Night 62: M11 - M20 Hallway

[age_of_kings]

After bidding good night and good luck to Kratos and being left alone in his room, Tolten stood and decided that he may as well make use of his time. It was rather like being in prison, or so he fancied. He'd never been imprisoned before, but he'd listened to the stories around the fire and the dinner table. And while he couldn't do much insofar as putting his mind to work, he could do his best to stay in top physical shape.

Even if he was (perhaps) under the weather. He didn't know what to think of the announcements that were made, either during the day or after dark. But he didn't trust them one bit. And until he could discuss it with someone else or read the bulletin, he was going to ignore it. It was really easier that way.

But in the meantime he would set himself a routine. Which would involve stretching and warming up each evening between dinner and whatever was to be done that night. Even if he was staying in. Really, especially if he was staying in. At least running about and fighting was physically invigorating!

The young king managed to strip off his shirt and stretch a handful of times before he felt light headed and decided to lay down on his bed for a moment. Just to catch his breath.

He truly hoped this wasn't warning signs of some horrible thing...

[Locke!]

Comments

[kings_thief]

[From Here]

This hallway, too, was just as deserted as the main hall had been telling Locke it was still early enough that no one else had left their rooms yet. Or, if they had, they'd quickly left the area. He supposed that was only normal if someone had somewhere they were desperate to be before the night was over; Locke had been that same way the last few nights. It was...strange but nice to not feel so rushed this time.

Stopping at Tolten's door he knocked twice before opening the door and letting himself in. He'd always been told his manners left something to be desired but, really, if Tolten were expecting him it surely wasn't that big of a deal to just go in, right?

........

................

Well that had been his thought process until he stepped into the room and was met with the vision of a half-naked Tolten sprawled out on his bed. That was where his train-of-thought suddenly found it's tracks heading off the edge of a cliff and into the great, dark, abyss below.

Words...no...he'd try words in a second. Right now he was too busy with the sensation of his face spontaneously combusting while he attempted to close the door behind him.

[forsworn]

He knew. He remembered the name. (Jack) Was it sad or remarkable that he remembered? How many weeks had it been? How many people had--

That was enough. Kratos nodded almost sluggishly as his roommate said his goodbyes before pushing himself up out of his seat and getting dressed. A night like any other: he had to treat it that way.

Tonight, there was one slight difference, though. Because of last night's success, if he could call it that, he had two new additions to his on-person inventory: the scalpels he'd picked up in the medical wing. Whether they would prove useful or not remained to be seen, but like any seasoned fighter, Kratos knew that it was good to always have at least some sort of a "last resort" with him. They were sharp, and for the moment, that was all that mattered.

M12

[rocksthecourt]

Any hints of pleasantry that had overcome Klavier during the conversation with his roommate evaporated as soon as that voice came up over the intercom. And his mood darkened the more that man continued along. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure what it was Landel was referring to at first. It was more than apparent he was addressing someone else entirely. Someone he was evidently gloating over. Who was he speaking to? Who that would hear it over the building's intercom, at that? Or was he simply gloating for the sake of hearing himself talk?

When he finally shifted to address the patient populace, it was to talk about some illness that had been going around. ...Klavier hadn't been out for very long during the day, but he hadn't noticed anything of the sort. At least people hadn't looked particularly sick. But he doubted the doctor was bluffing about that. Apparently there were some people who had caught something. And if the doctor's words were to be taken at face value, this virus would turn them into monsters within a few days' time.

And it wasn't just a physical transformation he was describing. It was something that would... truly make them monsters, in every sense of the word. People would want to hunt each other. Even those they cared about. It was a sick thought. And it was made that much sicker in how Herr Doktor seemed to revel in the thought. It seemed that was Landel's sole joy in life: Sitting in the audience and and observing this abominable concert of horror.

Klavier stood up. It wasn't very long ago that the thought of heading out into the night here was enough to nearly paralyze him. Now, however, he was resolved. He took up his flashlight and went through his closet. He wasn't going for supplies so he would leave his bag here. A weapon, though, would be good. So he took the same metal pipe he usually took. And... that black hoodie that had been sitting in his closet for a few weeks. Finally, there would be some use for the blasted thing after all. He slipped it on quickly, snatched the radio along with the rest of his supplies, and checked the map in his notebook one last time.

