The Retriever Institute

-And Maybe it's Not

Cross enjoyed his cereal, he said he'd never had something like it before. Now they were getting ready to get out the door. Nightmare had retreived a set of keys from his suit jacket and stuck them in his hoodie pocket before reminding Cross to stay close in the hall. He swung the door open and Cross had to blink a little, the hallway is so much brighter than their rooms.

"I know, bright. Just bear through it, the med room is dimmed. It'll be easier when we get there," Night says. Cross just groans in protest, wincing at the light as he attempts to adjust.

He puts a hand on the smaller's shoulder to guide him into the hallway. It isn't exactly a bustling hall, but it's busier than Cross is used to. People walk past, giving curt greetings as Night gently pulls Cross to walk on his right, close to the wall and not the people walking past. Cross curses under his breath in spanish, trying to sheild his eyes from the light as they walk.

"Yeah fluorescent lights are pretty much the worst thing anyone has ever thought of," Night jokes. At leadt Cross thinks he is, maybe the man just genuinely hates fluorescent lights. It's hard to tell when he can't see his expression.

Cross can hear the sympathy in his tone, but he still wants to strangle him a bit. The feeling sort of bubbles away after a moment though. Cross can feel himself struggle to hold onto it, only for it to dissipate. Nightmare walks him along with a gentle hand on his shoulder, occasionally greeting someone who passes by. Soon Cross' sight evens out a little. It doesn't help his headache, but at least he can see enough to shake off Nightmare's hand.

A moment after he does, a skeleton walks around a corner, grinning when they catch sight of Night. They have dark eyelights and they look like they've been crying. What really catches Cross' attention is the shimmering red light over his chest. It doesn't hurt to look at, it's nice. They're walking with a shorter skeleton. They're in a suit like the one Nightmare wears.

The shorter skeleton grins and scoffs as Night walks towards them. "That's a uniform violation, Mare."

"Oh no, what're you gonna do, write me up? Piss off Dream, you're such a kiss ass."

"I am not a—! Oh when you get home..." The other skeleton's sentence turns into murmurs as they stop a few feet away from Night. Their arms cross and they glare at Nightmare in flustered annoyance. The expression reminds him of the one his own brother would make when they argued as children. The hallway is emptier down here, they're not blocking any foot traffic standing still like this. That's when Cross recognizes them as the same skeleton outside the room he woke up in. The golden eyed one.

"When I get home? Don't make me rush back, I'll do a shoddy job training."

"Can you two stop flirting on the clock, you're killing me. I'm dying, this is the face of dying," The dark eyed skeleton complains.

"You're one to talk... You know, If you're feeling left out you can just say so," Night says flatly, grinning.

The dark eyed skeleton flips him the bird with a sharp leer and then leans past the gold skeleton to take a peek at Cross. "Ooh, new guy is a cutie," he sing-songs.

Cross blushes, slightly startled. He'd heard that word before, and is fairly certain of what it means. Nightmare gives him a little glare and sighs, "see, what did I say? No room to talk. Leave the poor thing alone. I've got to get him to the med room for his first check-in."

"Ooh, good luck! I remember mine. It was fun."

"You tried to stab Sci in the socket with a pen you halfwit!" The gold skeleton scoffs, looking unamused.

"That's why it was fun, spoilsport. It's not like it worked, those drugs still had me seeing double..."

"Stars... You're something else. Don't let that idiot out of sight Dream, I'll text you when this one's adjusted enough for you to drop by," Nightmare says, shaking his skull a little and starting to walk away.