Dayshift 22: Chapel

[claire_ity]

Claire woke up in her room just like before, with little idea of how she actually got there. This time, though, she noticed something different about the room. There was another young woman, a blond, sleeping in a bed across from her. Before questioning that, though, she made sure to hide the items she'd gotten that night in her closet, shutting

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[red_dragon_mode]

Junior wasn't all that surprised to wake up from a nice night asleep, one of the first good ones he'd had in a while, and hear that there were new patients again. Almost every day they "flocked" here in droves. Or however they ended up getting to this place. So it seemed, at least; the days and nights ran together in one big nightmare.

He had been surprised, however, to find that the rooms had changed and that there had been someone sleeping in the new second bed,not to mention the fact that his room number had changed.

Again.

Well, maybe the "roommate," as his nurse called the other person, wouldn't be all that bad...hopefully he'd be easy to get along with.

Religion had never been as important to him as...say those Ormus fanatics, but Junior did believe there was something out there that created them, even if for its own amusement, and that deserved at least a bit of respect on a "holy" day. Kind of ironic, really. And the intercom's mention of a surprise worried him, knowing that the Institute's surprises were always unpredictable.

The redhead ended up sitting next to someone who looked completely confused, figuring that they had to have been one of the new people. "Good morning. You okay?"

[part1of3]

Distracted from his staring at the doorway, Ashton turned to see a red-headed boy sit next to him. It wasn’t anyone he recognized, though something about him reminded the swordsman of a young friend of his. At least people were friendly enough here - at least the nurse was, and now this kid. Even if most of the other guys around here looked like complete hardasses, the ones that talked seemed all right.

“Err.. good morning,” he managed in reply, mustering a pained smile, closing his eyes for a moment and composing himself before talking quietly and speedily. “I’m.. okay. I think. I’m really quite confused, as Gyoro and Ururun aren’t here, and, as far as I can tell, no one else is, not even Claude or Celine or Dias or Bowman, not that they would recognize me without Gyoro and Ururun anyway, and I’m not sure if we’re even on Expel like Mirage said we were going to end up, and we just beat the Ten Wise Men so everything should be fine, but I’m not sure if everything is, so…”

Burying his head in his hands, then, he ran his fingers through his hair. Words failing him after the sudden outburst of speech, he sighed. “My, my.”

[red_dragon_mode]

Junior blinked, confused after that sudden random explanation. Definitely a new person that he was talking to, and it was probably in his best interests that he learn about this place as soon as possible.

"Uh, could you back up?" he asked, tilting his head. "I don't recognize any of those names, but I doubt you're on...Expel, was it? It's probably better to worry about getting out rather than how things are at home, anyway; you can't change anything from here." Of course, what good would that do him if he didn't know where here was? "We're really not exactly sure where this place is, but you're in Landel's. It's supposedly a mental institution, but there's gotta be something else going on, because at night, you get to roam free without the nurses watching your every move. But you've got to watch out for monsters instead."

Then the redhead shrugged. "We don't really know how they do any of it, either. They drag us from every place imaginable and then try to tell us we're all delusional."

When he finished, he held out a hand. "I'm Junior, by the way." Probably not the greatest way to explain the place, but it was a start and would hopefully help the man's confusion.

[part1of3]

Ashton hadn’t realized at first that he had said so much so fast, but as the person next to him began to explain the situation, he quickly felt sorry for being so vague. Although the kid seemed to know what was going on well enough. He listened to the explanation, sitting up, absorbing the information, but still confused. He wasn’t unused to getting swept away to different planets - but this time was different. This time, he was alone.

He had faith that he’d reunite with his friends again soon, but if this place was truly as terribly strange as Junior was describing, if there were indeed monsters crawling the hallways at night, Ashton could use a friend. He could use a friend under any circumstance, really. He grasped the proffered hand with his own, and replied, “I’m Ashton. Ashton Anchors. Um, I’m sorry. Normally I’d introduce Gyoro and Ururun at this point, but they don’t seem to be here, so..” He smiled sheepishly. “They’re dragons. Um. They used to live on my back, but apparently they’ve been exorcised.” Was explanation going to work? Did it even matter? He wasn’t sure, so he changed the subject.

“So. Monsters, hmm?” Ashton widened his eyes, still smiling, and cocked his head to the side. “Good thing I can fight, heh heh.” Looking about the room a moment, he added, “Actually, most of the guys around here look kinda muscley.” He thought, just for a moment, that he saw a familiar blue shock of hair across the way, but he discarded the idea that it was someone he knew. He’d have to take a peek later, though. Just in case.

“So, um, how long have you been here?” he asked cheerfully. If he stayed in denial that this place was really quite hellish, he might be able to mentally survive. (Unless, of course, he was delusional, he noted. There was always that possibility. And it didn’t seem too far out at this point.)

