Day 51: Lunch

[sanguinario]

Edward was glad to wake up to a period of respite. While he had been conscious during breakfast, he'd requested to remain in his room for extra "sleep", which had consisted waiting until the room was vacated to ingest the vial of Venom's blood. The vampire had lost his chance last night, but that might have been for the better; this way he wasn't

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[zack_fair]

So Zack hadn't picked the best shower buddy. Then again, he wasn't the one who had decided to stand by the scarred guy, so it wasn't really his fault to start with. It was hard for him to understand how some people could go through their lives being annoyed by everything. Talk about ulcer-inducing! Sure, he'd been through some pretty terrible things, and he could have spent his life (or... second life, whatever this was) being bitter and angry, but where would that get him?

He knew where it had gotten Sephiroth, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen to him. Angeal and Genesis had succumbed to the same thing, to an extent. Not that all of them didn't have good reason, but...

Ahh, why was he thinking about this? He had to focus on what was happening here and now, and that was a meeting with Aidou. He was glad the teen had thought to put up a message on the bulletin for him, as he could have very well forgotten otherwise. It was a good thing they were going to talk, though, since Zack wanted to know if tonight would be spent with the basement crew or with Cloud and company.

Honestly, he'd gotten more curious about the basement after learning about the rings and realizing that even Yuffie hadn't been down there. She was the one who'd been here for the longest, so the fact that even she hadn't checked it out yet made it sound more promising to him. Now all he needed to do was figure out if Aidou or Sasuke had one of those rings, as he certainly wasn't against spilling some blood to use it.

Sure, there were risks involved, but that was how life worked, and Zack was willing to give it a shot. Nodding to himself, he shook his hair out, trying to get rid of the excess dampness from the shower on his way to get some lunch. After getting a plate with both a hamburger and hot dog on it (the best of both worlds, right? He was a tall guy, he needed to eat a lot), the soldier then found an empty spot and waited there for his lunch date.

[For Aidou.]

[blood_and_pocky]

It spoke of how absolutely degrading the place was, but in truth, Aidou had had more important things on his mind than the fact that he had to be undressed around a bunch of other naked males. Normally such a humiliation would’ve been at the top of the list. Aidou just couldn’t stretch his patience to include it on top of everything else he was juggling--it wasn’t like he could stick his nose up at cleanliness.

There was that at least, being clean. Clean and well-fed was the best physical state he could expect.

By time lunch rolled around, he was as ready as ever to return to business, and in this case, it was meeting with Zack. After Sasuke, an update felt even more necessary. The man in question was not hard to spot, and the noble didn’t hesitate to take a seat at his table. His nurse was at least good for fetching his food for him in these instances, not that he had grown any fonder of hamburgers and hotdogs for all the times he’d already eaten them. He had to supplement the blood he took in any way he could, however.

"You look well enough," said Aidou as pulled out a seat. He’d never been fond of the 'hey, how are you's, either. "Did you accomplish your goal last night?"

[zack_fair]

Aidou didn't keep him waiting for too long, and Zack glanced up with a smile as the teenager took a seat and started in on a conversation without a moment's hesitation. That was for the best, probably. While Zack was pretty fond of shooting the breeze and talking about this or that, he was just as used to giving a status report or getting briefed. Both felt comfortable to him, though Aidou was clearly more interested in the latter.

"So do you," he returned as he took a large bite of his hot dog and chewed it thoroughly. He didn't need to inhale his food and end up with a stomach ache, especially seeing how they gave them a decent amount of time to eat.

The question was kind of tough to answer, though, and Zack leaned back in his seat, his body language slightly defeated as he wiped some excess moisture off of his ear. "Yes and no," was his response. "I was searching for a friend, and while we did about as much as we could, we didn't find anything." He doubted it would concern Aidou that much, but he had asked.

Speaking of which, where had that nurse gone off to? He'd asked her about Aerith this morning and still hadn't gotten a response. Maybe he would track her down after eating, if he finished with Aidou fast enough. For now, he turned back to his meal and sent the boy a questioning glance. "How about you? What did you do?"

[blood_and_pocky]

His ego appreciated the compliment he turned Zack’s words into--a vampire could hardly look unwell, given their unnaturally handsome features, something Landel wouldn’t be able to take away--even though the man undoubtedly meant Aidou was merely in one piece.

Didn’t matter. He was making do without the constant recognition as he was doing with everything else, and besides that, he wanted to be seen first and foremost for his capabilities so that they could dialogue about their progress as they had been. Pragmatically and unequivocally. Where Sasuke shared a youthful appearance with him, Zack did not, and there was always the potential for patronizing kid stuff where an (apparent) age difference existed. For all Zack’s friendly informality, though, Aidou appreciated that each time they talked, it never supplanted seriousness.

