Day 47: Sun Room [2nd shift]

[notthistrain]

Cloud knew he should be taking the opportunity to check out the rec field during the day. The fresh air would be a welcome change from the crowded stuffiness the Institute usually provided, and he would have a chance to scope out the area when it wasn't all under the cover of darkness. When offered a choice, however, he remained in the sun room

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[mitase]

If only he had thought to bring his journal with him to breakfast, then Hanatarou might have been able to do something useful for once, even if it was just passing on a map that he'd copied from the bulletin. It had to be difficult for Remy here...someone whose first thought was to cook something probably wasn't really the fighting type, and he could sympathize with that. If he'd run into someone protecting the Sun Room then Hanatarou wouldn't have been in very good shape either.

Spurred on by his determination that if he ran into any other new people he'd be better prepared, he worked up the courage to ask the nurse if he could get his journal from where he'd left it in his room. To his utter surprise she didn't seem either surprised or annoyed by the request -- she only smiled and told him she'd be back in a few minutes. A little stunned by his success, Hanatarou flopped into an empty chair and stared blankly at nothing as he waited for the nurse to return.

[time to talk shop?]

[see_my_back]

It was easy to almost pass right by Hanatarou when the nurse escorted her to the Sun Room. Luckily, she had little intention of going outside in the first place, if only to spite her sensei. However, just seeing the note Sasuke left on the bulletin was enough to leave her smiling. The last time she'd seen Sasuke, he'd been so angry she could hardly see anything left of the person she remembered. But knowing he would consider them allies, even after whatever had upset him had been said, was the first good news she'd heard in days.

So when she spotted the medic staring blankly on the other side of the room, it was like somehow karma was making up for all the shit she'd put up with the last couple of days. Finally! Good things were beginning!

"Hanatarou-san!" she smiled as she jogged the last few steps to come stand near his chair. "I've been meaning to talk to you again. You mind?"

Without waiting for a reply, she pushed one of the nearby chairs closer and set her own journal on her lap once she sat down.

[mitase]

Being greeted with enthusiasm, like someone actually wanted to talk to him, was a little bit surprising. Hanatarou blinked up at Sakura for a moment before giving her a smile that was equal parts shy and friendly. "N-no, I don't...mind." Not that she'd waited for the response, but he really didn't mind talking to her again.

He did mind when the nurse returned and handed him the journal with a rather knowing smile. "I'm glad to see you get along so well with Courtney here," she observed, before finally moving away again.

Hanatarou sank in his chair a little and sighed, then glanced over at Sakura again. "I, um...have the list? Now...?"

[see_my_back]

Sakura rolled her eyes and waited for the nurse to leave. Seriously? What kind of look was that anyway? She let it slide and leaned forward in her chair a little to talk. That Hanatarou had already put together a list was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. She smiled a little brighter.

"You have it already? That's great!" she nodded. The nurses did tend to hover, but would they care about passing notes? They let things go on the bulletin after all. "Later is fine. I was gonna ask if that was alright actually. You have a few minutes I could look over the list later tonight? I'll be quick. Unless you have somewhere you need to be? I don't wanna hold you up."

[windstwilight]

Solitude, even in the company of a nurse, let Senna's mind slide back into the fractures the past days had created. She didn't want to think about it, really didn't want to think about it, but it was there, residing in the silence. Senna had been Sarah. Not believed, but had known she was Sarah. And had known that Senna was just made up. Just someone created from the imagination. The girl shivered

[itstaichoutoyou]

When Hitsugaya awoke to a familiar ceiling, he cursed and slammed his fist against the wall. "Urgh! Another night wasted

[windstwilight]

A person approaching was half-noticed out of her peripheral vision. More to the point, how the hell does one stop remembering something fake? And... Man, she didn't even know. What if that wasn't fake? Well. Not the whole she wasn't Senna thing, but what if Sarah had existed somewhere, and Senna had just--

The voice addressing her was all too familiar. A myriad of emotions slid through her in a rush--panic, fear, relief, dismay. There was no one stronger than the others. Something abstract made her think of Momo.

The girl straightened on the couch without thinking. "Yeah, 'course," she answered quickly, choosing the easier route. A second ticked by, and then she sighed, leaning back against the couch again. "Hell. No. I'm not. But..." She shook her head, shrugging. There was no need to get into it. "Sorry I haven't been around."

[itstaichoutoyou]

"At ease," he said, noticing the way she tensed up in his presence, but perhaps it was too much to hope Senna would relax in his presence

[winged_moon]

Yukito greeted the prospect of going out to the soccer field with obvious enthusiasm, and made his nurse almost break into a jog in order to follow him toward the door. Actually getting outside was always welcome, especially when it didn't involve having to watch out for giant birds overhead. And if his roommate was anywhere, it would be out playing soccer, so maybe he'd be able to reassure himself that Ken was really still here somewhere.

Once in the Sun Room, though, he paused briefly to take a look at the bulletin. They hadn't looked at it at all the day before, and sometimes there was useful information. And indeed, someone was offering chocolates, which immediately caught his attention (he couldn't have imagined the faint sigh of distaste from Yue at that, but chose to ignore it anyway -- he had a sneaking suspicion that his other self's supposed hatred of food wasn't completely truthful). He rather happily scribbled a quick question in response to that post, then went back to reading over the others with renewed interest. How

[giftofstars]

Fai was alive!