[red_dragon_mode]

"Dragons on your back? Cool!" the redhead replied. "They're probably here somewhere, with our weapons and...well everything. Wherever the hell they keep them..." he thought about it for a second before brightening up again. "Want to come with me and look for them tonight? I'm gonna try to get up here again if I can, check some of those other rooms and see if I can find my guns."

Junior hadn't really noticed it before, but Ashton was right. He glanced around for a second and nodded. "Yeah, they do look strong. Probably some good people to have around in a fight. And I've been here for...maybe a bit less than a week. Actually, my brothers were here for a little bit, too, but I haven't seen them around lately."

[part1of3]

Ashton beamed. "Yup, sort of cool, anyway. Gyoro would always make some sort of annoying noise right when I would get even remotely close to someone, which was kinda annoying. But I miss them already," he sighed. "I'm fine with them being off my back, but I'll just be nervous until I find proof of where they are The nurse told me they were alive! So I'd love to look for them tonight with you. Maybe we can find my swords while we're at it." He stretched his arms in front of him, popping his knuckles one by one.

"So, you must know this place pretty well if you've been wandering the halls every night for a week, right?" He smiled. He made a mental note - this kid not only used guns, but probably would work well as a guide. He seemed pretty tough, so maybe he would be good backup in a fight? IF, that is, they were able to find something long-range. Of course, the kid could just be using him as a bodyguard. But that thought didn't really occur to Ashton. He was always ready to give his friends the benefit of the doubt!

All the while, though, his eyes kept wandering to the man a few pews back with the long blue hair. Was it..? No, it wasn't. Couldn't be. That guy seemed wounded, and he didn't remember anyone getting too seriously wounded in the fight with Indalecio.

[red_dragon_mode]

"Well, I guess I'm decent at it," he admitted. "I've mostly been down a few halls around the patient rooms, and whatever I get to visit during the day. Until now, that was all on the first floor. But..." he nodded and grinned, "I'll be able to help you find your way around. And whatever we don't know, we can find out. Did you catch your room number? I can come and find you when the night starts."

It would definitely be great to have another person along to keep a look out and to have with him in case they ran into anything, and maybe he could help if they found someone else with a gun, maybe a more short-range one than the guy in the Sun Room...

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, "Me and the people that I was traveling with two nights ago got hit by a sniper, so be careful. Never know where they could be hiding. Also, there should be a flashlight under your pillow. It's okay as a bludgeon, and will hopefully work unless we can get your swords or some sort of better weapon."

[part1of3]

Ashton smiled down at Junior, feeling lucky to be able to feel trust toward someone this early into knowing them. "In my opinion, there is no better weapon than a skilled pair of swords. And a pair of dragons," he grinned. "I found some pens in my room that I can use in a pinch if I need to stab something, but I'd prefer short blades. Two of them. I think the first order of business, though, is finding a way to make a headband sometime today. My forehead feels naked without it." Indeed, the roots of his bangs were trained upward to fall over his natural blue headband, and ended up bending up and sticking out in front of his face a little.

Well, whether or not his bangs looked silly or not was beside the point. "Yeah, just so you know, my room number is, um, N.. 12. No, no wait. M12. M12. That's right. Yeah!" He raised a hand to scratch behind his head good-naturedly. His worry was turning gradually into excitement. He must try hard, he thought. Or else.

"So, do you have friends around here? You said you were traveling with people a few nights ago, are they all still ... okay?"

[red_dragon_mode]

Pens would probably work for quick stabs, but they really needed to find some form of knife. But the cafeteria would probably either be guarded or fresh out; he, Luffy, and RC probably weren't the only ones to have thought about getting some. "Hm...don't know what we could do for short blades, but we'll think of something. I hear someone could make you one if you have enough raw materials for them to use, but you'd have to ask them what sorts of materials they'd need."

Junior paused and glanced at his sleeve before looking back over at Ashton. "Do you think a sleeve, or even a piece of it, would work for the headband? I don't think we're in Arts and Crafts for another few days, and that might be one of the only places where you'd find something to make a headband out of."

Then the redhead grinned. "Really, M12? That's right next door to mine!" Boy, that was incredibly convenient. "And yeah, I've got some friends around here. I didn't go out last night, so I don't know what might have happened, but the last time I saw them, they were okay. Probably were last night, too. Caught one of 'em, an older boy named Luffy, on the bulletin board, and I think he'll be coming upstairs tonight, too." He was reminded, though, that he hadn't talked to Sora in a few days, and he wanted to make sure that things were okay with the other boy. Maybe he could do that later today.

Suddenly, Junior began tugging a little bit on the collar of his shirt, dragging it to show a bit of the bandaged shoulder. Better to give an example of why he thought they were okay. "It's really strange. You can hurt and everything at night, but I haven't heard of anyone dying yet." Of course, it could just be him, but he liked to think that everyone came out of the nightshifts in one breathing piece. "When it goes back to day, you're just...suddenly in your bed, and your wounds are bandaged and everything. It'll still hurt like hell, but I think it's kinda nice, all things considered."

