand to prod somewhat dubiously at one of the pieces of garlic bread where it sat on the tray next to the rapidly-cooling pizza. Not a fan of the fact that he had to eat anything, really, but he could hardly ignore the fact that he was increasingly ravenous. It was something he was only used to feeling distantly from his Yukito side, as his true self was dormant.

Mention of the bulletin board post, however, did get the irritated guardian's attention, and Yue slowly glanced back up at the other man at the table. The post had filled in some of the gaps in Ururu's explanation, though not in a really good way. "I just...arrived, this morning," Yue replied quietly, finally giving in and taking a small bite of the bread. Maybe if he didn't look while he ate it would make the whole concept a little more bearable.

After a brief hesitation, he added, "Is it truly so dangerous at night?" He was, after all, Yue. Even if he was crippled and weakened in ways he didn't appreciate, he was still a guardian created by Clow Reed himself. How dangerous could it truly be?

[high_prosecutor]

"I see." Edgeworth took a forkful of mushrooms and peppers from the top of the pizza, chewing thoughtfully as to forumulate a response. "It is as dangerous as I said, yes. There have been people killed here by the creatures roaming the halls. Some have been taken down, but only the smaller ones; the rats, cats, insects, and such. The only reason to fight the more dangerous creatures is so that you can get away from them."

He took a sip of his water, then continued. "I think the most dangerous creature I've personally encountered at night is one that's been referred to as a "mimic". It takes the form of someone close to you or someone that needs protection, then attacks."

The scars from where the little girl monster had buried itself into his shoulder were still visible, though faint. Edgeworth leaned forward, showing them briefly, then pulling back. "It left myself and my companion in very bad shape."

He picked at the toppings on the pizza again, spearing a piece of broccoli with his fork. "That's not the worst of what's out there, however. The staff members at night...while they're human, as far as I'm aware, they're worse than any other monsters."

[winged_moon]

"Mmm." Yue considered that for several moments, eyes narrowing a little as he absently finished off the rest of the piece of bread. The man certainly believed what he was saying, and had scars to prove it. And yet, Yue didn't sense any kind of magic about him, nor did he look like some kind of trained warrior; perhaps he was just too powerless to really do anything.

Still, though. As he thought, Yue found himself halfway through the slice of pizza without realizing it. He forced himself to stop and very carefully set the thing back down on the plate, feeling distinctly annoyed at himself. He might be subject to such things as hunger, but that was still no reason to start devouring the food like...like...like Cerberus.

"I can take care of myself," he said, carefully wiping his fingers on a paper napkin. "But...is there no way out?" The last was spoken with just a hint of urgency, the closest thing to emotion he'd displayed thus far.

[high_prosecutor]

"So we've reached the million-dollar question," Edgeworth said, wiping his fingers on a napkin and setting it aside. "I assume the same mechamism that was able to bring each of us here is equally capable of returning us to where we came from."

He took a slow sip of his water, then leaned forward, one hand on his chin, the other tapping at his right temple. "That is probably the single best-kept secret Landel has. There was a man named Jack who seemed to be fighting against what Landel was doing by bringing people here; while he was very cryptic in his messages, the times he showed his face indicated he was on the side of the patients and not his...not his former partner.

Edgeworth's brown eyes flashed darkly, the tone in his voice growing more serious as he spoke. "Unfortunately, the two men crossed swords several days ago, and Jack is dead. Someone has stepped forward to take his place, but there are questions as to her motives. A group was attacked last night in an attempt to follow her directions, which casts some doubt as to who she's working for."

"That's assuming you want to break out of here completely and go back to the place you came from, of course."

There was another way, and he would discuss it if the time came to do so, but he would leave that decision in his acquaintance's hands.

[winged_moon]

What Edgeworth had to say was interesting, Yue was certain, and probably useful to know. But as soon as the man mentioned the potential of returning home the same mysterious way he had come - well, that held most of his attention, and he only halfway listened to the explanation about Jack and the newcomer.

