Day 47: Sun Room [2nd shift]

[notthistrain]

Cloud knew he should be taking the opportunity to check out the rec field during the day. The fresh air would be a welcome change from the crowded stuffiness the Institute usually provided, and he would have a chance to scope out the area when it wasn't all under the cover of darkness. When offered a choice, however, he remained in the sun room

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[jokers_wildcard]

Despite a lethargic start to her day, she was feeling much more energetic now. A few minutes with the bulletin board tended to have that effect on her. Ahh, she had no idea why she had ignored the thing for so long when she'd first arrived here. It was so much fun! Gossip and games and yelling and people telling other people not to bite them. It was great! Arkham really needed to consider getting one of these! And today seemed to be especially lively... on the board, anyway. The atmosphere in the Sunny Room was just as dull as ever. Why was it everyone could seem so energetic on paper but spent all their actual time moping around? If people acted out as much as they did on the board, things would be a lot more interesting around here.

Harley turned away from the board and looked around for a good place to sit. Instead, she just found herself touring the room and staring in disgust at the rooms inhabitants. Look at them! Like zombies! Didn't anyone know how to act like they were in an asylum anymore? People back home were never this boring! Look! That one over there was actually sleeping!

She plopped into a nearby chair with all the gentility of a boulder and blew a big huff of air up at her bangs, completely exasperated. Someone else had already been sitting there, but that never stopped her before. Not like they were doing anything to interrupt in the first place.

"What's the matter with everyone today, huh?" she said like she was continuing a conversation the two had been having for a good fifteen minutes. Anything to break that quiet. "If it's gonna be like this all day, they might as well just lock us in our rooms til night."

[deadlyjuliet]

Boring, boring, boring. Grell had taken to imagining the ways each and every patient in the room was going to die (like that one over there? Mauled to death by a rat. And Hanatarou? Tripping over his own laces), but that entertainment could only last so long. It wasn't the method of Death that interested Grell, but the Record he could pull out of them when their Time came. And here, separated from his beloved scythe, he couldn't even do that. It was entirely--

"HolyMaryMotherof--!!!" What was with people?! Didn't they have the manners to at least ask before interrupting his daydreams?! Grell was one hundred percent certain he'd nearly jumped out of his skin when someone crashlanded into the seat next to him. He could even feel that silly mortal heart of his hammering hard against his ribs, his hands pressed against it as if that would stop the thing from beating itself to death. At least he'd had enough sense not to take the Lord's name in vain, but still! Manners.

"B-b-but the night is when those t-terrible things come out. Why should you ever want that to come?" Disguises, disguises. In truth, Grell couldn't wait either. It was downright disgusting having to keep this facade up day in and day out. "...At least...that's what I think."

[jokers_wildcard]

The way the guy'd jumped in his seat, you'd think he really had been asleep. Talk about sensitive. Not like she'd crept up behind him and popped a bag in his ear... though now the thought was tempting. Note to self: Add paper bags to list of things to search for.

"What, you'd rather stay cooped up in here like this?" She waved a hand to lazily indicate the room. "I'd rather deal with the giant bugs and zombies than have these old hags hangin' off my back all day! Least you can run away from those things. Or bash 'em in the face." Well, technically she could do that to the nurses, too, but she'd end up on the wrong end of a football pileup and would get a needle shoved into her arm before she knew it.

She leaned back in her seat, sighing exaggeratedly "How can you not get bored stiff sittin' here like this?" No, honestly. She'd love to know.

[deadlyjuliet]

Such a strange woman. Not a wilting petal like the women of London, that was for certain. And judging from her accent, he knew the reason why. An American, rough and tumble as the rest of that lot. Grell gave her a curious look, masking his interest behind confusion and then dropped his gaze and his hands to his lap. He'd seen Brainy enter the room, along with that Mizuho ninja, and unless he played his cards right, his disguise might go up in smoke. Not that he really cared because good Lord it was getting boring pretending to be nice, but it kept him alive for now and that's the only thing he really cared about.

