Nakatsukasa Tsubaki (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thecamellia) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
damned_institute2012-10-03 12:30 pm
thecamellia) wrote in damned_institute2012-10-03 12:30 pm
Night 66: F11-F20 Hallway
With Rapunzel occupied, Tsubaki had no one to share her amazing discoveries with, not that she really knew what to make of them.
The thick, yellowy liquid she’d ingested seemed to be exactly what the Head Doctor’s note implied it to be--a healing draft of some kind. Instead of making her ill as she’d feared, she’d taken a peek under her bandages and noticed straight away that the cuts on her chest were rapidly healing. Not enough to make them made completely, but enough to be noticeable to the naked eye. And she’d only taken a small sip!
As far as she could tell, there were no side effects, either. The only strange thing to happen all dinner shift was the moment she opened her storage box and found throwing knives tucked inside. A whole set, sleek and black. Professional grade, too.
Tsubaki had spent a long while looking them over, perplexed. It wouldn’t be the first time a surprise had turned up in her things; the vial itself was one of them, the container of poison another. But ninja weapons? What was the motive behind giving her those? The Institute had conditioned her to be wary of blessings, given how double-sided they often were.
Blades would be useful, though. There was no doubt of that.
As the start of nightshift neared, Tsubaki had slipped them into her clothes, a strange taste of home in the act. It felt weird to be armed with more than just scalpels again. Granted, a few knives weren’t going to solve her and her friends’ problems, or prove the Head Doctor’s words wrong, but they were something tangible to hold onto. Something she might have to use before the night was out.
When the lock on the door finally clicked, it was like the starting gate at a race being flung wide. Time to go!
[to here]
The thick, yellowy liquid she’d ingested seemed to be exactly what the Head Doctor’s note implied it to be--a healing draft of some kind. Instead of making her ill as she’d feared, she’d taken a peek under her bandages and noticed straight away that the cuts on her chest were rapidly healing. Not enough to make them made completely, but enough to be noticeable to the naked eye. And she’d only taken a small sip!
As far as she could tell, there were no side effects, either. The only strange thing to happen all dinner shift was the moment she opened her storage box and found throwing knives tucked inside. A whole set, sleek and black. Professional grade, too.
Tsubaki had spent a long while looking them over, perplexed. It wouldn’t be the first time a surprise had turned up in her things; the vial itself was one of them, the container of poison another. But ninja weapons? What was the motive behind giving her those? The Institute had conditioned her to be wary of blessings, given how double-sided they often were.
Blades would be useful, though. There was no doubt of that.
As the start of nightshift neared, Tsubaki had slipped them into her clothes, a strange taste of home in the act. It felt weird to be armed with more than just scalpels again. Granted, a few knives weren’t going to solve her and her friends’ problems, or prove the Head Doctor’s words wrong, but they were something tangible to hold onto. Something she might have to use before the night was out.
When the lock on the door finally clicked, it was like the starting gate at a race being flung wide. Time to go!
[to here]
no subject
When she went to pick out a fresh shirt -- sleeping in her clothes never felt normal, even if all they had were sweats -- she froze. There, on a hanger, was the outfit she'd worn so often it was almost as much a uniform as the one she'd had as a detective. Soft wool, freshly dry-cleaned and with every button and decoration polished. She slipped the jacket off the hanger and held it up in front of her. Nothing missing. But if they'd had it all the time, why give it to her now? She ran a hand down each of the seams. Nothing. Everything was intact. No messages sewn into the silk lining. No poison-tipped needles hiding in a sleeve. Just her clothes. Even her black heels were perched on top of her box, with a pair of pantyhose folded and tucked in the right shoe. She could spare a few minutes to put them on, and did. She felt a little more alert; her spine a little straighter. She ran her fingers through her hair, which was now the truly disreputable part of the ensemble.
The jacket didn't have a holster, but it did have wide, deep pockets. Which was more than she could say for the skirt. It was, perhaps, not the most practical outfit for a physical fight, but Lana was willing to risk it. She folded her Institute-issue coat over one arm, put the ring on her right index finger, and picked up the flashlight. She wasn't sure exactly where they were headed, but she was ready to find out.