At his last statement, however, Yue's attention immediately snapped back to Edgeworth, expression turning into something like a faint scowl. The very idea that he wouldn't want to go home was abhorrent to him, and he took it like some kind of an insult. "Of course I want to go back," he replied, his voice still low but taking on an edge. "I have to--"

And there he cut himself off, unwilling to explain himself to one who was almost a stranger. Obviously being in this place was wearing on him in more ways than he'd thought, even though he'd just arrived. If he had to spend too long here....

Yue straightened in his chair, carefully resuming his neutral expression once more. "If you think you know a way out, I would be interested in that."

[high_prosecutor]

"The only other way out is as mysterious as the first. People have been known to simply disappear. One moment they're in the halls, and the next, they've vanished. In one case I'm aware of, the person was brought back at a later time with no memory of when they were here in the past."

"Most of the time, when an ally vanishes, they've gone permanently, whether in death or simply fading away."

"In a second case..." It was hard for Edgeworth to keep the emotion out of his voice. He sipped at his water, calming himself before continuing. "I should add this to the primer, but patients receive visitors from time to time. Those visitors look like people from our past, or people we became close to while we were here."

One more slow deep breath. "They came back broken. Their appearance and their mannerisms were the same as always, but it was if their spirit and identity had been taken. They were simply a shell of their past self."

"The best possible solution is to figure out how Landel's brought us and use the machine, mechanism, whatever it is to bring us all back to our homes. It's not always the one we get, and I've no doubt that it's the hardest solution to uncover.

The man is guarded extremely well; the one time he's deigned to show his face in public, the security around him made him all but unapproachable. You couldn't get close enough to touch him without immediately being sedated, and if you tried speaking to him from the back of the hall, you were also sedated."

The effort to keep his voice level and calm had taken a toll on Edgeworth. He was sure his stomach would hate him for it later, but he felt shaky after all the talking. With that, he picked up his slice of pizza and took a bite. It was by no means the best ever, but for what it was, it would pass.

[winged_moon]

Yue's shoulders twitched slightly as he listened to Edgeworth speak, an unconscious movement to re-settle wings that were no longer there. While he understood what was being said, none of it made sense to him, and he liked none of it in the least. But if this Landel person was the one responsible, it did seem logical that finding him would be the best plan of action.

But after explaining all the difficulties involved, Edgeworth only fell silent once more; slightly annoyed and impatient, Yue prompted, "How will you find the way?" If there was so much security and mystery involved there, Yue was interested in knowing just how Edgeworth intended to get past it. Perhaps there was some way that he could assist in that, but he wanted to hear what the plan was before volunteering anything.

[high_prosecutor]

"I think a direct approach is too obvious, and would more likely than not fail. The trick is trying to find where the man's hiding and how to get past the security surrounding him," Edgeworth said, pulling out the maps of the first floor, second floor, and the roof. "The latter is the hardest part. The one time Landel showed his face, there was a shield surrounding him and a number of staff members armed with sedatives. No one was able to get close."

Pointing to the roof map, he said, "I suspect the access tower here is the best bet; it's well-guarded, I'm sure, but it also means it's not easy to escape."

He drummed his fingers on the table, thinking before speaking again. "It's going to take careful coordination, and I'm not sure that any of the major organizations are ready to take on such an attack. They're preparing, to be sure, but it's difficult to organize with such a large population."

[winged_moon]

Yue pushed his tray to one side as Edgeworth pulled out the maps, stubbornly ignoring the fact that he was still hungry in favor of something far more interesting. On the first-floor map he recognized the "sun room" and cafeteria, and noted the different areas he'd seen on the way to those, as well as the parts of the building he hadn't yet visited. The access to the outside caught his attention for a moment: perhaps if he could just get outside of the building, he could find his wings again. If so, there would be no need to hunt for a mysterious hidden man in order to leave.

