Description: After Yurika's surprise visit while in the mental hospital, Gabriel shows up to check up on him and ends making him even more volatile than he was before he checked himself in.
At the downtown psychiatric ward there are people of varying mental ailments. The ones with the less noticable ailments(or are atleast the most functional) are playing cards or are reading books or watching the television in the corner of the room. The less functional of the patients are being watched over by nurses.
Roberto, who could be considered one of the more functional patients is doing neither of those things. He's been feeling stir crazy, and missing his ability to be out in the sun and there's only so many times the other patients will tolerate his soccer game watching habits before they want to watch something else.
The restless soccer star seems to pace across the room, back and forth. If it were a cartoon, the soccer star probably would've worn a path into the floor but there's no worn path. After awhile he stops to stretch and yawn as he looks to the doorway.
It would be easy for Gabriel to get in. Even if Roberto told them not to let her in specifically, the fact is, she seems perfectly sane when you dig no deeper than the surface. In fact, not only does she seem perfectly sane, she seems too sane, reasonable. All she wanted to do was visit. She wasn't allowed to bring food in, or much of anything else which was a pity. Oh well, but she still is given admittance.
She is quite and careful with her approach to Roberto, only making sound when she is near enough.
"Greetings, Roberto-san." she says with a bow.
After Roberto's reaction to Yurika. The no food regulation just seems to be Roberto specific. Not that he minds all things considered. And if he had any idea that Gabriel would've wanted to bring food he'd be relieved that it was in effect.
When he sees Gabriel walk through the door the look on his face starts from mortified and works its way to surprised then finally resignation to his fate to have people visit him who he can't stand.
It takes awhile for him to speak since he spends most of the time getting himself together to atleast attempt to be civil at first, "Gabriel-san, It's a surprise to see you."
Well at least she used san. Roberto-kun might've scared the mess out of him.
Wow, he's learned manners, Gabriel nods her approval and decides to find a place to sit. She looks at all the chairs. Impure. Insane people have sat on them. People have SAT on them period. She decides not to sit.
"You appear to be doing well, though I must confess this institution has not otherwise impressed me much." She looks around at all the people not being polite.
" Will you be joining a convent after your stay here? I might approve if you decided to become a monk."
"To be honest, I don't think I'm cut out for being a monk." He lets his gaze follow along Gabriel's glance at the other patients before looking back at her. "Soccer is just too important to me. I mean if I couldn't play soccer, I'd atleast would want to coach and pass my knowledge along."
He glances around for a moment as a bit of disbelief touches his face. Disbelief at Gabriel's presence, at the fact that he's here right now and this disbelief pushes him to ask a question. "I'm curious. What made you decide to visit me?"
"Decide to visit you?" inquires Gabriel as though the answer were obvious, and then stops to think of the answer to the question.
"I believe it must of been the divine will of the Goddess, for she knows and sees all," replies Gabriel, as if that was any kind of answer at all.
"And you should thank her for blessing you with sight and a chance to learn a lesson here, even if this place is rather filthy." She looks around again with mild disapproval.
"I do believe that insanity is rather undignified."
Roberto wants to reply angrily to that but he finds himself incapable of doing so. The downright weirdness has him wearing a confused look on his face. He opens his mouth to speak but no words come out because he decides against voicing that particular thought relating to the goddess. He just doesn't know enough about the religion to be qualified to do so.
"Undignified, huh? A lot of these people can't help it. Some were born with conditions that require medical assistance, some just weren't emotionally strong enough to cope with massive amounts of stress, and others who aren't as tough as we are, suffer from brain damage from impact on or penetration of the head." Roberto doesn't voice what situation his is closer to but one can tell that he's developed empathy for their situation even if his isn't as bad. "Of course, if it's too undignified for you..." He leaves the pause there since not much else needs to be said to get the point.
"And what is your reason for being here then?" She asks, predictably, but then again she might of just asked that same question a second ago, but she asks again anyway. But before she lets the next bit come,
"Oh that is a good suggestion, I will consider taking this place into my control, if I find the cost acceptable." She says and gets the thing totally wrong.
"I meant if it was too undignified for you, then you do have the option of leaving. I'm the only one of us two required to be here, for the time being." Was that an insult or a reference to the fact that he may be leaving soon. It was given with such a dead pan delivery that it would be hard for one to tell.
"As for why I am here? Well... I haven't been the same since I left for Thailand." Roberto doesn't plan on getting any more specific but the eyes the eyes that have that thousand yard stare speak the story of a man who has flashbacks of the time he left for war and speak of a loss of innocence.
This gets an utterly deadpan look from Gabriel who just stare stares at Roberto.
"I see."
She stares with disapproval etched. Finally a shake of her head and she looks away.
"I had thought you were stronger than that, but it would seem I was mistaken from the start. The goddess have mercy on you, oh, well. I suppose I will depart then. Do have a good day."
She bows politely and heads to leave. Only when she is just about to get through the door does she add over her shoulder,
"Goddess willing, your siblings might have more spirit."
"You don't have the right to mention my brothers! Get the hell out, Kai!" He shouts at the top of his lungs. No san. No other pretenses of civility. "You didn't have to show your face." The room shakes as the door is slammed behind her. The unwanted visit adding to the stresses he already had. For all the progress he has made it's as though he has taken one step forward and two steps back.
Log created on 00:00:10 07/21/2007 by Roberto, and last modified on 22:45:03 07/21/2007.