Day 19 - Breakfast

[repolarization]

As Ginji was ushered through the halls towards the cafeteria he felt a little dizzy. He felt like something was very, very wrong but he wasn't sure what. It wasn't just the fact that he had woken up in the middle of some strange place, or the fact that Ban was no where to be found. Something else was wrong. Something important. Something that he

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[angels_inflight]

Naminé was very sore when she woke up, almost to the point of immobility. If it were not for the pangs of hunger stabbing her thin frame (and the fact she was still clutching the files from the other night to her chest), she would have begged the nurse for a day of rest. However, not only did hunger win, but Naminé had to quickly choose a place to hide her files. The underside of the mattress seemed too common, yet the dresser seemed too obvious, but she chose the dresser anyway, burying the files under sketches done when she was bored. Hopefully the nurses didn't clean the dressers out.

The small girl didn't realize how truly hungry she was until she walked into the cafeteria, and her thoughts changed from the horrible events of yesterday to the delicious taste of waffles and sausages and other breakfast foodstuffs. She almost forgot the fact she was supposed to be looking for Luxord to tell him that she grabbed his file and to thank him for protecting her.

The Gambler hadn't come to the cafeteria just yet, she noticed, as she sat down. Naminé also took note of the new layout, which looked the same as it did last night. So the building hadn't changed again... for now.

Staring down at her food, Naminé took small bites. All of the sudden her hunger disappeared as the reality of where she was set in again.

[clockmongler]

Had it not been for Nursey McNursingson's promise of withholding her syringes laced with death, the need to hide his weapons, and the desire to check on Naminé, Luxord would never have bothered leaving the bed. It felt as though someone had subjected his entire body to a throughoutly good beating and it was much like…

The time he, Xaldin, and Xigbar were to scout China for a good Heartless candidate, and No. II's words angered a very large Hun-army. Yes, it felt exactly like how he did the end of that trip.

"Come on, Daniel. I know the mattress isn't that terrible," Nursingson chided playfully as he scowled at her. Her hand rested against his shoulder, guiding the gambler along as he tried all but not to hobble towards an empty chair. "And I'm serious this time. You have to eat something or you're going to get really sick. You gotta keep your strength up, kay?" These words were received with a sneer, much like the plate she pushed into his arms.

As soon as the woman left his sight, said plate was pushed away from him while he tried to ignore his empty stomach. Perhaps old experiences did not always apply to new ones, but this was one gamble he preferred to leave without a bet. Besides, once his eyes caught on that familiar blonde hair, the thoughts of food were gone anyway. "There you are, peanut. You okay?"

[angels_inflight]

Naminé looked up, smiling with relief. So Luxord did make it out alive! He looked grouchy and worse for wear, like the time he went on a scouting trip to the Land of Dragons with Xigbar and Xaldin (she never really heard the details on that particular mission), but he was alright!

"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks to you," Naminé nodded with gratitude. She looked around and leaned closer. Maybe she was overdoing it a little? But they put so much work into getting those files, Naminé didn't want to risk losing them when she hadn't even had the chance to look at them. "I have your file in my room. I'll get it out when night comes around if you still want to read it?"

Leaning back, Naminé noticed the Gambler's food had been left untouched.

"You're not going to eat? The waffles are really fluffy!"

[clockmongler]

He smiled in return, taking a seat across from the girl and pulling up his own plate for more observational reasons than to actually eat anything on it. "I promised I would not let any harm come to you, did I not? As a gentleman, I keep my promises," he said, poking at a piece of sausage warily, as though it was infected with some flesh-eating virus. It could have been, for all he knew. For all he knew, they were putting drugs in the food to gain control of their will and their power… perhaps he had been reading too many books. "Us Nobodies have to stick together," the blond finished with a nod, pushing the plate away from himself once more. Better safe than sorry, he thought with a shrug, listening in to the smaller Nobody's words.

The files? He had almost completely forgotten about those amidst all the scrambling and vast amounts of pain. Luxord merely tilted his head at this question Naminé had asked him, thinking it over. Though the first glace into the file seemed obnoxious at best, perhaps looking through another time would prove better for gathering more information. "All right. You know your room number?"

And as for breakfast? The gambler glared at the plate he had pushed to the side, staring at it as if it were his worst enemy. "I've never trusted hospital food."

[angels_inflight]

He did... though Naminé did not know why so many people wanted to protect her. Especially since she was no longer a part of the Organization's plan and since she wasn't even a Somebody, what good would it do to protect her? Naminé wasn't being pessimistic, simply practical; why did so many want to protect her?

