Night 64: Main Hallway, 1-West

[dualistic]

[From here.]

Well, that had been painless, but the good time he'd made also meant that he was the first to arrive. Harvey leaned himself up against the wall, swinging his metal pipe around in his hand as he kept an eye out for Scott or Sangamon.

He had to admit, it was strange that their group had been cut down so considerably. He didn't even know if Depth Charge was still around, but it didn't matter to him too much either way, so he hadn't put much thought into it. He figured that one of the others would mention it when they showed up, if they even knew themselves.

While he waited, Harvey grabbed the bone bracelet out of his pocket and started to spin it around in his hand. The skeleton hadn't been too clear about how this worked, but there was an obvious answer about what to do with it, not that he was going to attempt anything until the others had shown up.

Comments

[freewill]

As expected, introductions came almost as soon as they left the block, with Kratos making sure that they were delivered efficiently. Rapunzel, like the fairy tale? Castiel knew that there were times when those things were more real than the children who enjoyed them could ever imagine, but he had never expected this. Considering her hair, though, he really should have worked it out sooner.

He could have asked the girl a number of questions, but she was acting on the behalf of friends, and all of them were in a hurry. It could wait for another time. Instead, Castiel moved with the three others, positioning himself roughly in the center of their small formation. He was too sick and injured to be trusted to lead them or take up the rear, so this was ideal.

"There's no need to apologize," he told Rapunzel. "I believe we all wish to move with haste." It wasn't far to travel, but moving only a short distance here could sometimes take up a whole night. He decided not to mention his own illness, as by now it was a moot point. If the two strangers noticed his sickly complexion, then that couldn't be helped. At least his coat covered the rash on his arm.

Before long, the one called Flynn started to babble on to Rapunzel, and Castiel was left to wonder if he was her so-called prince. Flynn took interest in the knife she was holding, and even Castiel had to admit that the weapon looked out of place in the girl's hands. He moved along with them, curious to hear what response Rapunzel would give, especially with how bothered Flynn seemed to be by the sight of the blade.

[forsworn]

He didn't miss Eugene's little nod of thanks, and Kratos nodded discretely in return as a "you're welcome". It was good to know that he'd made the right choice as far as names went; he just had to remember to use "Flynn" for the rest of the night, or else all of his effort would be for naught.

As they continued on toward the medical wing, he let his attention wander away from the conversation. Since it was mostly between Eugene and Rapunzel, he could safely assume from previous occasions that it didn't involve him, and he needed to keep an eye out for monsters anyway.

They were about halfway down the hall when Kratos realized that he was walking alone. He turned around and frowned. Eugene had pulled up short and was clutching his side as if it were paining him; Kratos followed the man's stare to a dagger in Rapunzel's hand. He hadn't noticed that earlier, and he too could agree that it didn't seem to suit her at all.

His eyes darted back to Eugene. "Is something wrong?"

[hairraising]

Rapunzel still didn't see the point in denying the existence of Eugene Fitzherbert when Eugene Fitzherbert was more genuine, more caring, and more heroic than Flynn Rider could ever be. She knew, though, that whatever his reasoning, being Flynn to others meant a lot to him right now. She could always try to coax him into loosening up more later, maybe during the calm daytime shifts. For now, she went along with the ruse, which was easier when Eugene brought up things that had happened when he was still "Flynn" to her. WIth the way he carried on, Rapunzel found she could smile and almost laugh despite their urgency.

At least until Eugene's eye caught something else. "Is what...?" She went quiet as her gaze followed his, and she remembered what she was holding in her other hand. Truth be told, in all her excitement, she had forgotten that the dagger was anything other than a weapon, something to keep her safe on the way to the X-Ray Room. To be fair, that's what she had tried to force it to become over the past few nights. She hadn't wanted the weight behind the thing to get the better of her. It seemed that even without her around, Mother Gothel had ways of ensnaring her "daughter"'s mind, twisting it around her bony finger like so much golden hair. No more, Rapunzel had told herself. No more.

"...Can we talk about it later?" she asked Eugene quietly, having stopped as well. Castiel and Kratos were waiting for them. Sora and all the other sick patients were waiting for them too. She knew this was important, but it was something that could wait.

[brokensmolder]

The moment passed quickly. The pain--the memory of pain, really--passed almost as soon as it had come. "Yeah," Eugene replied. "Let's talk later." Even if he really didn't want to.

He gave Kratos and Castiel his best cocksure grin and added, for their benefit, "Nothing wrong, guys. Frying pans are much more civilized weapons, wouldn't you agree? Much harder to put an eye out with a frying pan. Now...which way is this ecks-ray room, again?"

[going here.]