Nightshift 62: Main Hallway, 1-West

[ninelivesonce]

[from here]

Taura took up station midway between the two halls leading back into the dormitories. Alone with her thoughts; the hall was quiet. Too quiet. Dead quiet, a little voice hissed in the back of her mind.

This was no time to be getting superstitious. It was unavoidable, really, in a profession with so much risk involved in daily operations, that those who survived found things to credit. Beyond their own skill, because they'd all seen better men/women/herms when their luck ran out, and skill only improved your odds.

Her luck was holding, tonight. Was Rita and Goku's?

[Rita and Goku]

Comments

[ofthemotions]

...A valid question. Mikado glanced at Snow, then back to Celty without hesitation. "He doesn't have an Orihara-san to make him angry." Something that, even now, the details were lost on him. But there was another difference but how to put this.... "Snow-san is more idealistic as well." There. That should be enough. Idealistic could encompass many things, and most of them what Mikado was trying to say. If only there was a way to politely say that it seemed Snow wasn't always aware of his surroundings and passerbyers could come to pains for it.... He frowned in some discontentment, then moved on.

To watch as she raised a hand almost idly. He was prepared to see the same black mass as before, matte and deep, and when nothing happened and she only shook her head, he stared, expression blank. So that meant... She had lost the use of them for that, maybe. It wasn't something to just ask, and not in front of another. Mikado nodded slowly, then blinked, concerned. "...Celty-san, maybe you shouldn't go around by yourself, then, if there's danger like you said."

An echo of what she had spoke. The irony didn't escape him.

[tryingtogetahead]

Even without Izaya, Shizuo was still plenty easy to set off, at least back in Ikebukuro. Or that was how Celty had always seen him as being. But if Mikado was defending Snow this much, then perhaps the man simply did not have a trigger or let things get to him.

He seemed friendly enough for that.

"Ah..." her head lifted suddenly when Mikado turned her own reasoning right back on her, blinking at bit dumbfoundedly.

True, she wasn't her usual self and couldn't summon her scythe, but she still healed quickly and was aware of how to fight if things came to that. And besides, she wasn't the high school student who didn't have the Dollars to help him out in this place.

"T-that's not the point!" she ended up shouting too quickly when her words did return. Probably not the best response, but the first one that hit her besides.

[heroesdontshave]

Yup, it was official. Snow was pretty much lost on what these two were talking about. At least when it came to the part where they were talking about him. Not that it was anything bad or anything. He understood most of it. Something about Snow not getting angry and being idealistic which... all sounded like good things to him. And Celty didn't look like she was worried much, anymore. So that was good!

He also agreed with Ryuu that Celty probably shouldn't be walking around by herself out here. If they had guns or any sense of combat training, then sure. But as is, neither of them should be alone.

But for whatever reason, Celty seemed to get pissed off by this suggestion. Yikes. What was this all about? Was she offended? Was it cause she thought they were implying she was weak or something? And she was ticked cause she didn't want to be treated like that? ...He hadn't meant it that way, honestly. There was a difference between being weak and just not knowing how to fight. They were just civilians. Not like anyone could blame them for that.

Either way, this looked like it might turn into an argument or something, and he definitely didn't want that. So he figured he'd cut in before it got to that.

"Uhh. But he's right, you know. 'S not like it's as bad as it could be in here, but it's prolly not a great idea to go wanderin' around alone anyway. Not unless you really know what you're doin'." Snow just beamed a bright smile, like he was talking about going on a picnic rather than exploring some monster-infested building. "How's about we all just stick together for tonight? Not like it'll hurt anything, right? Plus, it's no fun walkin' in the dark by yourself."

[ofthemotions]

Mikado's eyebrows went up at her exclamation. Shouting, perhaps, wasn't something he attributed to the Dullahan. ...Maybe he really just didn't know her well enough. His eyes canted to the side. "Ah, well, if--"

The words were drowned out by Snow, and here, at least, Mikado was grateful. He really didn't know the right thing to say to calm her down. And while Snow seemed a little unsure about her mood, he seemed to be trying his best to work things out. Mikado exhaled quietly. He really didn't want her mad at him, because he could not see that ending well, so if Snow found a solution, all would be the better.

So the compromise of the three staying in a group was agreed to instantly on Mikado's end. "Do you want to, Celty-san? There might be something we could achieve in a group that we wouldn't be able to on our own." Like... Using someone with horrific strength to clear paths and get into areas. Mikado couldn't imagine Snow would have a hard time with the locked doors Mikado had stumbled across previously. It was true, as well, though. It might be possible to find more things out if they worked together.

[tryingtogetahead]

The moment she shouted, Celty knew she shouldn't have as it wasn't really what she'd meant to do. She drew back and caught her tongue before she spoke on reflex again, trying to keep her restraint. Mikado wasn't Shinra, and he definitely wasn't used to her shouting or saying anything either. Her own feelings were usually so easy to keep in her mind too that just blurting them was so...