Then again, Naminé knew it was because she knew good people, even if they didn't have hearts. She wondered how Luxord's Somebody was. Was he as honorable as the Nobody?

"Yes, it's room F3." Naminé made sure to inspect her room number before getting ushered off. She hoped that was the last time she had to move. "Do you know yours? Or did they move you too?"

Naminé nodded at Luxord's response about the food, but that didn't stop her from looking worried. "I... I guess as long as you eat lunch or something." Maybe Luxord was the type who didn't eat breakfast.

[nisemono_janai]

His efforts of the night before had been almost a total wash. The replica was reminded of the one large victory, however, when he opened his eyes to daylight and everything in his miserable little room, including Nurse Leslie. He could still see. Yes, his vision was a bit fuzzy, but it was better than the shades of dark and less-dark he'd been subjected to yesterday.

After a quick trip to the medical wing where the doctors evidenced no particular shock at his recovery (a lot of help they'd been) and told him to keep taking the medications they'd prescribed the day before, Nurse Leslie led him back to the cafeteria and breakfast.

Being able to see made it so much easier to find who he was looking for. But there were still no signs of Ansem. Weird. Maybe something had happened to him... The replica snorted. It'd serve him right anyway.

At a loss for what to do with himself after he'd gotten his food, he continued to stare around the large gathering of patients, trying to decide where to sit. After seeing his father last night, he fully intended to keep avoiding the Nobodies...but then he saw a familiar shade of blond hair across the room, and his feet made a beeline for it before he'd even decided to do so.

He set his tray down next to the girl he hadn't seen since his first day here. "Namine..." Smooth opening line, dumbass, he chided himself and continued to stand there looking vaguely awkward. "Are...you okay?" His eyes flicked to the Nobody he didn't know. "Did you stay in your room last night?"

[angels_inflight]

The conversation with Luxord had stalled, perhaps because Naminé couldn't find anything else to say. She felt a little ungrateful; this man put his life on the line to protect her own, surely she could say something more encouraging then 'I guess if you eat lunch?'

The witch heard the sound of a tray being set on the table and turned her head, her eyes widening in surprise as Riku... yes, Riku sat down next to her. Even she didn't want to admit she had trouble referring him by that name, but what other name could she give him? 'The Replica' was too harsh in her mind.

"R-Riku..." She tested the name out and for some reason, it seemed sour, but she smiled warmly anyway. Naminé had been worrying a little for him, since she had not seen him since the first day he came. But he was well, or at least, as well as one could be in a place like this. "No, I didn't, I ... I went out with Luxord," She nodded at the Nobody next to her. "We wanted to find a map, but we were attacked by one of the patients..." The girl's face clouded with worry once more as she thought about the woman with the poker. Was that scream hers? And what of the ... monster that attacked them? She knew she shouldn't lie, but at the same time, the truth seemed to be more inconvienient.

"But the search didn't... go too well."

[nisemono_janai]

When those big blue eyes looked up at him, the replica couldn't help but feel a little weak in the knees. Well, it was as good an excuse as any to sit down next to her, so he did.

When Namine called him that name, the replica shook his head, admonishing gently, "You know I'm not Riku." He looked down at the table, studying the grain. How was he going to think of a name? It made sense for his father to name him, but Vexen didn't care about him anymore. Both Sora and Ansem had told him to choose his own, but how? From what? Xehanort had said he'd chosen the name of someone who was important to him at the time. But the only people important to him were...

He glanced back up as Namine indicated the Nobody across the table. Luxord... What kind of gay-ass name was that? Then again, all the Nobodies he knew but one had stupid names. The replica studied Luxord, eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out what his relationship was to Namine, if he'd dragged her out of her room, what his intentions were and had been.

"One of the patients?" he glanced back at her. Well, it wasn't really a surprise that people turned on each other at night. He'd had his first fight here with another patient, after all. But he didn't like the idea of anyone attacking Namine. And if it was another patient...a slow smile spread across his face. ...that meant he could kick their ass teach them a little lesson about messing with his girlfriend Namine childhood friend acquaintance.

When she finished by saying their search didn't go well, he answered, "No kidding." His eyes took her in as best he could with fuzzy vision. She didn't seem injured. Of course, there were some wounds that were harder to see... He looked back at the other Nobody, suspicious.

"You shouldn't go out at night," he told her, sounding more bossy than he meant to. "If you have to, next time wait for me." He reached over and gripped her hand in his.