"I like to think," he said carefully. Of killing everyone in here and painting the walls in their blood. "About the other patients. I wonder what they're doing. It keeps me occupied." He paused. "Mostly."

It would be far more entertaining if he was given his scythe and powers back. Then he'd be able to watch them from a much more interesting perspective. Working his hands nervously, Grell tried to keep his gaze low, but every so often he'd glance over to Brainy. That little brat. He and his annoying friend. Grell's head and his arms were still sore from their last encounter and he was just itching to get back at him. "You like dealing with those nasty creatures? But aren't they dangerous?"

[jokers_wildcard]

Harley stared at him for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she'd really heard that correctly. He liked to... think about what other people were doing? What was that supposed to mean? Was he a pervert? Oh! Or maybe he was in here for being a stalker! That would make sense. But wouldn't a stalker only limit himself to a handful of people, not everyone in the building? Maybe he was alone because he wasn't used to being around so many people and couldn't decide who to stalk and who not to. Might explain the jumpiness. Poor guy. So confused.

"Hmmm." She looked around the room as though trying to understand the appeal herself. "Not much of a show, is it? You must be even more bored than me. Maybe you should move to thinking about the nurses instead." Hey. Could be fun, right?

"But, well... It's not like I like messin' with 'em. I mean, some a' the bigger ones used to be someone's pets, ya know?" At the very least, her babies had been taken by this place. Maybe they were monsters now, too. Didn't mean she'd love them any less, but it meant they might be out there wandering the halls, all alone and brainwashed. Bad enough they dared to touch them in the first place, but to use them? Oh yes, they were going to pay for that one. But that was getting off topic. "The giant monster bugs are really gross. And... yeah, I guess everything else is kinda dangerous, too." Moot point. "But at least you can run around and do things rather than staying stuck in here with these stiffs watchin' every time ya scratch yer butt. Ain't it better to get to walk around without someone following you and givin' you a lecture?"

Had she been capable of it, she might have realized how spoiled this place had made her for her to be capable of complaining about this. When she did get back to Gotham, Arkham was going to be a horrible torture in comparison.

[deadlyjuliet]

Wonderful and now the blond was staring at him. Why were there so many blonds here? Red was such a better color; rarer, more beautiful, dashing. If it wasn't for Grell's affinity for Luxord and the Gambler's hair color, he'd just about throw the color yellow out altogether. So few good redheads here. It was such a shame.

Casting his gaze sideways under her scrunity in a pretense of unease, the death god, pulled his hair over his shoulder and began nervously playing with the ends of it. He couldn't wait for showers to come, even if they were communal. He hated being unwashed for more than a day if he could manage it. It was so terribly unladylike. "I...don't know," he said hesitantly. "I find it interesting to wonder what they might be thinking." And how best to take their heads.

But then the woman had to go and be absurd and Grell's fingers caught in his hair, yanking it painfully as he stared at her. Pets? Was she calling the nasty beasts that roamed these halls pets? "I don't believe they were ever anyone's pets, madam. They're far too wild." But he had to admit, he did like the night better despite the monsters. It just likely wasn't for the same reason as this woman. Night gave him a chance to take someone out, to kill and maim and then blame it on one of those unearthly creatures instead. Looking down, Grell began to untangle his fingers and sighed slightly. "I do admit, that is a positive feature of the night. Although, it's somewhat lonesome, too. No one really wants someone like me hanging off their heels." And then as if he hadn't meant to say that, he jumped and started waving his hands, speaking a million miles a minute. "I mean! It's not that I'm complaining! Not at all! I'm terribly useless and really I understand if they don't want me--"

With that, the stupid butler should have been cemented in her mind now. Deflating, the god bowed his head and sighed again. "...perhaps I should start over. I never did catch your name, madam. Might I do so now?"