As they entered the sun room, Callisto raised her eyes upward in mild curiosity. They'd darkened the room for some reason, though it wasn't nighttime. She might have considered it being some form of torture, but the usual day staff was around, smiling and being as unnaturally friendly as they always were. Her nurse led her toward one of the chairs lined up in neat rows, a different set up than was usual for an afternoon in this room.
It looked as if there might be a performance, except there wasn't any stage. Rather, there was something set up in front of them that reminded her of the devices she'd seen in that strange store back in Doyleton - the one where she'd run into that interesting man. What had his name been again? Scratchy? Hadn't he said something about moving pictures?
Callisto slouched in the chair petulantly, arms crossed over her chest and ragged strands of blonde falling in front of her eyes. She could try to find answers for what had happened to her, but she knew there were none to find. Landel had brought her back from the dead originally, so what was to stop him from doing so again? No other explanation was needed. Now she was being led back into the daily activities as if she'd never been gone. Wasn't that just accommodating of them.
It was the blonde hair and the woman's build that drew Teresa. She knew this woman was not a fellow hybrid, but after ignoring everything at the meal given the news she had received, maybe it was just the need to be around something she considered familiar. Something from home in a place where none of that existed save for her claymore hidden away in her room.
And that something was a blonde-haired female warrior.
"What type of warrior are you?" Teresa leaned against the chair next to the woman.
The other woman had been purposefully ignored until she took a seat and spoke. Callisto watched her out of the corner of narrowed eyes, trying to judge whether or not the question had been intended as an insult. The wording was questionable, but the patient herself appeared genuinely curious. Why was it that she attracted the nosy ones when she wasn't looking for conversation?
And what sort of question was that to ask someone the first time you met them, anyway. The warlord didn't even bother turning her head. "One that's tired of this song and dance routine." There were plenty of descriptive words she could be using for herself, but she didn't even feel like touching on the subject.
She propped one leg up on the back of the chair in front of her, staring at the still-quiet device up front. "What's all this for, anyway?"
Silver gaze steady, Teresa wasn't bothered by the woman's demeanor. Her way of answering the question was interesting, though. In a way, she was feeling similar sentiments and she'd only been there a week. This one must have been here much longer.
She gave a soft hmph. "I agree with that sentiment."
She then looked toward the large screen. "I don't know. This technology is nothing I am familiar with. It is for what Landel is calling a 'movie'. King Kong. Something about a giant ape."
"Ape?" The term was only vaguely familiar, like she'd heard it mentioned off-hand somewhere with no explanation. What was an ape? A type of animal, wasn't it? Or a fruit. Like a grape but smaller, perhaps. She had no clue, nor did she particularly care. They'd all find out soon enough anyway.
Such as when the box flared to life suddenly, bringing with it sound and light. Callisto blinked at it, sure she was seeing nothing more than a focused display of magic - whatever sort Landel had up his sleeve. It was fairly impressive, though, she had to admit, being able to capture scenes and replay them for others. All the color had been removed, however, as though the images had first been drawn on paper. Impressive, but still no more than a fancy trick meant to keep them entertained until the next shift change. Frankly, she got the feeling he simply couldn't be bothered to do something grander.
And it had a ridiculous name, to boot. King Kong? Was it from the east? "Oh goodness," she said blandly. "How exciting."
"I'm not sure what an ape is either," Teresa replied.
When the movie started, she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. She'd never seen anything like it before. Where did the people come from? She hadn't seen any of them there before. But they were oddly out of focus or had something affected her eyesight? She looked at the warrior next to her. No, there was color there, so her eyesight was fine.
"Do I look like I know why there's no color?" She had no answer for why the people in the box talked all strange and stiffly, either. It was probably because they weren't real, just approximations of people and things drawn on paper and then brought to life through whatever magic Landel used. She didn't know, and she honestly didn't care. This was just another means of passing the time while she thought over what she needed to do next.
Callisto did glance over at the other woman now, and found nothing familiar about her. Someone new? She should be asking her questions, if she wasn't familiar enough with her to know she was trouble. She needed to find out how long she'd been out. Though if this other patient was new, then chances were she wouldn't be able to get a proper answer.
So she'd try something simple. "I woke up late today. What have I missed?"
"Today? Nothing other than the suggestion box on the board. Useless thing," Teresa scoffed.
"Find yourself anywhere interesting last night?" Her lips curled up into a faint smile. "Landel's newest tactic was a pointless waste of effort, even with the minor benefits."
Suggestion box? The name was self-explanatory. It would be made for written requests, suggestions. Changes in the Institute's policies? The very idea that Landel would listen to their suggestions was laughable. Callisto had seen the man. She knew how little someone like him cared for the actual well-being of the patients here. They were like livestock in that they were to be kept generally healthy, but their opinions and comfort meant nothing.
She narrowed her eyes at the woman's next words. Any questions would just make it obvious that she didn't know what the other blonde was talking about. It wasn't surprising that Landel had put them all through something else, but she didn't like that she had no idea what that something else was.
"You could say that," she lied instead.
The one she really needed to find was Homura. He hadn't done his job properly, and he'd find out she was still alive soon enough. There might even be a chance she could get some answers from him, given the sort of man he was.
