Day 36: Waiting Room/Lobby 1

[forgot_my_life]

Oh yeah. This was bad. Grabbing a chair and ignoring the woman who had brought him in, Takaya crossed his arms and glared at the wall. He wasn't going to participate in this bullshit. Being told he had 'company' and that he should he happy about it had ruined what was otherwise an okay day

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[whiteychan]

He'd been here for weeks and weeks, and yet this was the first time he had been told he had a visitor. The fact surprised him. He knew the people sent in were those people who would most influence him negatively, but everyone except his grandmother was here already, and he was fairly well convinced that every one of the visitors here were fake approximations so clever as to fool all the senses, or brainwashed victims. In either case, their efforts would fail with the captain. He knew he didn't belong here, there was no one from his world they could send in to convince him otherwise.

So he agreed to follow the nurse, and took a seat in a chair in the waiting room to see just who they would send in to try oh so valiantly to mess with his head.

[damned_visitors]

With the exception of his former office, Hannibal Lecter found the decor of Landel's Institute hideous. Admittedly, neutral colors were often soothing to the mentally disturbed, but a limited palette did not automatically preclude good taste. The carpets of the waiting room were especially cheap, and he loathed the way the stench of polyester mingled with the already terrible odor of the mentally ill. Had visitor's day at the Institute not been the perfect research opportunity for his paper on Capgras delusion, Lecter would have been content to never set foot in the institute again

[whiteychan]

No one from his world. That's who they sent in to torment him.

Hitsugaya stiffened as Hannibal entered the room, his eyes widening first in shock and horror at the sight of him. Though he had only met with Hannibal once, the man had a profound and lasting effect on Hitsugaya's psyche. The simple act he had done, so simple and seemingly innocuous, had been the first great discomfort he'd suffered in this damn place. He could survive the limitations, the monsters, and the imprisonment with his trademark callous cynicism, but to challenge the foundation of his beliefs? What Lecter had done went beyond the pale, and it made his stomach sick just thinking about it. I will not throw up again, he thought. not here. Give me at least that much self-respect.

Yet what started as shock and horror turned to anger. The anger settled his stomach slightly and gave him something new to focus on. Remembering the past made him ill. Keeping from thinking about the past and only thinking about the present made the illness subside somewhat. "

[damned_visitors]

Tsk. The boy's expression was less than welcoming. Had he spoken with other patients regarding Lecter's history? Regardless, it was a matter of politeness and evidence of good breeding to treat others with a modicum of respect, until such a point when that person had made it clear they were unworthy of such formality. Lecter did not reveal his displeasure at the adolescent act. After all, Tommy Winters was an adolescent.

With very rare exception, he did not like teenagers, though they contained valuable insights into human nature. They'd shuffled off the coil of childlike innocence, but lacked the adult awareness that the world did not begin and end with one's perception of it. The fault did not lie in their selfishness itself, but in the fact that their selfishness was so crass and unrefined.

"Yes," he said. "I'd hoped you'd made progress in my absence, but it seems that you've grown angrier. Tell me, Tommy. Are you still waiting for Hyorinmaru?"

[secret_orchard]

This time Armand wasn't surprised when the nurse came to find him to lead him to the visitor's lobby. This time Armand was somewhat prepared to see his "sister." This time, he thought he'd be able to lie long enough to avoid the tears and general heartache of the last visit. Considering what had just happened with Elle, he was still vaguely embarrassed about his own behavior lately. He hadn't even been here much more than 2 weeks (Or was it not quite 2 weeks? He wasn't sure anymore. He'd have to count the days later.), and he already missed his family, Jeanne especially since he knew he'd never see her since the Institute denied her existence, enough to do silly rash things

[damned_visitors]

It wasn't terribly long before the woman arrived, swathed in a coat trimmed in fur and looking as elegant and expertly coiffed as she had the last week.

"Gilles!" she exclaimed, rushing over to her brother and throwing her arms around him. "Even one week is far too long to last without seeing your face!"

[secret_orchard]

His fingers were still twined in his hair, so Armand could only awkwardly hug her back with his free arm. He was thrilled to see her. For a few moments, he wasn't certain he would be. Her voice, the voice of one who protected and loved him so fiercely, almost undid all his resolve in one blow. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy that warmth and protection once again.

"Madeleine," he whispered, trying to hide how hoarse with unshed tears his voice had become. "I am so happy to see you. I was afraid you'd abandon me here."

[damned_visitors]

"How can you say such a thing?" She drew back, her hands on Gilles' shoulders, her pretty face looking hurt and shocked.

