Day 19 - Lunch.

[_sixth]

Time for lunch

Comments

[scintillatingly]

As tempted as Sora had been to sneak that Game Boy out of the Game Room, he wasn't sure if it was the best time to do so. Not that many other people had been in there, so the nurses would have probably noticed. He'd have to make plans to smuggle it out the next time he was in there...

Either way, that Tetris theme was now stuck in his head.

The idea of dressing up for Halloween was a neat one, but Sora found that his costume was... less than fun. A prison uniform? He wasn't a criminal! He already felt caged up enough without the outfit to go with it. No family sent this to him, but arguing that with the nurses would have been rather pointless.

The decorations were nice enough, though, and Sora was looking here and there as he was led into the cafeteria. It reminded him a lot of Halloween Town--couldn't he have worn that outfit? And while the offered food wasn't that great, he was looking forward to grabbing some candy once he was done eating

[repolarization]

Ginji was wearing an oversized blue cloak and a huge yellow hat when he entered the cafeteria. He was very amused by all the decorations around. He didn't usually have the funds to really celebrate holidays all out, and this made him very happy. He was all smiles because the hat amused him and because it was time for more food! Kurama and him still had plans to bust out during the night, and given no indication that anything but that was happening Ginji planned to thoroughly enjoy eating food.

He piled his plate with as much as he could and then glanced around the place. He went up to a boy who looked younger than him and grinned. "Is this seat taken?" he asked, still smiling cheerfully. The sleeves of the cloak he was in were really baggy... he hoped they wouldn't get in the way of him eating the sandwiches.

[scintillatingly]

Sora had expected someone he knew to find him and make some comment or another about his costume, but seeing a new face was not a bad thing. After all, what if someone mean had dropped by? And just from first impressions, this stranger didn't seem mean.

He was pretty tall, but his facial features and attitude led Sora to believe that he wasn't too much older than him. Making sure he'd swallowed his current bite of sandwich before he spoke, he gave a quick shake of his head.

"No, go ahead!" he urged with a smile. "My name's Sora, by the way. You're new here, aren't you?" He'd certainly never seen him before.

[repolarization]

Ginji's eyes widened at the name. He actually recognized it! "I'm Ginji! We promised to meet on the board thing!" What luck it had been someone he wanted to meet who he had gone to first. He sat down next to Sora and put his filled plate down on the table.

"Itadakimasu!" he said cheerfully, so pleased to have so much food in one day that he forgot to remember that he forgot to say it during breakfast. Oh well, he couldn't have good manners all the time. As much as he wanted to talk to Sora he also wanted to start eating, so he picked up on of the sandwiches and took a big bite, chewing hurriedly so he would be able to continue his conversation with the younger teen.

[lustful_thing]

Lust knew she was going to pay for what had happened in the shower. Her words, her tone, even her very nature were all things Dante would wish to punish her for. But it had been worth it, to speak to that woman as though she were nothing. And here, Lust supposed, she was nothing. Payment would come in time, and for now Lust was going to try not to worry about it.

She didn't quite understand the need to celebrate some archaic holiday, or the need to dress up, but she supposed the offered 'costume' was better than the drab grey pants that were her now-usual attire. The navy blue pleated skirt was far shorter than she liked, and the white sailor top not nearly low enough, but it was attractive and flattered her form. She attempted to refuse the large red bow, but her attending nurse pulled her hair back into it anyway.

At least, Lust decided as she observed the dining hall decorations while getting her lunch, she looked like a woman. Swing in her hips and smile on her lips, Lust sat down at empty table to eat.

[braidless]

In spite of himself, the warm shower had left Obi-Wan feeling refreshed, his mind a little sharper than it had been earlier. Simply listening to and observing those around him had provided him small fragments of information, but it hadn't been enough for him to get a clear idea of where he was and how he'd gotten here. Though his connection to the Force felt diminished, he had picked up some of the unease that radiated from the others as they showered. It was very well possible that many of these people had been mysteriously whisked away like himself

[lustful_thing]

"Another new arrival," Lust said as she turned and looked the man up and down. He seemed friendly enough, but one could never tell in this place. "Welcome to Landel's. I'm sure you've learned already that this place is hardly what it appears. As for the holiday..." She shrugged. She didn't know much about it, either. It wasn't a holiday that was celebrated in Amestris any longer, and what Ishbalan festivities she could remember were far different than anything remotely Amestrian.

"All Hallow's Eve, some pagan festival to ward off ill spirits and honour the dead. I'm honestly not certain what costumes and orange paper have to do with anything, but I've long since given up hope of understanding anything in this place." She shrugged again, a half shoulder twitch, and picked up her sandwich.

"Did you wake up this morning or last night?"

[braidless]

((Ackk, Internet was being screwy and posted my comment on accident, so I had to delete it. Sorry. ><; ))

From listening to her speak, Obi-Wan got the impression that this woman had been here much longer than he had. Perhaps he'd be able to get some answers about the nature of this place and if there was any way out. Still, Obi-Wan wasn't sure that he liked the way she talked about Landel's, as if there was no logic behind it and it pulled a steady stream of unwilling patients into its walls. Faintly, his eyebrows furrowed, but his voice remained calm and neutral.

"I woke up here this morning," he replied. "The nurse has a tendency to call me 'Mr. Klein,' even though that isn't my name. I'm afraid they've got me confused with someone else. I've tried to explain, but they won't listen." Pausing, he regarded her with mild curiousity. "What is Landel's, exactly? I'm under the impression that it's some sort of medical facility, but it's not what I would expect from such a place."