[clockmongler]

No, it was not Naminé's fault. Perhaps eating something would be better, as the gambler's mind couldn't quite seem to grasp onto one subject for too long, and as a result, completely derailed from the conversation at hand in order to glare at the menacing breakfast. Past expectations continued to show through on top of this new hell, as though looking into a dirty magic mirror. He would retort to Naminé's suggestion at eating something, at least until the clatter of another tray burst through his trail of thought.

"The Replica," Luxord spoke out with distaste. So, what Naminé said earlier of the thing's presence proved true. Questionable, really. The thing was never meant to act on its own, supposed to be either in the girl's hands or No. IV's, but never on its own. And acting the way it was! The blond found himself visibly sneering at the creature's actions and words, hands curling into fists at the sight of it reaching to grab Naminé's hand.

Perhaps it was just the lack of food, the pain, or even just old parental instincts resurfacing from a dead life, but no one touched his baby Naminé that way on his watch not until she's married or over thirty. Luxord's hand shot across the table to grip forcefully on the Replica's hand that had been place over the girl's, pulling it away from her and squeezing it harshly as a warning.

"Mayhaps you should keep your hands to yourself, boy. Or do you not want to keep them?" His voice was quiet, but stern enough to get the point across. "And I believe Naminé has enough people looking after her, if that is truly what you're wanting."

[angels_inflight]

"I know..." Naminé nodded, yet she knew she could never bring herself to call him a name that fitted what he truly was. "Then what should I call you? Did you decide on a name for yourself?" Whatever would make Riku happy, she would do. They were childhood friends, even if that was one giant lie. The memories were still there for her, and she was sure Riku remembered them too.

"Y-Yes, the patient who attacked us was the woman with the poker..." Naminé started to explain. She was hoping that perhaps "Riku" had seen her, or knew her name, or knew if she was safe. And Naminé felt like she was getting somewhere too. "It's alright, I know it's dangerous but I won't be able to find out how to escape if I just stay in my room," Naminé reminded the Replica. Perhaps she was physically weaker then most, but strangely, Naminé had a lot of friends whom she could trust.

It was very nice having actual friends. Naminé never realized how safe they could make a person "feel", even if they weren't supposed to feel.

"You could co- Luxord?!" The witch gave the Nobody a surprised look when he pulled "Riku's" hand away from hers. The Naminé of old had watched "Riku" suffer at the hands of the Organization, but now Naminé would never allow this to happen. She reached out and attempted to reclaim "Riku's" hand from Luxord's grip.

"It's OK. He's my friend," She mumbled softly in protest. He had suffered enough...

[nisemono_janai]

"Then what should I call you? Did you decide on a name for yourself?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Ansem said...maybe the library." He shrugged, helpless, doubting a name picked from some dusty old book he wasn't even interested in reading would do. The replica glanced at her, their eyes meeting, for a split second looking as though he might ask for her opinion. But no, Namine would probably tell him the same thing Sora and Xehanort had. He sighed again, feeling defeated.

"A woman with a poker..." A poker? It took him a moment to piece things together. "You mean like, from a fireplace?" The smell of burning flesh returned unbidden to his nostrils, which flared slightly in distaste. Recovering quickly from the unpleasant memory, the replica looked into her eyes. "I'm glad you got away unharmed." He would certainly have been able to tell if the poker had gotten her anywhere.

He was just about to say something in response to Namine's insistence that she go out at night in order to find some way to escape when an uninvited hand decided to make their little moment a threesome. The replica glared death at Luxord as the Nobody threatened him. Oh, he knew what the Organization thought of him, and the feeling was so mutual.

He slammed his free hand down on the table, leaning forward to snarl at the not-man. "Mind your own business old man, or you'll lose more than your hand." The replica was just about to add that Luxord wouldn't be the first Nobody he'd killed when he realised how that would sound coming out of his mouth right in front of Namine, who was trying frantically to make peace.

Strangely, it soothed his temper when she called him her friend. Really, he couldn't ask for more than that, and here she was, offering it freely. The replica took his hand back from both of them, and placed the other on her shoulder in a soothing gesture. "It's cool; I just wanted to check in, make sure you were okay." Growing bold for a moment, he bent forward and brushed his lips against her forehead. When he pulled back, his eyes met hers in a nonverbal reminder to wait for him before going out tonight. "We'll talk later."

Casting a last warning glance at Luxord, the replica took his tray and turned to find better company with which to break his fast.