Even though she had spent most of breakfast with him, Sakura still had trouble wrapping her mind around the idea. Not only did it clear her conscience of guilt and help her refocus her mind, but it also made her much happier overall. Although Sakura was initially disappointed that she had to say goodbye to Fai since breakfast had ended, her cheerful mood quickly returned on her way to the Greenhouse, and she began to walk with a hop to her step.

As she passed by the Sun Room, she glanced in for a brief moment and saw a Yukito teenager staring at the bulletin board. Initially, she continued walking, but she quickly realized that the others still had no idea that Fai was alive. She had to share the great news with them!

Backtracking a bit, she turned back into the Sun Room and quickly crossed the Sun Room towards the white-haired teenager. "Yukito-san!" she called in a bright, cheerful tone.

[winged_moon]

This time there was no mistaking the voice, and Yukito glanced around with a dawning smile. "Sakura-chan, good morning," he observed, turning away from the board and crouching slightly so he wasn't towering over her. She seemed fine today, which was good. Apparently she really had listened to her brother and stayed in where it was safe.

Although...she looked like her normal self today, just as cheerful as usual. Either she was even better at hiding her feelings than Yue was or something good had happened. Yukito hesitated briefly, then tilted his head a little with curiosity. "How are you today?"

[giftofstars]

Sakura's face flushed a bit after Yukito turned and made eye contact with her. Even though she had already moved on from Yukito in terms of love, she still admired him enough to feel a little embarrassed upon eye contact. Plus, this was the first time she had talked with Yukito in his actual form since she had arrived. Even if it was Yukito's thoughts coming out of Yue's mouth on occasion, it was still different than physically seeing Yukito once more. It was almost like telephone call, seeing someone but not really.

However, she quickly moved past embarrassment to respond to Yukito properly. "I'm doing well," she chirped, a smile stretching across her face once more. "How are you, Yukito-san?" Even though she had important news, it could wait long enough to finish formalities.

[sixtyeighth]

Giovanni was feeling good. He'd had a productive night and a productive breakfast, and if the precedent set was anything to go by, he would have a productive second shift, as well. He would have laughed, had he known Haine's reasons for staying inside were the same as his; despite how different their adulthoods were, they both led a life underground, and their skins were similar shades of pale, pale white.

With his hands in his pockets, Giovanni strode into the Sun Room - and when he spotted Haine, a smile spread across his face and he walked forward like he was walking towards goddamn heaven.

"Haine," he said. His voice was calm, his manner pleasant. He slid into an armchair across from Haine and crossed his legs, leaning back into the soft cushion. "It's good to see you again."

[mind_the_sukima]

Now with a full stomach and feeling the warming rays of the sun, Yukari found herself feeling sleepy. Then again, she had felt that way before breakfast and the Sun Room. Still, that didn't change things. She did lazily note that Sheena was having some sort of an issue with a cat, but before the youkai could exasperate the problem help with the problem, someone else rescued her. Oh, well.

Not seeing any other crises that needed averting, Yukari flopped down on a couch in the sun and promptly nodded off.

[Free]

[aperfectbloom]

"Yukariii!"

The piteous wail was the only warning had before something - or, as it was, someone - flopped down on Yukari in turn. And she was a good deal heavier in her new, false life than she had been in death.

The ghost, having contrived for her head to end up at a lower elevation than Yukari's, stared tearfully up at her. She was good at tearful stares. The dignity of her position need to preserve their effectiveness prevented her from using them too often, but they were her best weapon against Youmu.

Against Yukari, perhaps not, but their games weren't meant to take such a onesided form.

[mind_the_sukima]

While such warning may have been enough to wake the dead, clearly it was not enough to wake Yukari from her slumber. The sudden addition of another body on top of hers was, however. Yukari's eyes snapped open in surprise.

"Huh, what? Oh my, it's Yuyuko," she commented in a tone of voice that was probably not nearly surprised enough for someone who had just had their best friend appear out of nowhere and glom onto them in their sleep. Especially when their best friend was last seen in the Netherworld of a realm far away.

No, wait, that wasn't right. She'd seen Yuyuko here once. The day before she'd been tricked into thinking she was Violet. Ah, yes, in the morning she had recalled a dream about miss Reiko. Which, in turn, meant it hadn't been a dream. Odd that she'd only spotted the no-longer-quite-a-ghost again so many days after the fact.

"There, there," she said with a comforting smile, patting the pink-haired woman on her pink-haired head. "What seems to be the problem?"

[aperfectbloom]

"They told me I slept through breakfast." Most likely those words had never before carried such hurt as they did now. This was rank betrayal; the staff had let her eat meals late before!

"Last time they brought me something anyway," she confided, just so it was clear to even a less gluttonous soul that an injustice had been perpetrated. A favor, once extended, was not to be lightly withdrawn... or so Yuyuko was inclined to think when her breakfast was at stake, anyway.