With some effort he dragged his attention back to what the other man was saying, reaching out to turn the map of the roof a little more toward him, then frowned slightly. Locked, bolted, dangerous - "well-guarded" was probably a rather mild description of the place, judging from what he was seeing there. Not that he really knew who had made any of those maps, though, to know how accurate they were.

"Are you planning to coordinate this effort?" Yue finally inquired, glancing up again at Edgeworth with one brow slightly upraised.

[high_prosecutor]

"Once we have enough information and people who have weapons and training, I'd be very happy to assist with coordination," Edgeworth said, pushing his tray aside. "I'm not a trained fighter by any means, but I've assisted in operations of that type. I'm a prosecuting attorney back at home, and on occasion, we worked with the police in order to capture a criminal." Of course, the last time that had happened had been the SL-9 case, which had ended in the death of a very talented prosecutor, but there was no need to mention that.

"Please feel free to make a copy of the maps," he added, taking a drink of his water. "They were put together by members of one of the organizations here, and have proved to be accurate, though I do need to take the time to make some additions to the second floor." He pointed to the left side of the map, below the morgue. "There is a storage closet and another set of locked rooms here."

Flipping back to the roof map for a moment, he added, "The roof map was put together by the man I mentioned earlier, who was also working against Landel. I've not been up there myself, but I trust that it's accurate also."

[winged_moon]

Well, obviously his suspicions had been correct: not only was the man neither fighter nor, apparently, sorcerer, he was an attorney. Not exactly the sort of person that Yue would expect to be able to hold his own in a fight, which would explain the scars and the man's belief that it was dangerous at night. It certainly would be, for him.

"So you have ideas but no solid plans, nor the means with which to achieve them." Though his voice was utterly neutral, Yue could not help feeling not only disdainful but also irritated at himself for beginning to hope that this man might have an actual solution. The maps were certainly useful, and lacking materials with which to make copies just at the moment, Yue did his best to memorize the basic layout; he would be certain to explore when he could, to compare reality to what had been laid out there. After, of course, he'd checked the way to the "recreational field" so temptingly close to the patient rooms.

[high_prosecutor]

"The means are in the making," Edgeworth said, evenly. He sensed the disdain, choosing again to ignore it. "It's difficult to organize a large group of people at the best of times. The staff does their best to keep people from organizing, which I'm sure is no surprise."

He pushed his chair back from the table a bit. "If you're looking for weaponry, your best bet is probably the first floor kitchen. There are people who can make what you find there into weapons."

"And if you're going to go out, it's best to find someone to go with you, if for no other reason than to have a guide."

[winged_moon]

"I need no weapons." Yue folded his arms across his chest as he leaned back in his chair, the words spoken with supreme self-assurance. He felt no need for any kind of false modesty, after all. And even if he needed a weapon, his chosen one would hardly be found in a kitchen, of all places.

As for having someone go with him...was Edgeworth suggesting that he be Yue's "guide"? If so, the guardian wasn't terribly thrilled at the idea, for a number of different reasons. He needed no help. He wanted no help. He especially wanted nobody around to notice if he tried and failed to use his powers again. "Your post said friends can turn on you," Yue pointed out, with a slight frown. "Seems dangerous to have them around."

[high_prosecutor]

"That's true. It's called "Special Counseling," I believe. When it's happened, it's usually characters with some sort of magic power or some sort of strong fighting ability," he began. "Even with that possibility, though, it's better to have someone with you. We're not talking about little things here."

He finished the last of his water, then spoke again. "There are monsters here that have the ability to take on the appearance of someone you know - someone that isn't here. In the case of the one I met, it was a child. And that isn't even getting into the case of the monster people have taken to calling Pyramid Head." The name alone was enough to send a tiny shiver down Edgeworth's spine and cause a warning voice, but he shook it off long enough to continue.

"I was traveling with a very skilled fighter the other night, and he mentioned later that if we'd run into it, we would very likely have been dead had we not been able to escape."