If they stayed allies for a while, that would be good. If. There were many, many unexplained disappearances, as in the case of Zack’s friend.

The noble in turn put his elbows on the table and lightly ruffled one hand through his own damp hair. He recalled that Zack and his other acquaintances had expressed concerned, and when Zack reported the unsurprising failure, Aidou’s gaze went from his face, to the table, and back again. Unsurprising losses, maybe, but still losses, and now this one as well as Ritsuka were experiencing what Aidou himself had. Landel had yet to make up that debt.

He gave a nod without saying anything. As for what he had done, well, when it came to personal benefit he had succeeded, but his vampiric nature was not likely something Zack would like to hear about. “Last night I did nothing,” he eventually answered. “I didn’t get far enough to have something worth mentioning.”

The Institute’s unfortunate uphill struggle. But Landel’s dead-ends weren’t the end of things.

[zack_fair]

Zack continued to eat his food as he waited for Aidou's response, wanting to make sure that he got the meal down before he was too distracted by planning. He wasn't the sort who tended to forget to eat, but he doubted that sneaking out food for later would be looked upon very well by the nurses. Granted, he always had all the time in the world to eat come dinner, seeing how he was perpetually roommate-less.

The only reaction Aidou had about Aerith was a small nod, but maybe that was for the best. Words tended to be insincere in situations like this. Aidou hadn't known Aerith, but if he had, he would have realized how upsetting her disappearance was. There was no reason to start eulogizing her, though. Yuffie had explained where the vanished patients went -- while it wasn't pleasant, she wasn't dead either.

And so long as that remained the case, they could get her back.

"Sorry to hear that," he said with a frown. Still, Aidou seemed to be used to it, almost like he'd resigned himself to a few unproductive nights littered in here and there. Zack had already experienced one or two himself, so he knew what it was like.

"So, did you want to try for the basement again tonight, or did you have something else planned?" Zack could understand if something else had come up, so he hoped that he wasn't coming off as pushy or anything. He just wanted to get an idea of it so that he could plan what to do with himself either way.

[blood_and_pocky]

He ignored the tray his nurse set down by his elbow--and her as well, because he knew what she was thinking, every time he sat down with ‘friends’ lately--and continued only once she had gone again. That he was the one being apologized too was sadly ironic, and the vampire was quick to shake the topic off in favor of Zack’s question.

Similar to what Aidou had done that morning, Zack cut straight to the heart of the matter--which in this case was what really banded them together at night, the basement. “I’m able,” answered the vampire. “I already talked to Sasuke and his final decision will come by the end of the day. I haven’t yet found another solid replacement should he decide otherwise, though, and without a third to round us out, we might have a problem.” Including the fact that Sasuke also had one of the rewards in his possession, too. But there was also Zack himself to consider. Although he asked first, Aidou still wondered… “Will you be coming?” He tilted his head a little.

Like Sasuke, too, Zack had other threads pulling at him from other people, including this very recent disappearance.

[zack_fair]

Even when a nurse made an attempt to get the teen to eat, Aidou just acted as if the food wasn't there. Zack, meanwhile, had been working on his meal at a steady pace, but now he couldn't help worrying. He wouldn't say that Aidou was frail by any means, but he wasn't as well-built and sturdy as he could have been, especially in a place like this. He could have said something, but Zack knew better. Aidou had been here for a while, and he clearly had managed just fine so far, food or not. Maybe he binged at dinner or something. Everyone was different.

In any case, it sounded like Aidou was up for trying the basement again tonight, but they might be short a person. It was pretty clear by now that three people were needed for it, which meant that they might be out of luck. Unless...

"You know, I might be able to ask a friend of mine to come along, if Sasuke can't. And if you don't mind." Cloud would be ideal, but Zack supposed that Yuffie would do as well. He knew that both of them were skilled enough to handle whatever dangers were down there, and could vouch for them if need be.

"Either way, I should be able to come." Even if he didn't need to recruit in a friend, he trusted both of them (along with Tifa, though he didn't know her quite as well) to take care of themselves. And none of them had complained about him running off on his own so far, so he didn't see there being any potential problems.

[blood_and_pocky]

Crossing his arms on top of the table, the vampire cast a brief look around the cafeteria; the constant problem that was groupwork only drew more attention to the rowdy and ever-growing crowd of prisoners around him. And to the fact that Aidou honestly didn’t have replacements, or even reliable first choices. He’d have to speak to that red-eyed female again and experiment with the option of asking her to join forces.

The issue there--the same issue that put a hinder on working with others--was that he couldn’t put his trust in her, just as he couldn’t in an unknown acquaintance of Zack’s. Inwardly, he sighed. Ideally he’d manage this stuff himself, but Landel had to be making areas like the basement difficult for a reason, and options remained scarce. Did he mind? Like he had a choice. Flexibility was necessary, now. It wasn’t like his track record for working by himself was exactly spotless, either.

