Sanji woke up groggily to find his nurse already in his room. He gave a sleepy and half-hearted "Buh?" before realizing that nurse meant dayshift, and he'd fallen asleep after dinner
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Nightshift had ended rather abruptly, finishing things far sooner than Daemon had liked. And he'd never gotten to the web, either, which placed him in a rather annoyed mood this morning. Still, it was a day to get out of the institute and into the town once more, so he put aside his irritation as he dressed in the same clothing he'd gotten to wear last week and followed his nurse out to the buses.
He didn't spot River right away, and could only hope that she'd have time to explain things to her brother before they met again. Things could be awkward otherwise. He boarded the first bus and took a seat, glancing around and wondering if Ranji and Lucivar had made it to the basement last night, and how Karla and Rainier had fared.
Lucivar didn't really know what to expect when he was suddenly ushered out of the building and onto a large metal carriage. He was not in the best temper, having spent most of last night waiting around doing nothing. It was frustrating but at least he could try again tonight. And this strange trip out of the hospital left him too puzzled to be completely enraged.
He saw Daemon on the carriage and walked over to him, sitting down with a bit of a flop. "Morning," he said, slouching against the back of the chair, looking deceptively lazy as he scanned the area. "How was your evening?"
Daemon shifted over to make room for his brother on the seat beside him, his gaze narrowed and studying his brother intently for a moment. Deciding that his brother seemed well enough, though slightly irritable, he casually shrugged one shoulder.
"Not... exactly," Daemon replied carefully, not meeting his brother's gaze as he stared out the window. He looked for the right words to phrase this, uncertain of them himself. Everything had gotten... twisted last night.
A cold shiver ran down Lucivar's back as he gaped at his brother, doing his best not to jump to conclusions. It was difficult with Daemon being what he was to not let his brain drift to unpleasant things. "How is the Lady?" he asked, figuring this simple question was safer then asking if the Sadist was out last night. He didn't know the girl well enough to know if she would provoke Daemon or not.
"Confusing," Daemon answered, hips lips twitching faintly in remembrance. "But that is nothing unusual."
His expression turned solemn once more, however, and he raked fingers through his hair in mild agitation. "Something happened last night that... probably shouldn't have," he admitted quietly.
"You're making me anxious," Lucivar said, turning to face his brother. "What exactly happened last night? I'm going to assume that the Sadist did not come out or else you wouldn't be as calm as you are right now. If it wasn't the Sadist then, what?"
Daemon opened his mouth, then paused and shook his head, still looking for the right words, unsure whether he should be ashamed or angry with himself, or if he... His thoughts were all jumbled and he didn't like it. He didn't like the mental struggle he'd been having since he first awoke.
"No, not the Sadist. Lucivar, I... River... She kissed me."
Lucivar was quiet for a moment, judging his own feelings for the moment. For some reason he wasn't as shocked as he expected to feel. He knew Daemon, knew his devotion to Cat. Hell, he remembered being told of the secret wedding and all that surrounded it. But this was different somehow. He'd have to delve deeper to find out exactly how different it was.
"She kissed you," he repeated. "Was it a welcomed kiss? Or did she steal one from you?"
At least there weren't any blood splatters for the hospital staff to clean up, Lucivar thought. "Are you upset that you kissed her in return or that it happened at all? If it wasn't an unwelcomed kiss I'm puzzled as to what the problem is."
"I shouldn't have wanted to," Daemon admitted, turning away, the words barely audible, guilt washing over him in a near palpable wave. What had he been thinking??
Lucivar sighed and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Look, old boy," he said gently. "Things are different here. You didn't betray her, you know. It's much like seeing someone through their virgin night. There are feelings involved, of course, but there shouldn't be guilt. And this place has a nasty way of making us forget who we were before. It's getting so that I'm even growing used to the strange absence of my wings. That isn't normal. It isn't natural. But these things seem to happen. Don't beat yourself up because a young girl kissed you and you happened to enjoy it. You are a man, after all."
"I haven't forgotten who I was before," Daemon replied quickly, a hint of a snarl in his voice as he went on the defensive. "Who I am. It's just..." he trailed off, clearly agitated. "River just never played into that before I came here. She... complicates things."
"Listen," Lucivar said, feeling that Daemon was on the verge of blowing everything out of proportion. "You can wonder all you like about what it means but at the end of the day all that matters is how you feel. If you enjoyed the kiss then that is all you need to know. Is she likely to kiss you again?"
He didn't spot River right away, and could only hope that she'd have time to explain things to her brother before they met again. Things could be awkward otherwise. He boarded the first bus and took a seat, glancing around and wondering if Ranji and Lucivar had made it to the basement last night, and how Karla and Rainier had fared.
[Waiting for Lucivar]
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He saw Daemon on the carriage and walked over to him, sitting down with a bit of a flop. "Morning," he said, slouching against the back of the chair, looking deceptively lazy as he scanned the area. "How was your evening?"
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"Eventful, if not in the way I planned."
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"River came to my room last night."
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His expression turned solemn once more, however, and he raked fingers through his hair in mild agitation. "Something happened last night that... probably shouldn't have," he admitted quietly.
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"No, not the Sadist. Lucivar, I... River... She kissed me."
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"She kissed you," he repeated. "Was it a welcomed kiss? Or did she steal one from you?"
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