[part1of3]

Ashton seemed passing interested in the thought of making a set of weapons for himself. He'd have to look into it at some point in time, possibly the near future.

"Yeah, my closet is full of clothes, I managed to catch a glance before I was led out of my room today. I can probably pull out some of the hemming for thread," Ashton idly pondered, trailing off for a moment as he imagined his precious headband gracing his forehead once more.

"Luffy, mm? What's he look like? I'll have to see if I can run into him at some point today. Before the night comes, anyway. I've a feeling I should try to make as many friends as possible, to take on our grand adventure." Ashton murmured, staring at the bandage a moment. "So many people here seem to be injured and bandaged up... so there must be a pretty awesome medical ward. Scalpels and pokey doctor-type tools, that's what we should use for blades." He grinned.

[red_dragon_mode]

"Getting more people probably would be good, if we can still travel quickly." If nothing else, it would help the patients to start working together; putting aside any differences and just doing something was the only solution in Junior's mind for getting out and away from this place. Gaignun probably would have said it was surprisingly different from the 'go in and shoot them up' approach he liked to take, but the redhead did have his moments.

"Luffy's...probably a foot taller than me, with black hair and a scar on his cheek. You could probably recognize him more by personality, though; he's really laid back and optimistic...almost unnaturally so in here." Junior really doubted that Ashton would have much trouble finding or getting along with Luffy; the other boy's attitude was infectious.

"Oh, right! I forgot about them!" Junior exclaimed, nodding. "We'll keep an eye out for a med wing, too, but you're sure they're not too short?" Maybe for someone used to using blades, they'd be fine, but Junior would have rather had something a bit...bigger, something he could also block with if he had to and something that would carry more force behind it.

[part1of3]

"Well, it's still before breakfast. I'd say I have plenty of time to meet other people, right? And help to plan our attack. And scalpels might be a little short, but they'll be fine. If you're strong and fast enough, you can catch a blade between them if you keep your hands out of the way. You can parry something even with tiny instruments if you're skilled enough, you know!" He crossed one long leg over the other, resting his hands on his knee in a rather feminine position.

He paused a moment, then finally realized something seemed to be odd, something he hadn't quite been able to put his finger on from the very beginning of their talk. He had been used to this sort of talk from a kid from being around Leon a lot, but sometimes he tended to forget Leon was a special case. He eyed Junior. "Hey, wait a second. Are you some kinda genius?" he asked bluntly. "You keep talking about weapons and stuff like you know what you're doing."

[red_dragon_mode]

The somewhat feminine position really didn't bother Junior too much, since he was normally around a majority of the opposite sex, and he hardly even noticed it. Ashton's question, however, caused him to stiffen slightly.

"Uh..." Shit, he really needed to stop doing that. But it was bound to happen eventually, and was bound to come up again; Ashton was a fairly perceptive person, so perhaps he should just get it all out there this time...he didn't like to, but Junior figured he could trust Ashton with it.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say genius, but...I've been taught to fight from a really young age; all my siblings were, actually, and I was the leader. Our dad was a genius in the genetics field, and so he made us to be...well, essentially weapons." His right hand reflexively clenched into a fist as he spoke, but he shrugged.

"I'm...actually a lot older than I look, but you didn't hear that from me," he said, cupping the other hand over his mouth like he was whispering a secret to the man. "Any of it."

[part1of3]

Ashton was a pretty accepting person, and as such didn't bat an eye at the redhead's confession. Meeting his new friend's eyes, he smiled. He had really no idea what the 'kid' was talking about. Genetics was a field that was yet to be discovered on his home planet, and what little research he did on Nede didn't really help him to understand.
"Wow, must be kinda rough!" he replied cheerfully. To a confession like that, what could one say?

And in a way he somehow felt guilty. He'd used Gyoro and Ururun as living weapons. Not that they hadn't used him in turn, but.. but still. He could see his companion's fist clench, so he wondered if he could push the subject. He decided to just ask a simple question. Mimicking the younger - or older? - one, he cupped a hand over his own mouth and whispered a reply, content to keep the subject on the down low. "So how old are you?"

[red_dragon_mode]

"...Y-Yeah, just a bit." Understatement, yes, but the redhead couldn't think of a way to convey his sins without touching much more on the subject and provoking more questions. Ashton's smile was comforting, though; he didn't know if the man understood what Junior had said, but he wasn't freaking out or anything like that.

...Then again, he hadn't answered the question yet.

"I'm twenty-six," he muttered. "Damn tired of being so short, but it can be pretty useful sometimes...I guess." Then he shrugged, letting the cupped hand fall. "Nothing I can really do about it, though, so...I don't generally explain unless it helps in times like this when people are wondering why I know so much."

He was about to try and change the subject when the doors opened and the Head Doctor stepped in.

(( To here ))