"I would never do such a terrible thing! I wish for nothing but the day these people tell me you are well and coming home with me! They tell me nothing, Gilles, nothing! But you can tell me, can't you? How is your progress? When can I take you home?" She sounded so emphatic, almost begging for her brother to tell her he was nearly well, and would come home soon.

[sheisthecause]

What?

Meche was sure it had to be some kind of mistake. Surely no one could be coming for her. Who would it have been, even? The angelitos were too much to hope for. One of the other Double-N ticket holders? Someone she'd known as a volunteer when she was alive? It couldn't be; of course they would all think she was still dead. Even if they'd somehow gotten the memo about her reincarnation (or whatever this was), they wouldn't recognize her anymore. She was so much younger than she'd been when she died.

Because surely it couldn't be anyone else, she told herself. The others were dead (and gone, which was another thing altogether). Meche didn't have a calendar on her, but she was positive today wasn't the Day of the Dead. That ruled out anyone she still knew in the Eighth Underworld who hadn't been sprouted (Eva was about the only name on that list anyway, and why would Eva visit her?). And even if Glottis had roared up right outside in the Bone Wagon, she knew she wouldn't have been able to see him anyway. Not anymore

[sheisthecause]

Watching as the room began to fill with other patients and their visitors wasn't doing anything for Meche's nerves, either. Family, friends, loved ones...her eyes followed all the interactions around her, and Mercedes Colomar didn't like what she was seeing

[damned_visitors]

The first thing Victor noticed on his way up here was the reception on his cellphone cutting out. If all went well he wouldn't have fifty messages on his voicemail when he got back to town. (Yeah, he'd landed himself a promotion about a year ago, so as office manager, he could say he'd skipped out on, uh, 'business'). Of course, he hadn't made the trip for nothing - time was money and he wasn't the kind of guy to waste either, not for anybody. The new secretary wasn't what he'd had in mind for a replacement, that was all there was to it. A skirt with smarts? Now that's what he called an asset. Human resources like María were few and far between, and that's exactly why he needed her back on the team. With a little persuasion, she'd be dying to work for him after she was released - they'd had a falling out before she got admitted - and without having to spell it out for her, he was going to make her wish she'd never gotten in tight with Tony. Hell, maybe he wouldn't have to; her recent 'transfer' should've done the trick

[sheisthecause]

Her throat, her chest, her muscles, her whole body seized up as soon as he walked through the door--sensations she'd never felt like this even when she was alive and so couldn't place. If she'd been forced to put a name to them--that shortness of breath, that lightness of head--she would have had to have gone with "terror." And she would have given a lot to have it be anyone else in the world standing there, scanning the room for her.

Domino.

The one person she least wanted to see. Ever again. Especially like this. Even with skin, she wouldn't have needed the lines of his body, the sound of his voice, or the well-remembered and hideous colors of his suit to pick him out of a crowd. Show her that smirk, anywhere on earth, and Meche would have thought: Domino Hurley.

And then the man himself was right there in front of her (in the flesh) and all she could do was gape. Stop doing that, her brain was screaming at her, he'll take it as a compliment! but Meche couldn't move. Domino.

So Landel was willing to bring someone back from the

[part1of3]

Last shift's meeting left Ashton more than a little flustered. In a good way, of course. Reuniting with someone like that was supposed to feel good, right? And he felt like his heart was going to be beating at this rate forever. Everything was Dias right now. It was lovely.

He was stricken from his dreamy haze, though, when his nurse started talking about his surprise, and leading him toward the front of the institute. He'd been in this waiting room before, of course, so he knew what was coming. A visitor! Oh, fantastic!

For Ashton, the thought of another visitor wasn't a bleak one at all. In fact, he'd had so much fun chatting with Celine last time that he'd been thrilled at the chance to see her again and gossip, gossip, gossip. Especially now that he seemed to have news.

So he sat up straight in one of the visitor's chairs, crossed his legs and set his hands in his lap expectantly, twiddling his thumbs. And just in case, he didn't let his attention waver from the doorway.

[damned_visitors]

Nadine's visit with Paul seemed to have gone smoothly, and it hadn't been long at all before she'd encouraged Anita to drop by, too. ("I know they're all dying to see you, darling," she'd said. "At the very least, you should go see David or Thomas.") And she'd fully intended to have a nice visit with one of them -- or even both, if the doctors would have allowed it.

