Day 41: Lunch

[perfectrecord]

Just as von Karma started to enter the doorway leading to the Courtyard to look around for anyone remotely resembling his daughter, that pretentious lunatic's voice rang out over the Intercom, heralding the approach of lunch time. Right away, the damned nurse practically dragged him back into the cafeteria and towards the serving tables, telling

Comments

[braidless]

Obi-Wan had spent the better part of last shift meditating, which helped clear some of the left-over fog that had still been clouding his senses. He'd obviously been out of commission far too long. It would probably do him well to be more alert in the coming days. Not that Obi-Wan considered himself to be careless, but apparently he hadn't been careful enough, either

[secret_orchard]

Going back inside was a bit of a disappointment, but Armand knew better than to protest. He simply bit his tongue and kept his eyes down. It was so easy to get annoyed at the staff here now. He reviewed the conversation he'd just had and wondered if being so frank had been a good idea, but then again, it wasn't as if he had much choice about his honesty either. The nurse was still following her campaign to fatten Armand up, and piled chicken and potatoes on his plate. She didn't object when he added salad and chose to drink water. With all this, he still worried he'd be fat in a few short days

[gothamnight]

With the exception of those with Wally, meetings for Bruce Wayne always seemed short, rushed, and to a point, futile. There were typically very few matters of substances discussed, few ideas exchanged, and even fewer plans made. The knowledge that whatever organization had created this "Institute" was formidably intricate and difficult to crumble had been enough for Bruce to take the "lack of progress" with a grain of salt, but in the light of Clark's death nothing seemed enough.

Nonetheless, meeting with Statesman had been...useful. Not a distraction, at least. Cowl or no Batman did his best work with the mask off; the amount of "useful" his conversation with Statesman had been was enough to testify to that. Batman the detective became with each step towards the cafeteria Bruce Wayne the billionaire, but this time more than ever Bruce was forced to consider whether it was the masks that kept him from doing. Whether, if only he'd been able to make that crucial step and throw the billionaire aside, perhaps he would've gotten

[braidless]

((Still on hiatus, but am taking advantage of airport wi-fi. \o/))

Even as the nurse practically shoved the poor man into the chair near him, Obi-Wan made sure to keep a pleasant demeanor. It not only put the staff at ease, but it tended to help smooth over a potentially awkward conversation.

"Not at all," he replied with a quiet, polite smile. "I'm afraid I've had to keep to myself the past few days, so the extra company will likely do me some good." He took a small sip of his water. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. St. Just. You may call me Ben if you'd like."

He generally didn't like going out of his way to hide his true name, but he had to consider what he needed to do to avoid unwanted attention. It was still strange to think that his name was so well-known on such a backwards planet like Earth, and yet Obi-Wan knew he had no choice but to accept it for now.

It wasn't long before Mr. St. Just's other companion appeared, and Obi-Wan gently inclined his head in greeting.

[secret_orchard]

"You're very gracious," Armand said. He couldn't help the blush though. That wasn't anything new, just his own natural reaction to embarrassing himself. So even without the Institute's interference so he couldn't lie, Armand had never been a very good liar in the first place. He was usually far too easy to read, which had been used against him before

[gothamnight]

Bruce blinked for a moment, caught a bit off-guard when St. Just stood up suddenly and bowed. Granted, he could've guessed from the man's prose and the way he wrote his name that he was from an older time; still, the gesture surprised him.

His lips quirked up in a half-smile.

"Yes, that would be me. Bruce Wayne," Bruce said, holding out a hand to St. Just but looking at both of them.

"I couldn't comfortably give out my name on the board, but I really am glad for the chance to talk to you. Both of you, I'm sure--once I'm introduced?"

[braidless]

Obi-Wan didn't find the topic boring in the least. If anything, he knew it was wise to find out any information about efforts patients had going on, and to familiarize himself with it for future reference.

"I see," he replied with a small smile. "That does sound like it'd be a beneficial service to some of the people here."

When Mr. St. Just bowed, Obi-Wan didn't seem to show much of a reaction, although he did think it indicated an extremely polite demeanor on his lunch companion's part. He hadn't seen much of that here. Perhaps some Earthians were more inclined to demonstrate such courtesies more so than others. Of course, it was possible he wasn't Earthian at all, but there was no way for Obi-Wan to know without asking.

