Day 51: Men's Showers [Fourth Shift]

[purpletaint]

No. Not even that ever-so-charming red-headed girl wasn't able to take his mind from memories dragged to the surface. It wasn't so much of a surprise--those things, that girl, had occupied his mind for a long period of time. Where every waking thought, after reaching over to find his twin's mind on her, became an undulating hatred of her presence.

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[sdatislife]

Last night had been a confused blur and today hadn't been much better. Shinji had slouched along from room to room, from place to place, leading the nurses lead him and place him. He'd eaten mechanically, without much enthusiasm, as he always did. He was used to the place, used to the routine.

Strangely, it didn't bother him. It should've, he knew, but he couldn't muster up the will to resent it. This was better than being under his father again, being forced to fight and kill and hurt. At least his friends were here. Even if they didn't know why they should hate him. even if they didn't remember what he'd done. Maybe he could change it - that was a thought - but here everyone was alive. Even Kaworu.

The showers were a relief and he bowed his head under the stream of water, letting it soak into his skin and into his hair. He remembered the last time he'd been here - he'd talked with Kaworu, hadn't he? And now he was here alone, listening to voices echo off of tile. Maybe he could stay here for a while.

[For Toji]

[sangouki]

As the day wore on, Toji had more time to think. He thought Arts & Crafts was bad-- trying to get to the showers was far worse, in comparison.

He was in a bleary daze up until then; he didn't quite care that the food was crappy during breakfast, and he didn't notice what he was doing with a piece of paper and markers during arts and crafts. He didn't let goddamned Soryu get to his head because he knew she was talking bullshit, all of it-- what she was saying couldn't be possible.

Yet, when Toji made his way through the Showers Room, he felt a tinge of anger nipping at the edge of his mind become increasingly more annoying, and when he nearly slipped off of his foot and onto the floor again, he was done-- he was flustered and angry, pathetically lost and too fucking confused to really have taken it all in, and all because he let that fucking boisterous Nerv brat talk to him about this!

What could he do, anyway? He wasn't a pilot anymore! He wasn't anything, he was Toji Suzuhara the cripple, and the only person he had-- no, knew--

[sdatislife]

Shinji heard someone occupy the faucet down the row from him. He kept his head bowed, letting the water stream over him, ignoring the other person for now. If it was Kaworu, the other boy would've said something. Besides, after his last talk with him, he wasn't sure how sitting in the shower and just talking would work out. Probably poorly. Everything he touched went wrong, anyway. He took a deep breath, letting steam and warmth flow into him. It helped. A bit

[sangouki]

He knew the showers were better than sitting down somewhere and having a nurse follow him around until he went insane. He also knew that it was better than being alone out in the open, with a bunch of other crazi-- madm-- patients. What would he have done, anyway, fall asleep at the lounge?

As water trickled from the shower head, his thoughts became bleary and tangled together. It was a comfortable kind of daze; he felt together for the first time today. He let out a sigh and leaned forward, staring blankly at the tiled floor he was sitting on.

He was feeling better. He felt calmer than before; he was ready to try and get up--

Then someone called his name.

Even past the noise of the showers, that voice sounded damn familiar... He jerked his head to the side, an arm raised and a hand cupped into a tight fist in defense.

Yeah, he knew that voice, alright. He knew that voice really well.

He couldn't get himself to raise his voice past a whisper, tinged with a faint shudder of anger.

"Shinji?"

[scintillatingly]

The conversation he'd had with the man at lunch had been interesting enough, and Sora was always happy to meet someone new and help them out. Still, he didn't know if he was the best at answering questions about this place, even with the long amount of time that he'd been here. He knew he needed to be better about paying attention to the intercom and the radio, but sometimes those guys just annoyed him

[feartehreaper]

For a long time, Haseo did nothing more than stand under the water of one of the institute's cheaply-made metal shower-heads, temperature turned up as high as it would go - which wasn't all that hot, of course - and hoping that just maybe it would help his congestion and tangled up mind. Naturally, he wasn't exactly in the mood to be there at all, but it was hard to object too hard when that particular "shift" only came around twice per week- especially when you spent all night running around your musky prison, and a good deal of the day eating... very American food. Although he was inhabiting a body that in theory should have been tireless and he honestly didn't even eat too much of the heavier foods offered, he'd already felt 'off' even before the sick crap started clogging up his head. He wondered sullenly if that was part of the hospital's master plan.

Well, part of the plan that didn't have to do with dropping comparatively good things on Endrance so much. The Adept Rogue sighed in frustration at the return of that thought,

[meitantei]

Bathing was something that, in this place, was best gotten over with quickly. While Shinichi, who was at least a little accustomed to the idea of communal bathing, was less apprehensive about showertime than some of the boys here, he still didn't like the thought of a bunch of teenage guys he barely knew watching him wash himself. It was entirely too awkward and uncomfortable. Witnesses could just as easily be interviewed while they were not naked, after all.

So, with lightning speed, the detective washed himself, washed his hair, and rinsed everything off. Total time: less than five minutes, give or take. Not a personal best, but still not bad.

[going here]

[rischiarare]

Sora had been right; Roxas felt much better about the closing of the day now that he knew he had something to look forward to doing. Maybe they didn't have any definite plans, but there was something there about getting to spend time with Sora. Maybe he liked the feeling of Sora's heart or something (one of the Organization members had told him that Nobodies responded to that sort of thing, kind of the only thing they had in common with the Heartless) but he still felt excitement regarding the coming night