[voiceless_rage]

Caim had not done much in the time between breakfast and lunch, but the notes on the board he'd found ... they'd been more than catching. Old hatred had started boiling in his stomach again, fighting back hunger and promising something far more satiating if he just gave in and fought. But there were more notes, more to read about - another from his land. Someone who knew about the Empire, and the Watchers, and her.

He'd made no attempt to find the person who'd left the note while in the showers (which had slightly confused him at first, but in moments the idea became clear, as did the amount of dirt on his body), but as soon as the nurses prodded him into the mess hall, he'd kept his eyes sharp. The available food was practically ignored (were it for the continual "suggestions" that he take a little more) as he looked around. Boy, blue eyes, spiky brown hair. Caim snorted. That could fit almost anyone, himself included

[not_a_savior]

"But Mr. Scarborough, really, it's such a nice costume!" The nurse insisted, holding up the outfit. Nowe eyed it again skeptically

[voiceless_rage]

He had been watching them as they came in the room - people dressed in ridiculous outfits that he had finally been forced to notice. Was this entire place insane? Who in their right mind would wear anything like those? Caim felt his lip curl slightly, eyes narrowing. Normally, he would have simply stood up and walked away, but ever since the morning, he hadn't felt right. Damn those people

[not_a_savior]

"...?" Feeling the ominous presence standing and fuming behind him, he very slowly turned around and looked upward, swallowing the bite of sandwich rather loudly as he did so. Ah. So this must be Caim. He suddenly understood why this man had been capable of saving the world, it was obvious he had power far beyond that of Nowe's own. He didn't just stand, he loomed

[soulofdiscord]

Going from instructing a woman in the Way and belittling another master manipulator, to breaking into a riot of colors and entirely foreign concepts was enough to make Scholar Ling a bit upset. She was just glad that she hadn't been forced into some of the... 'interesting'... costume ideas.

Such as the one she first saw when she stepped out of the lunch line, blinking a bit in utter shock. Gigantic coat? Huge hat? Jewelry that went far beyond the bounds of taste or fashion? Whoever had it was either the victim of terrible fortune, or was truly audacious

[soulofdiscord]

She smiled ever-so-slightly at that, gazing at the man with a considering expression. Touchy pride, childish attitude... power but without the need to work for it, was her first guess. Bravado which was brought about by never really having a challenge, and therefore never having to accept defeat as it came.

A child, in other words. A starting point, but perhaps not one worth the effort of reaching.

"I am called Nu Zhi here," she answered calmly, wondering what sort of meat the staff was using. Human? Animal? It didn't matter, so long as she obtained sustinence, but somehow she was reminded of some of the events in her past. "And I am well aware that you had no choice in the matter. Or... perhaps you did."

She leaned forward, neither taunting nor conciliatory, merely calm and expressionless. "You gave in to their will in the end, did you not?"

[felled_hero]

Well, Hughes supposed that things could be worse. He hadn't protested much after his shower when the nurse escorted him to change into the costume his 'family' had sent. It had been good to catch up with Havoc and Cliff, and just have a small bit of down time. Sad that 'down time' was talking about the current situation in a communal shower. But you took what you could get.

As for the costume... Hughes felt somewhat ridiculous. He supposed it was supposed to be a ghost, but it was basically a sheet with holes cut out for the eyes and mouth. How was anyone supposed to know it was him? Well, the eye holes were probably big enough for someone who knew him to tell.

When he got to the cafeteria, he realized it really could have been worse. At least the outfit hid his silent laughter at some of the other outfits people had been shoved into. Shaking his head, he got his food and took a seat. He wondered if Roy had been wrestled into this, too....

[muted_flame]

The day got worse and worse.

Breakfast had come with finding out that Greed was once again around, but a completely different version of the one he'd gotten to know (and yet still damned and determined to exact some sort of claim on him). The showers had instilled a sense of overwhelming paranoia and a desperate attempt to not be seen which had failed miserably--and then there had come the irritation when Greed had gotten pissed at him for something that was hardly his fault in the first place.

And now...

The nurse was standing before him with the outfit he was apparently supposed to wear, smiling widely. "Come on, Raymond. You'll look fantastic in this!" she insisted.

Roy couldn't believe this. The institute got worse and worse each day. What was the point of making them dress up in ridiculous costumes? He'd never even heard of this holiday--chances were they'd made it up. "No

[felled_hero]

The sandwich was welcome. And hey, he'd got to choose what was put on it. All in all, Hughes wasn't feeling too badly. And then he saw something that made him do a double-take. That... that couldn't be. But it was. Nearly choking on his sandwich, Hughes grinned widely behind his white sheet. He couldn't put into words just how funny he found this entire situation.

"Hey sweetheart, looking for a little company?" he called as Roy passed by, unable to let the opportunity pass him by. Roy was in a skirt. A short skirt. And a woman's blouse. Roy was dressed up like a woman. No, Hughes couldn't let that go by without comment.

Even if Roy would kill him for it later.

[muted_flame]

Oh, Roy knew that voice, even if he hadn't noticed Hughes under the sheet at first. It all registered right as he was sitting down, but he quickly shot back up, tense and bristling at the fact that his friend thought it was a good idea to tease him.

He realized that he hadn't actually spoken to Hughes in a while. They'd been separated the entire night, he'd been distracted during breakfast and actively trying to avoid him in the showers. Normally he would have been happy to have a chance to speak with his friend again.

But when he was acting like that? Grumbling, he stalked over to his friend, brow creased heavily.

How about kill him now instead of later? If only he had his gloves. He rubbed his fingers together anyway, if only to get the point across--that is, that he was not happy with the current situation.

"Don't you think you could be a little more mature about this?" he hissed.