Night 58: West Wing, North Hall 1-B

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[from here]

"I wonder where everyone is at?" Brook paused a moment in his humming to question at the empty hallway.

He knew he'd left his room in a bit more of a rush than was his usual, but still, more patients were about at this time of night. It was strange to see not only so little of a number, but even stranger to have no one else passing him by. He thought back to what announcements had been made only to realize that only one had broadcasted. That short message at the beginning of the night: Code 1-8. The message had been mysterious enough to warrant an equally short comment from Brook to his guard about it, but the lacking response had caused Brook to let the man alone. Now though, he had the feeling that he should have pressed more about the reasoning.

His humming resumed as he took the usual left and tried not to worry even more for what might have been happening this evening. "Code 1-8" didn't sound good. Then again, in this place, nothing did.

[from here]

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[falseblack]

Sleep. Right. When was the last time Nigredo had a proper nap? That might have explained the slip. He turned back long enough to watch his brother as they exited doors and stepped into the main corridor, feeling more tired than was probably necessary. "Yeah, I guess..." He fingered the hatchet for a bit as his mind attempted to stabilize.

Fortunately, Albedo offered a distraction, which Nigredo picked up without hesitation. "Oh, uh," he began, lacking his characteristic eloquence. "The device was small, probably something you could carry in your hands." Oh, no. That was far from Albedo's question, wasn't it? He opened his mouth to continue.

But are you sure that's all right? You're gonna tell him about something that gives back your powers when that's what screwed you both up in the first place?

To shut it again in fear, head whirling back a second time. He had heard that, hadn't he? It had to be a voice.

[purgatio]

His brother was actually affected by this. Enough to slip his words and delay answering. Enough for another pulse of surprise to slip through, sharp and prominent. Coupled with fear, dark and throbbing. Albedo's eyes shut momentarily, the emotions not his own slipping through him. Even now, something like that was....

If he was honest, he was less focused on the apparent conversation at hand than he likely should have been.

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