...not her.

Before she could sort not only her word choices but herself out, Snow suggested them sticking together which really seemed to solve everything that she was worrying over when it came to the younger boy. If someone like Shizuo was with him, someone who didn't explode like Shizuo, then Mikado really didn't have anything to worry over save for keeping out of the way in a fight. As for herself?

I can fight, you know... she eyed Snow, a little defensively, before realizing she hadn't said as much and, picking her words this time, spoke calmly, "I do know what I'm doing."

And Mikado should know it. She looked to him, still frowning a bit, but finding she had the unpopular opinion in all of this. Eventually she smiled just a little and agreed, "I don't mind. As long as you're not on your own. You're... not a fighter..." At least not in a way that mattered in this place.

[heroesdontshave]

She probably could have answered in a defensive manner and Snow wouldn't have even noticed unless she was yelling. As things stood, Snow felt like everything was just fine and dandy now that that had been settled. He pumped both fists up into the air then brought them down and held them in front of him, obviously enthusiastic even though nothing had really been decided yet. "Alright!"

He really was happy about this. It was true he always ran off and was plenty willing to do things on his own, but the truth was... he'd really rather not. It was better with other people. It kind of sucked being by yourself too much. So whether or not the girl really did know what they were doing and whether or not Ryuu was a fighter, this was already an awesome set up as far as he was concerned.

And this energy was probably more than obvious as he kept his hands balled up in front of him, looking about ready to bound off already. "Heh, no worries! We'll aaall stick together!" He'd try to remember not to get distracted so he could be sure no one got lost or anything. "So! Anyone got a place they wanna check out first?"

Normally, he wouldn't even ask and would've just turned on his heels and walked off to... wherever. But the hallway they were in went in a whole bunch of different directions. So he'd have to choose a direction first anyway. Plus Ryuu had been thinking of somewhere to start heading, and this Celty girl might have been walking somewhere before she ran into them. So there was a chance they might have somewhere specific they had been wanting to head.

He, himself? He had a few ideas. But they were vague. Mostly, they consisted of walking around and opening every door they came across. Whether this happened upstairs or downstairs didn't make much difference. Although, upstairs seemed more interesting since Izaya had pointed out that people didn't tend to go up there much. So if there was anything worth hiding, it'd be up there. And that also meant more chance of there being guards. But he didn't care about that. Heh, just let someone try and get in their way!

So if no one else had any specific ideas, he was happy enough to just walk off into the dark and see where the hallways took them!

[ofthemotions]

Her agreement was relieving, though the additive was maybe a little unneeded. Mikado laughed a little awkwardly, then dropped it without any transition. "Of course I'm not," he said, and that was an obvious fact. He wasn't a crazy knife wielder, or super strong bartender, or a supernatural creature looking for what was lost. He was just a normal boy. He'd repeat that to any that would like to hear it.

It maintained itself as a theme, but it didn't matter now. Mikado finally took his attention from Celty, and smiled lightly at Snow. "I didn't, not really. I was going to go upstairs, but I didn't have anything in mind...." If one or the other wanted to lead, that was fine. Either way, he'd likely experience something that had hadn't yet.

[tryingtogetahead]

And she'd become a part of their group just like that. While that hadn't been her intention for the night, it did serve her purpose for having come over. Mikado wouldn't be out on his own, and that was good, as was his knowing that he wasn't a fighter.

He wasn't being unrealistic.

"I was..." she started to answer Snow for where to go only to stop and rethink where she had been going. When she considered that she had no earthly idea, she changed her words a bit. "... I'm... just looking for answers. That could be anywhere really."

So that meant that both Mikado and her had no plans. If Snow himself had any, she was open to hear them, although she had to hope he wouldn't lead them right into trouble.

[heroesdontshave]

Welp. Upstairs seemed like as good a direction as any! Ryuu seemed like he was just wandering around, and Celty said she was looking for "answers." Answers to what? Who knew. Probably the same stuff he wanted to know. That being where the hell these people were taking the missing prisoners and where the guy in charge was so he could beat the hell out of him.

Snow himself didn't really have any plans either, of course. But he didn't announce that fact. And he didn't seem bothered by that fact one bit either. In fact, he was full of conviction. Wandering around and looking for whatever was good enough for him.

"Upstairs it is, then!" he said nodding at them both. He turned his light toward the nearby stairs, indicating both the way they were going and the fact that the coast was clear. "I'll take point. You guys just follow me and stay close."

That way if anything came at them, Snow would be the first to encounter it. No matter where they went tonight, he'd make sure nothing could get to them before going through him first.

[Aaaand up they go!]