“Only if they can handle themselves and will abide by the same terms I gave you,” said the noble with a nod of assent. After a pause, though, he made a face and added, “And only if they’ll avoid the fights we might find on the way, instead of jumping into the middle of them.” Even if Sasuke came, Aidou hadn’t forgotten what had happened last time. It wasn’t cowardice that made him think it, not by a long shot, but time and energy were better spent when they were actually inside the basement. He wasn’t going to put up with anymore stupidity from Sasuke or anyone else.

As if including Zack in the warning, he lifted an eyebrow at the man. With all the newfound ring stuff happening, time was more precious. Speaking of...

[zack_fair]

Those were a lot of requirements, but Zack figured that Aidou had a reason to be careful. If he had really been here for so long, then chances were that he had tried this quite a few times and had come up with little in return. Sure, they had one of those artifacts, but it apparently didn't mean much without its twin. At the same time, that was a straight-forward goal, something that seemed attainable. He was glad that the teen wasn't willing to give up.

But the question then became: who would be best to ask? Yuffie probably wouldn't do so well at following orders, especially from someone so young. She liked to play by her own rules, which could throw a wrench into things. Cloud, on the other hand, had worked for Shin-Ra at one point in his life. Maybe he didn't like following orders all that much, but he could do it. The problem was that he might be more eager to jump into a fight. Zack was pretty convinced that he could keep Cloud from doing anything unwise, though. They were friends for a reason; they could get through to each other.

"I'm pretty sure I know someone who would fit the bill," he said after he'd given the matter enough thought. He took another bite of his hot dog as he chewed it over for a second longer. "I just need to get a hold of him on the bulletin, and then we'll be in business." If it turned out that Sasuke couldn't come, at least. There were a lot of variables in this whole thing, which was a little annoying, but Zack had dealt with worse.

"Also, I was wondering. I don't know if you heard about those rings, but one of those might come in handy for what we're trying to do. Did you or Sasuke get one?" He was being completely blunt about it, but that was because Zack wasn't big on secrets when it came to something like this. There was no reason to hide their resources from each other when they were working on this together.

[blood_and_pocky]

Wait, a human reading his mind and beating him to the punch? That was very close to a first (excluding the freak shows from before, who had now vanished, thankfully).

Aidou had been sitting silently, giving a nod in junction in with Zack’s final verdict, and centering his tray in front of him while he waited for an opening. Only apparently he didn’t need one, because Zack was thinking almost the exact same thing he was. A little creepy. Maybe the man was more similar in mentality than Aidou had thought.

Looking up with a curious blink, the noble hesitated for a beat before replying, “No. And I didn’t get a chance to ask him.” Though it was the truth, and he probably would have told the truth, the surprise had made him more honest than he usually was. Or at least could remember, since being here. Realizing how stupid that was, Aidou gave himself a mental shake. “I take it you didn’t?” he asked more slowly, fixing his gaze on Zack.

[zack_fair]

So it was no on Aidou and maybe on Sasuke. That didn't give them the best odds, but it was better than nothing. When Zack had the question turned back on him, he sighed and shrugged. "Sort of. The person from my group who got it is someone I might be able to borrow it from. I can't make any promises, though." That was something he would also need to ask about when he checked to see if Cloud could come along. His Gaian friends were pretty good about checking the board, so it probably wouldn't be hard to iron that all out before night came. They still had one shift left.

"But if not, then I guess we'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way," he said with a smirk as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't think there was anything wrong with that, and he imagined that Aidou would be used to it by now. A ring would be nice, but it could also be dangerous to use. It would help, sure, but it would be better if they didn't rely on it.

[blood_and_pocky]

Those damn rings. His earlier annoyance suddenly rushed back now that they had essentially confirmed they were both out of the loop when they came to owning one. It was infuriating, and Landel had to know it. He was sowing dissension with his little toys, putting prisoners ahead of others with no discernible criteria for who would benefit and who wouldn’t, short of that one had to have been in a group.

And that was before even knowing what the things all did.

Brow furrowed, Aidou propped an elbow up, pressing his palm to his temple as a cushion. "I prefer tradition in this case," came his chagrined response. Rare items of value--and rare items with catches--just created more complexity in an already unbearable situation. Unlike the zombie virus thing, or the portals, or the language barrier, they didn’t merely disappear come morning. "I’d rather travel my own distances, even if there’s a high chance of screw-ups. At least the risks are calculated. Besides, trusting something he gave you is the lowest."

For all Aidou’s confidence in his own objectivity, he suspected an embittered rant would sneak up on him if he shared his opinion about the rings for too long. They were just… another thing in a long list of stupid crap.

"They’re just one recent development, anyway. What about the rest of your time? Has anything else of note happened since last we talked?"

