Dayshift 43: Waiting Room / Lobby 1 [4th Shift]

[not_rly_fai]

It'd been nice to talk with Subaru, if only to see that the young man was faring a little better than before.  He seemed to have the worst luck and unfortunately, there wasn't always someone there to protect those that needed it the most.  As he passed the Sun Room, there was still no sign of a post from Ururu either.  Things didn't look promising

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[damned_visitors]

The nurse lead him towards the visiting area, giving Manju an opportunity to look around the institute they had sent his sister to. It was nicely kept and very sterile. An excellent choice! He smiled at the nurse and complimented them on their foresight in painting everything the same bland shade in order to make it appear more cleanly than it actually was.

She shot him a nasty look, somewhat displeased with the veiled insult. Oh well.

He couldn't wait to see Kagura and tell her how much this place suited weaklings such as her, who had obviously been incapable of remaining level-headed enough in the face of society's social pressures. She had cracked so easily, his dear little sister. Could she even be considered a part of their family? Perhaps. Father, too, had already started to show his own deficiencies.

At least he himself still remained on the top, untouchable by anything because he simply didn't allow anything to do so.

"Why, thank you nurse. I do believe the rabid one is mine. Mind handing me over a leash just in case? I would hate to see her ruin your nice walls."

Another displeased look. My, they were really quite uptight here, weren't they?

"Well long time no see, but I hope you understand we're far too busy to visit a nobody like you."

[16hitmagnum]

This. This was not Santa Claus! Sure, he's jolly. And sure, he's red, even more so when he's bathing in the blood of his enemies. But while he was certainly special, he did not and never counted as "someone you'd really love to see".

No, not at all.

Kagura raised her hand. "Nurse! This isn't Santa Claus. This isn't even my dad dressed as Santa Claus. Or the creepy old pervert across the street dressed as Santa Claus. I don't know this person. Can I go back to my room now?"

The nurse smiled-- (Kagura hated that smile so much. Why was she always stuck with the creepy, smiley people?)-- and told her no. He was her brother. Didn't she want to see him, her only living relative? And she looked just like him, she added.

"What are you talking about? The old man's still alive somehow. And I don't look like that." She pointed at him and imitated his smile (perfectly). "I look like this!" She pointed at her own dissatisfied face.

The nurse laughed and told her that it was cute that she could imitate her brother like that. It showed that they were very close.

"It's not like that!" Kagura insisted. "It's plastic surgery! Plastic surgery! Just like in that episode of E.R.: Extraterrestrial Reform! Look, can I just go now?"

The answer was no.

"But I don't want to talk to that guy. He's a stranger. Mami told me to never talk to strangers."

The nurse said that he was her brother and while she may not like him, he did take the time to visit her. Perhaps they could settle the bad blood between them.

Kagura was not convinced. "You promised me Santa Claus. That is NOT Santa Claus."

The nurse said that she never promised anything.

"Did so!"

Did not.

"Did so!"

Did not.

"Oh look, Brad Pitt!" Kagura ran away while the nurse was momentarily distracted only to be dragged back by a pair of nurses.

"But it's not Santa Claus! I'm not talking to him unless he's Santa Claus!" And the nurses dropped her back on her seat and kept a close guard, making sure she never ran away again.

[damned_visitors]

"Now, now, Mai, let's not give the nurses any trouble. You don't want to stay here for much longer? Not that I mind. It's quieter without you, and I don't have to beat you into submission for the last bowl of rice."

Manchu's smile didn't slip away. In fact, it intensified as he watched his sister pointlessly argue. Her time here had done little to alleviate that pleasant attitude, which was such a shame. Manchu really did miss breaking her bones on the occasion, back when she still showed potential.

But now what was she? So weak and pathetic, her ferocity dwindled by the friendships she had formed. She didn't deserve any freedom at all. He was hoping she'd learn to be a bit more aggressive while trapped here, but it was doing the opposite.

Another oh well. It was her loss.

"By the way, nurse, when is it dinner time?" Oh, that was an ugly face she made.

[16hitmagnum]

It was no use. She didn't want to give her brother the (further) satisfaction of seeing her fight her way through this. She would love to kick the nurses down and run away, and she knew that she could but she also knew and hated the fact that this was exactly what he wanted to see. And she knew that if she ran away he would chase after her, destroying everything in his path and her when he caught her.