Actually, she'd nearly made the arrangements to do just that, but in the end, she'd decided to see Paul. Now she was walking into the lobby wearing a white, cotton dress with blue designs at the hem, and a cute, little red bag that Nadine had given her for her birthday last year. Thankfully, the room didn't seem too crowded, and once she caught sight of her friend, she quickly approached him.

"Paul!" she said happily. "I'm so glad to see you!"

[part1of3]

Ashton almost couldn't contain his excitement as he saw people start to flood in to visit their loved ones. Yes, he had so much to tell her! But it wasn't Celine who came through the door this time - no, it was Rena! He never thought he'd be able to see her this way, too! Certainly she would have chosen to visit one of the others before visiting him, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth! Certainly not.

He clapped his hands in front of him. "Re-" He stopped himself from saying what he knew to be her name, finishing it off with a quick "-ly! Really! It's you! You look fantastic!" That was a close one. He did kind of want to know what she was calling herself these days, but he didn't want to have to be corrected about it.

So he gestured toward the seat beside him. "Have a seat. Oh, they'll be so jealous of me, let me tell you. Suppose it's better than them being jealous of each other, in any case.."

[damned_visitors]

Anita couldn't help but pause curiously at the way Paul had said that first "really", but maybe her visit had genuinely surprised him. Even Nadine had been a little stunned to learn she'd chosen Paul over the others. Not that Paul wasn't a dear friend of hers! But it was true that she'd known David the longest, and Thomas...well...he was Thomas, and they'd been through a lot together

[showtime_matsu]

Matsuda really wasn't ready to be dragged away from his fellow band-mates, but they'd managed to at least significantly lift his mood, so he'd gone along quietly when his nurse came for him. That, and he didn't want to get in trouble with his nurse again. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate whoever-it-was taking the time, he just wasn't sure exactly who'd want to visit him in a mental hospital.

Aizawa, Ide, and Mogi had to have been busy with the case back home. They probably thought he'd taken a break or bailed on them, and he always seemed to be in the way, so they were probably enjoying it. At least Aizawa didn't have anyone to get onto now. The only other person Matsuda could possibly think of, since this place could raise the dead, would be here to visit his son. His own parents, then? Would they really come visit him, though, or would they just be disappointed at where he'd landed himself, and would they really go along with this place like L had told him? He really didn't want to get lectured, if that was the case. He had

[damned_visitors]

To the young woman trailing into the lobby after one of the countless nurses, there was no plausible reason Tanaka shouldn't have expected this. It had only been two days since they'd said goodbye, after all.

But now... he was in this place, and the implications of what that meant for his mind's state was all too familiar. Her dearest younger brother had been here for over a week, and now Tanaka... it was almost more than she could stand.

And yet, although the news on Eric had been bleak, and their attempts to negotiate a visit to him had fallen on deaf ears, the nurse who had taken it upon herself to keep them informed had been insistent about Tanaka's well-being. He had already made friends amongst the other patients, and they foresaw he wouldn't have to remain there long. Her presence would surely help him along, she had said. Therefore, Sayami Lawley had been talked into canceling her plans to visit the city, and despite the fact that she thought her heart would surely break upon seeing him dressed in that dreaded grey uniform

[showtime_matsu]

When his visitor first entered, several thoughts went through Matsuda's head. The first was a simple no, surprised and shocked that they'd managed to drag her into this. At the second, he glanced around to see if maybe her brother had been brought in, if maybe he was who she was here to visit, but that wasn't the case.

At the third thought, he finally wondered why they'd picked Sayu of all people. Out of all the possibilities, it was definitely the most unexpected. She didn't deserve any of this, especially not after what she'd had to go through hardly a month ago. And with what he'd been telling L just that morning...well, now he had more of a reason to find out where the visitors were held, he supposed. She didn't deserve this, and Matsuda was going to get her back to her family.

She was looking much better, though, and she still looked just as pretty. "S-Sayu-chan..." he stammered. He couldn't take his eyes away, and this was all wrong, very wrong. How did they really intend to make him believe it by using her? "I...you, er...hi

[damned_visitors]

Sayami subconsciously rubbed her hands on the black cloth of her pants, taking in his reaction. "Sayu-chan" was a reasonable enough nickname, but it was one he hadn't ever used before he'd begun to give into his delusions. Whatever place she held in them was a piece of the puzzle she hadn't yet had the chance to discover, and the thought of it made her distinctly uncomfortable. The possibility that she would deeply regret this visit was a heavy weight she couldn't seem to be rid of.

But she moved to sit across from him anyway, sliding a white bag from her shoulder to lap. "The staff really wanted me to come see you," she said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face and frowning slightly at him. "...Are... are you surprised?"