[zack_fair]

Aidou brought up a few good points. When you were working off of your own merit, at least you knew what was in store. Throwing in another variable like a strange ring that could teleport you around (with the use of your own blood, for that matter) seemed like it would just be asking for trouble. He wouldn't have been against trying it if they'd had one, but it seemed like getting their hands on one was more effort than it was worth at this point.

They would just have to be quick, and blow their way past any fights they might come across. Which was easier said than done, and he knew that, but that didn't mean he was going to give up before trying.

"Yeah, there's no saying whether or not those things might backfire at the worst moment," he added. And then they would end up in the locker room or something. Zack really didn't need to go back there; he'd seen enough of those back at HQ.

When Aidou asked for any interesting news, Zack found himself shrugging his shoulders once more. "Well, I guess there is one thing. I managed to see a bit of my home on that night with the teleporting doors. I guess it didn't happen to everyone, but me and two friends made it back for a bit. Too bad it was almost completely deserted." Except for a chocobo and a tonberry, and only one of them had been happy to see them. Shaking his head, Zack took another bite of food as he leaned his elbow onto the table.

[blood_and_pocky]

Short of taking a ring from someone else (which wasn’t completely out of the question, to be honest), the only people Aidou had marked down either way were a few recognizable people from the board, and now Zack. Soon Sasuke, if he got in contact with him before tomorrow. The only thing left to do was find out who had one where he could.

Although the man wasn’t laying out much else on the table, what he did say had to do with the shifting destination incident; considering Aidou hadn’t seen anything of note himself, he found the details worth some attention. ‘Home’ raised many conflicting feelings, not the least of which because if the visions of home had been fake, then Landel was inexcusably mocking them once again. And if they had been real, then…

“I heard that some of others who saw their homes also found them deserted. Was it as you remember it?” Having lifted his head slightly, the noble’s expression had more concentration to it than before. This, this was the accumulation of facts into his growing store of knowledge, and by now it was a familiar act. “Did you actually believe it was the real thing?” The end of his second question was partially drowned out by another voice, however, and Aidou shot a sharp look toward the scruffy bozo in question, some unfamiliar blond guy shouting from a tabletop.

Climbing on furniture and shouting was hardly a new occurrence, but he was more than a little annoyed by the naivety involved. Scared? Idiot. A newcomer, obviously.

Turning back, he took up his fork and stabbed a French fry before popping it into his mouth.

[zack_fair]

Both of the questions that Aidou asked had complicated answers, and Zack made sure to finish his bite of food before he answered. However, before he was even done with that, the conversation was interrupted by a guy who had decided to throw all caution to the wind by standing up on a table and letting out a rallying cry.

It was endearing, and the sort of thing Zack could have seen himself doing if he'd been a few years younger. Back when he was a Second, maybe. He smiled at the sight, giving a dismaying shake of his head. "Well, that's one approach. He knows that we're all already trying our best, right?" It was just that the day wasn't the time for fighting spirit and determination, at least not overtly.

Zack could already see how this was going to end, and so he turned his attention back to Aidou, taking in the boy's annoyed expression with some amusement. There was no point in being bothered by it, but he knew that everyone's attitude was different. Honestly, he wouldn't mind hunting that guy down sometime for a chat. He seemed like he would be interesting to talk to, if nothing else.

"Well, to answer your questions, it was and wasn't like how I remembered it. It was definitely Gaia, sure, but it was a future version of it. Most of my friends here are from way further in time than I am, as weird as it sounds, so..." He imagined that Landel had just sent them to the furthest point... Or had Yuffie mentioned that she was from past that? Well, it didn't matter, since it had seemed like a very different place to him.

"As for it being real, it's hard to say. It definitely felt real, from the airship to the monster that we fought. We even brought something back with us, which I'd call proof, but I can't say for sure, can I?" He wished he knew, but in the end there was just no way of telling.

[blood_and_pocky]

Did he? The question Zack asked had a more obscure answer. Aidou absently ate his mauled food and refused to glance in the stranger’s direction.

Gaia.

Upon hearing that name, he lifted his eyes then let his lids lower partway again. Landel had mentioned that name before, hadn’t he. It certainly suggested he knew of it, as much as he knew about anyone else’s home. Gaia. Not a place that existed for Aidou, but here the concept had weight and matter.

"It’s not uncommon for acquaintances to claim they’re from different time periods," was what he said. Or at least felt that they were. Usually, the discrepancies occurred when people arrived from a place, not travelled to them, however. "About the thing you fought, though… was it something you’d expect to find there, or in the Institute? And the companions who were with you, they’re both from your home?"

The vampire was curious about the so-called evidence that people had brought back, but they were akin to his Night Class uniform, a personal belonging that didn’t need a “trip home” to pop up here.

All things considered, it was taking a lot of effort to talk about the idea with a calm face.