Might as well talk and try to drive him away.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked, picking her nose. "Where are Gin-chan and Shinpachi?"

[damned_visitors]

Gin-chan and Shinpachi? Now who were they? New friends she'd met? Manju hadn't ever heard of them before. Clicking his tongue in disapproval, he approached her, well aware she was harboring the instinct to run. Fortunately, he'd always been faster -- and genuinely better than her at everything but that wasn't much of an accomplishment. It would be all too simple to catch her and to discipline her for her insubordination.

"Aren't you a bit old to have imaginary friends? I thought you'd stopped that when you were a child."

His hand reached out, giving her a patronizing pat on the head, and there wasn't the slightest bit of fondness or affection in his smile.

[16hitmagnum]

"Are you stupid? I'm still a child. Anything you can and will do to me will be considered child abuse, you know." She looked at the nurse more than she looked at her brother. She was waiting for the nurse to say something-- anything-- but she said nothing.

"It's okay if you don't remember Shinpachi. He's worthless anyway. But Gin-chan? White hair? Smelly old sword? Nothing?" Because if her brother said nothing, it could only mean one of two things: either he had completely forgotten about Gintoki (highly unlikely, her brother never let go of his prey that easy) or Gintoki was done fo--

Kagura refused to pursue that thought.

[damned_visitors]

My, what an imagination. This was what came of too much television these days. Sure, he'd told father they should limit her time in front of it, but he obviously hadn't listened. That lack of discipline is why she's here. He never did that have much in the way of strength to force her into obedience.

Such a weak-willed man.

Such an impudent insect in front of him.

How tempting it was to just squish her between his fingers as he smiled at her with closed eyes. "I'm afraid I don't recognize either of them. And here I thought they'd offer you medication for hallucinations. I should really make a suggestion to increase your dosage. Where's the suggestion box?"

[16hitmagnum]

"You should recognize at least one of them." Kagura couldn't control her emotions as much as her brother could. It was now very obvious to everyone that she was angry. And how she was sure this would amuse her brother more only made her angrier.

It was bad enough that he was being his usual self, now he had to talk like one of the nurses. She wasn't sick. She didn't belong in a hospital. Neither did he. Weren't they Yato? The Yato don't need hospitals!

These thoughts she didn't voice out as she tried to calm her self down by clenching and unclenching her fist.

[damned_visitors]

Was that supposed to mean something? His sister had such a silly way of talking to him as if over-extending her importance when she really wasn't at all. The family couldn't care less how long she stayed here or even if she ever got out. He was all they needed -the perfect son. He'd only come to visit out of boredom and curiosity.

"I'm afraid you're just going to have to take a few more. Maybe instead of upping the dosage, lets consider alternative solutions."

His face turned to the nurse, maintaining his ever-present smile. "Now, let's see. Do you guys do electrical shock treatments? That might be a bit too severe for any normal little girl, but Mai is an over-achiever."

[16hitmagnum]

"Mai? Who are you calling Mai?" She knew that if he had to call her he would call her in a much ruder name, rubbing how insignificant she was to him in her face, but he never gave her a decent name that might as well belong to somebody else. But maybe he heard from the nurses. She was sure that he was still toying with her. "Did you hit your head on your umbrella lately, brother? Got your brain eaten by brainsnarfing aliens? It's Kagura. KA-GU-RA."

"And electric shock treatment is for sissies," she said, trying to sound brave. "You know I can do better than that."

[damned_visitors]

Oh, so she was still attached to that name? And what an ugly name at that. Manju just didn't know what to do with her. It seemed like her time here did nothing in the way of progress, and, at this rate, she would never leave. What a shame.

"You don't even know your own name," he said with fake pity, shaking his head slowly before one finger lifted in the air. "Ah, but you do have a good point! A more severe treatment ought to fix this! Maybe even an organ transplant or two."

[16hitmagnum]

"It's Kagura. Mami named me Kagura and named you Kamui. Don't you remember? Maybe you're the one who needs a brain transplant." She leaned over the table and made a grab for her brother's collar.

"Why did you visit here in the first place? Where are my friends?"

[damned_visitors]

Oh she really couldn't be this deluded. Why would anyone give him such a horrific name? This wasn't a bad Clamp series. Dodging her futile attempt at a grab, Manju just smiled down at her.

"I already told. You have none. No one wants to hang out with such a loser."