After stating his farewells and words of caution to his roommate, he headed out.

[to here]

M14

[tasteoftruth]

Landel could just be talking out his ass, but at this point Badd wouldn't lay money on it. He wracked his brain, trying to think if he'd seen Byrne looking ill at any point today, then tossed the obsession aside like a lollipop wrapper.

What would help him was getting a look at those torture rooms. Badd armed himself with gun, blade, and trenchcoat. Tonight he would be responsible for himself. Consider it a break...consider it an incentive, because anything he saw upstairs would be painful.

M12

[baniichan]

Barnaby hadn't been sure of what to expect from tonight's announcement (if it could even be called that), but the Head Doctor's words about the strange symptoms made him grow still. Some of you will have the opportunity to experience the thrill of the hunt--losing volition and conscious thought, he'd said, tearing into and masticating your beloved friends and family, the very same behaviors native to our homegrown monsters.

The full weight of the explanation didn't quite sink in right away. In fact, Barnaby couldn't even say whether he trusted the man's word. Turning people in "monsters"? What did that entail, exactly? And how was that even possible? For all he knew, their captors were simply trying to incite suspicion among the patients here in order to further divide them.

He did, however, realize that he would need to better monitor his own health -- not to mention Kotetsu's. Maybe their mild aches and nausea from today were just a coincidence, but it was also possible the staff had induced them somehow. Barnaby's eyes narrowed, although he chose to keep his thoughts to himself for now.

Gavin, evidently, felt confident enough to venture out into the hall, and Barnaby sent him off with a polite good-bye. Their conversation from dinner still gave him a lot to consider, but he knew he needed to follow the man's example and finish preparing for tonight while he waited for his partner to arrive. Once he'd slipped into his real clothing and shrugged on his red jacket, Barnaby went about collecting whatever supplies they might need if they had time to explore later. As things stood now, though, Barnaby wondered if it would be better to spend a few minutes trying to get onto the same page, as far as their memories were concerned.

The thought made him more anxious than he liked, but there wasn't much helping that now.

M13

[vinesofregret]

The restless feeling that had plagued Hakkai all day - more so than usual in this place - seemed to only increase with the onset of nightfall, and the sneering laughter over the intercom. He hadn't been feeling particularly well all afternoon - persistant headache, bit of lightheadedness - and he'd contemplated just sleeping it off, but after that announcement? There was no way he was going to sleep any time soon. Particularly given that it sounded like he wasn't alone in his poor health - and that it had been planned.

Well. At least he could put that nervous energy to good use, and poke around a bit instead. Perhaps see where the trap door in the refrigerator led. He grabbed his flashlight and headed out, heedless of his roommate.

[To here]

M16

[stellarregions]

The night announcement had gone off more ominous than usual, although how much of it was bluster and how much of it was truth. It was so baldly laid out that he couldn't help but think it was simply meant to make them more paranoid.

The joke was on Landel, in that respect. Gren was far, far too worn out to feel any more paranoid than he already was. He took the time to gather his supplies and shovel, and then headed out.

M16

[girlsandgadgets]

With only a quiet nod to Gren, Edgar collected his usual supplies in preparation for the night ahead. They hadn't gotten far on their first attempt at the basement, and after Landel's nightly announcement, he wasn't feeling terribly optimistic. Still, he'd never been one to simply give up because a door was locked. That was where people like Locke usually came in.

Not that the treasure hunter would be with them, of course. Edgar tried not to think too hard on Locke's apparent illness, face flushed. Had it only been that way due to his teasing, Edgar would have thought nothing of it; however, with the nurses whispering of an illness going around, Landel himself confirming something more sinister going on with his announcement at the start of the night, it was harder to push down the concern welling in his chest. One of his closest friends was definitely ill, but was he one of the infected? And if he was...

He shook his head, refusing to think of that for now, resolving that he could find Locke in the morning. They had a task for the night ahead, and being distracted would only complicate matters that much more. Shovel and flashlight in tow, he headed out.