"Were you familiar with teleportation prior to last night?" Teresa was idly watching the movie as she talked.
She was grateful Homura had explained it to her. Otherwise she might have been more confused than she had. It still didn't quite explain why he'd sent them to that village.
Callisto was actually familiar with teleportation... just not by that name. The concept of a 'teleporter' hadn't exactly been around in ancient Greece. Transporting herself from one place to another? That she could do. "Not really, no."
She'd have to admit that much, unfortunately, since she wouldn't be able to hold up her cover otherwise. Even if she couldn't press for the exact information she wanted, there was at least something to be gained from speaking with this woman.
"Neither was I," Teresa replied. "I wonder how Landel managed it. There seemed little pattern to the sequence and the doors weren't linked as the same door went different places."
She pursed her lips a little. "Irritating. Did you at least get to accomplish something?"
"No. I haven't gotten anywhere useful in days." And that was true enough. No matter how long she'd been out for, she'd made very little progress even in the days leading up to her death. Then of course she hadn't gotten anywhere while she wasn't among the living. Irritating, all of it. It was one thing to be stuck in this limbo and another to have even her attempts at exploration thwarted.
The look she turned upon Teresa now was clearly disinterested, but she might as well get what she could from this conversation. "What about you? Manage to get anything out of the usual rat race?"
As they entered the sun room, Callisto raised her eyes upward in mild curiosity. They'd darkened the room for some reason, though it wasn't nighttime. She might have considered it being some form of torture, but the usual day staff was around, smiling and being as unnaturally friendly as they always were. Her nurse led her toward one of the chairs lined up in neat rows, a different set up than was usual for an afternoon in this room.
It looked as if there might be a performance, except there wasn't any stage. Rather, there was something set up in front of them that reminded her of the devices she'd seen in that strange store back in Doyleton - the one where she'd run into that interesting man. What had his name been again? Scratchy? Hadn't he said something about moving pictures?
Callisto slouched in the chair petulantly, arms crossed over her chest and ragged strands of blonde falling in front of her eyes. She could try to find answers for what had happened to her, but she knew there were none to find. Landel had brought her back from the dead originally, so what was to stop him from doing so again? No other explanation was needed. Now she was being led back into the daily activities as if she'd never been gone. Wasn't that just accommodating of them.
[free]
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And that something was a blonde-haired female warrior.
"What type of warrior are you?" Teresa leaned against the chair next to the woman.
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And what sort of question was that to ask someone the first time you met them, anyway. The warlord didn't even bother turning her head. "One that's tired of this song and dance routine." There were plenty of descriptive words she could be using for herself, but she didn't even feel like touching on the subject.
She propped one leg up on the back of the chair in front of her, staring at the still-quiet device up front. "What's all this for, anyway?"
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She gave a soft hmph. "I agree with that sentiment."
She then looked toward the large screen. "I don't know. This technology is nothing I am familiar with. It is for what Landel is calling a 'movie'. King Kong. Something about a giant ape."
Reply
Such as when the box flared to life suddenly, bringing with it sound and light. Callisto blinked at it, sure she was seeing nothing more than a focused display of magic - whatever sort Landel had up his sleeve. It was fairly impressive, though, she had to admit, being able to capture scenes and replay them for others. All the color had been removed, however, as though the images had first been drawn on paper. Impressive, but still no more than a fancy trick meant to keep them entertained until the next shift change. Frankly, she got the feeling he simply couldn't be bothered to do something grander.
And it had a ridiculous name, to boot. King Kong? Was it from the east? "Oh goodness," she said blandly. "How exciting."
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When the movie started, she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. She'd never seen anything like it before. Where did the people come from? She hadn't seen any of them there before. But they were oddly out of focus or had something affected her eyesight? She looked at the warrior next to her. No, there was color there, so her eyesight was fine.
"Do you know why there is no color?"
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Callisto did glance over at the other woman now, and found nothing familiar about her. Someone new? She should be asking her questions, if she wasn't familiar enough with her to know she was trouble. She needed to find out how long she'd been out. Though if this other patient was new, then chances were she wouldn't be able to get a proper answer.
So she'd try something simple. "I woke up late today. What have I missed?"
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"Find yourself anywhere interesting last night?" Her lips curled up into a faint smile. "Landel's newest tactic was a pointless waste of effort, even with the minor benefits."
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She narrowed her eyes at the woman's next words. Any questions would just make it obvious that she didn't know what the other blonde was talking about. It wasn't surprising that Landel had put them all through something else, but she didn't like that she had no idea what that something else was.
"You could say that," she lied instead.
The one she really needed to find was Homura. He hadn't done his job properly, and he'd find out she was still alive soon enough. There might even be a chance she could get some answers from him, given the sort of man he was.
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She was grateful Homura had explained it to her. Otherwise she might have been more confused than she had. It still didn't quite explain why he'd sent them to that village.
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She'd have to admit that much, unfortunately, since she wouldn't be able to hold up her cover otherwise. Even if she couldn't press for the exact information she wanted, there was at least something to be gained from speaking with this woman.
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She pursed her lips a little. "Irritating. Did you at least get to accomplish something?"
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The look she turned upon Teresa now was clearly disinterested, but she might as well get what she could from this conversation. "What about you? Manage to get anything out of the usual rat race?"
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