"My apologies," he said as he turned to Bruce Wayne. "Please call me Ben. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[secret_orchard]

Armand took a moment to settle back into this chair and poke nervously at his food. It was beginning to look as if he would be too anxious to eat. He bit his lip instead and then looked between the two men. "I'm glad to meet you, Monsieur Wayne. I had no idea the nurse would make me sit with someone else as well

[gothamnight]

Under normal circumstances, Bruce would have been more concerned with a third person's presence; Clark's death had impressed upon the necessity of trade-offs, yes, but Bruce couldn't change the part of his nature that knew that trusting people, one way or another, was just asking for trouble. He could never give up his masks that easily, even when the price was for refusing was--

Bruce's instincts about Ben, however, told him that the man was worth taking risks on. He spoke formally, but without arrogance; Bruce would've wondered about his background were there not more important tasks to focus on. Namely, St. Just's idea of a courier service.

An idea was seldom separable from its source, and Bruce watched St. Just carefully as the man spoke. He was nervous, which surprised Bruce: not just anyone could've had the guts to propose an idea on the bulletin knowing men of fantastic minds (and even more fantastic egos) were reading and judging every word. Bruce thought that St. Just would have been a confident person by nature, but

[braidless]

Obi-Wan, hands folded neatly on the table's surface, quietly listened to Mr. St. Just as he explained this courier service, and his reasons for wanting to implement such a system. He had to agree that many people were likely far too open about their plans over the bulletin, especially considering how they knew very little about how Martin Landel used such information. Perhaps things like where brainwashed patients or vicious monsters were placed had a strong link to what people said over the bulletin, and they were none the wiser. Not only that, but he could see how delivering items could slow the other clubs down, especially when night had a tendency to end when one least expected it

[secret_orchard]

Armand closed his eyes and allowed the relief to wash over him unrestrained. They hadn't asked any questions! He tucked some of the hair that had escaped his braid back behind an ear. Then he smiled at the men, not particularly wide smile but a genuine one, nonetheless

[gothamnight]

"Dr. Uzuki?"

Bruce blinked, completely surprised upon hearing the familiar name. He remembered well that first, if brief, encounter with the doctor--certain details, like the story behind the man's wife and cherished daughter, stood out now as some of the few bright spots Bruce had had since his arrival at the Institute. The man was intelligent, and knowing that he was in this with St. Just...

"I'm in the same boat as Ben--I can't sign on for a full-time commitment, but I'm open to giving whatever help I can. I've some background in organization and fighting, but in terms of arranging meetings actively and asking people to join, I'm fairly useless. I agree that recruiting is the priority right now, though."

Bruce looked over at St. Just and smiled.

"And so far, you don't seem to be doing badly."

[braidless]

Obi-Wan wasn't too familiar this Dr. Uzuki, although he knew that could be remedied. Either way, it was good to know St. Just had other people he could work with while getting this idea off the ground.

He wasn't sure where his basement investigations would take him, but as long as Qui-Gon was unavailable, he likely wouldn't be going down there anytime soon. In the meantime, he was more than willing to help, although there was at least one other organization that he'd already volunteered for.

"I also have some background in combat, as well as in fields relating to diplomacy," Obi-Wan said. "I may be available to help with recruitment in the future, but I can't make any promises right now." To be honest, he was hoping he wouldn't be free for these extra activities, as it would mean he'd be devoting much of his time working with Qui-Gon. But Obi-Wan knew he had to be realistic and to prepare for the worst

[secret_orchard]

He knew Mr. Wayne was only repeating the name, but Armand nodded in response and said, "Yes, Dr. Citan Uzuki, one of my friends. He advises me." Then he bit his lip and listened to the rest of what they both had to say.

"I may personally need help with recruitment within the next few days." So he looked to Obi Wan with a smile. "But after tonight I hope we will be working regularly, and that our work will help tell others about us." Even as he spoke those few words, he could see the nurses start to filter into the room, looking to escort patients to various places. He looked back down at his hands.

"I hope we get a chance to meet again someday soon. Thank you both for your time."