Night 64: West Wing, North Hall 1-A

[dualistic]

[From here.]

Along with his weapons and supplies, Harvey also had two other very important things with him, and he checked his pockets for them as he moved down the halls. First was his coin, which he wasn't surprised to find was there, as he couldn't think of a time when he'd let it be removed from his person. Second was the bracelet that the talking skeleton extraordinaire had given them. Forgetting the whole morbid quality of it, Harvey had to wonder if it could really be trusted.

On the other hand, Sangamon had made use of that ring and it had never come around to bite him, so maybe it was fine. Maybe every once in a while, this place actually made their lives easier rather than more difficult.

With the hall completely empty, Harvey didn't have to waste any time moving down it toward the meeting spot.

[To here.]

Comments

[skeletonenigma]

[From here.]

And now this corridor was completely empty. If Landel could control perception, then was this part of it? Making everyone believe they were alone? That seemed rather childish, and a little like cheating. But then, Landel seemed like a childish and cheating kind of psychopath.

Even as more important thoughts simmered at the back of his mind, Skulduggery found himself wondering - how did you cheat at being a psychopath?

His sense of balance was better than it was last night, though still a little shaky. Skulduggery kept one hand near the wall as he walked, just in case, with the other hand held out and reading the air ahead of him. Still mostly clear, still nothing dangerous. That didn't stop him from moving slowly and cautiously.

[knightspirit]

[from here]

Kyousuke moved quickly, but cautiously, making sure to keep his eyes and ears open to everything around him, which came naturally enough; it was a practice he was already quite used to, even if in a different context. But as far as he could tell, the hall was completely empty. He could just make out doors on either end, one set closed, one set opened to another hallway, and he paused for a moment to consider which direction to take.

.... It was hard to believe this was happening. How much earlier, in this same day, had everything seemed so bright? But now he was who knew where, dealing with who knew what, and that victory they were still supposed to be celebrating seemed so far removed. Kyousuke almost wondered if he'd open his eyes for a second time soon, but he cut the thought off immediately. ... Entertaining that would be a waste. He was here now, and he needed to focus. If he had had time to feel sorry for himself, he was getting too relaxed.

[earthling]

((From here.))

As they left the block of rooms, Claude couldn't help but notice that the halls weren't crowded yet. Hopefully that meant their route would stay relatively quiet, and they'd be lucky enough to avoid any surprise monster encounters.

Still, it didn't take long for Claude to realize that he wasn't sure where they were going, though, and his previously determined pace slowed as a result.

Turning to look at Guy, he asked, "Did she say where to meet her tonight, or are we just assuming it's the usual?"

[oneman_onekill]

[from here]

Still in unknown territory...but not for long. Just one more hall and he'd be at the "usual spot". Niikura idly wondered if Badd would actually show up. He doubted it, since the older man hadn't replied to his bulletin post, and if he'd really wanted to tag along, he would've said something.

It'd be okay if it was just the three of them, though. He wouldn't be on edge so much.

[to here]

[tasteoftruth]

[From here]

Badd led Byrne a different way this time, north rather than south. "Landel probably figures everyone's heading for the medical wing," he explained. "Meanwhile, we go the other way. If I can get you up onto that little shed in the rec field we can get over the wall and sneak off while everyone else is playing Landel's game."

It had worked for Kay. Over the wall and she'd made it free and clear. Badd hoped.

[fallenbeanpole]

[from here]

Again, the halls were dark. The Once-ler was beginning to wonder if the owner of this building had failed to pay their electricity bills. That was another question to ask, alongside where am I? and how did I get here? and what is going on?

Hopefully he'd get lucky and find someone who knew the answers. It was really starting to bother him.

[to here]

[stop_the_rain]

[from here]

Murphy held the door open for Tsurugi, chest heaving as he sucked in great swallows of air. He was sweating, fear coursing through his veins. How quickly he'd forgotten. One comfortable day was all it took for Silent Hill to seem like just a bad dream.

And holy hell, he'd forgotten how dark it was inside.

[scarefaux]

[From here.]

The Scarecrow pushed the strap attached to his two-way radio higher up his wrist, carrying it more out of habit and comfort than for practical reasons. His own skin felt odd to the touch- there was a certain chill there he couldn't describe, but it definitely wasn't like the one that ran through him when he put his bare feet on the floor. There was something unsettling about it- even the snow hadn't felt like that.

Perhaps that was what he ought to be doing, he thought to himself as he crossed into the next hallway, coughing again. Zero had suggested it was something far more sinister than what the nurse was telling him- the infection, though he hadn't put much thought into it until that moment. With all that was cluttering his mind— the military, troubles with Depth Charge, the consequences of their botched mission, his friends' and now his roommate's disappearances— he hadn't considered that was what was going on with him. He had no experience with the ailments that could arise with the human body, but his best guess had been that it'd be a bit like his hay getting moldy or his limbs not being stuffed enough.

It wasn't much like that at all, now that he knew there was something wrong and he had a basis for comparison.

[To here.]

[lovesthepain]

[From here]

X had been kind enough to share a few things about himself, even if he might not have been aware just how much his answers had told Harpuia. He was still reluctant to discuss the parts of his life that had been colored gray by disillusionment and despair, but there were still things he could share. His life hadn't been utterly devoid of happiness, or anything so melodramatic as that.

"...You said you wanted to know about me," he offered. "I still feel this is neither the time nor the place to say everything, but it's only fair that I not leave you in the dark. The Four Guardians -- myself, Fairy Leviathan, Fighting Fefnir, and Hidden Phantom -- were cloned from your DNA, each with a distinct purpose in mind. Fefnir was made with Maverick-hunting applications in mind, Phantom was Master X's personal bodyguard, and Leviathan and I were created for the sake of climate-control operations to rejuvenate the earth and sea. Eventually, all four of us were reassigned to military positions, but for the beginning of my life, I was not a war machine."

He didn't necessarily think that was a fact to brag about, but nor was it one to be ashamed of -- simply a fact, nothing more. A rote recitation of the Guardians' original purposes, of course, sounded far less human than the words X had shared on his beliefs. Harpuia was perfectly aware how machinelike it must have seemed to simply list their duties off with that unchanging serious look on his face, but all the same... it wasn't necessarily impersonal. Not to him. Those early, relatively peaceful years were ones that contained nothing but fond memories -- if he had to share anything of the tumultuous future with X, then at least let it be something pleasant.

[kings_thief]

[From Here]

And out into the hall which was really only familiar because it was like the one it connected to.

[To Here]