[to here]
no subject
She settled on bringing just her smaller flashlight and Tokunaga, with some first aid supplies stuffed into its little sack. That was probably all she really needed. She still wasn't too sure what the others wanted to do tonight, but she supposed she'd find out once she met up with them.
[to here]
F19
Try as she might, Shiina couldn't get back to sleep. The pain in her stomach was expected after a traumatic experience like last night's surgery. She didn't quite remember all the details but there was enough there to leave her sick with worry for Shou. And sick literally. She couldn't move from where she was in her bed without aching pain shooting through her middle, though she knew there had to be some drugs in her system even if they were weakening.
Staring up at the ceiling and swallowing back thickness in her throat, Shiina quietly started sobbing, glad there was no one around to witness her tears. She needed to get a grip soon but right now she was too weak to pull off that kind of mask.
no subject
Stupid, she thought as she rushed through her nightly routine, hardly giving her stretches more than a few reps each. Stupid to worry. Stupid to have gotten involved in the first place. And it was stupid that she felt so guilty when it had nothing to do with her in any way.
"I'm off," she muttered as she headed out the door. She hardly spared Lana a second glance before she left. It would just be another thing to feel guilty about staying out of.
[to here]
no subject
Here it was: F19. Niikura paused before the door, mentally steeling himself. He reached up and knocked three times on the door, and then, without even waiting for anyone to answer, opened the door wide enough for him to stick his head in.
"Hey, Nagasawa?" He could hear her crying, and while half of him was jumping for joy that she was alive and feeling at least enough energy to cry, the other half was shrinking back, awkward and tense. There was no way in hell he'd just let her sit there and cry all night, though, not when he'd already come this far. They'd stick through things together, for once.
Niikura crept in, closing the door behind him. Shiina's roommate was nowhere in sight, which was actually the way he preferred it. This...was probably going to get really personal and--and stuff. "How're ya feelin'?" It was a stupid question because he could kind of get the answer just by looking at her, but he felt like asking anyway was alright. It sure beat starting things off with "So is your stomach still bleeding?".
no subject
"Sh-shou-kun?" Her voice was a hoarse whimper. Swallowing against the dryness in her mouth she tried again, with only marginal success. "Shou-kun..."
The tears continued to flow and it hurt like hell to move, but Shiina forced her arm up, a hand reaching out and wanting to be held. She didn't dare try and sit-up in bed, but she could lift her head slightly blink past the blurriness. "It hurts... It really... hurts..."
no subject
It was kind of sad, that this was what it took for him to hold hands with someone, and she wasn't even "his" girlfriend, technically.
"'m sorry," he said quietly. "Would've done somethin' different if I could, but this was the fastest way to take care of things, and I didn't want ya stuck like that for much longer. You'll get through it, though. I believe in ya."
no subject
"'s okay," she rasped out. The dryness again forced her to swallow. It was even painful to talk but she wasn't going to spend the night in silence.
Shiina shifted a little in bed, trying to draw herself up but stopped before she could get too far. Gritting her teeth, she sucked in breath of air and let it out slowly. No painkillers for this post-op evening.
Fighting against the pain, she forced herself to speak again. "Did I... hurt you?"
F14
Will she be okay? I hope so...
The princess shut the closet door and put her medallion around her neck--the finishing touch. So Anise and her friends were looking for the cure. Sonia didn't want to believe that having a device surgically removed was the only way to be cured, but she could admit it was better than having no options at all. But there had to be another way! The first thing she had to do was find out more about this "device". But how would she go about doing that?
She would have liked to follow up on what Anise had told her about brainwashed prisoners, but while she knew where the files were kept--she remembered two file rooms on the bottom of Scarecrow's map, and they were in the same place on the map she had drawn up from memory--that wasn't enough. The "nurses" referred to them by different names, right? So wouldn't the files reflect that? She didn't know the name they had used for Mokona, and the only name she had gotten out of Bartleby was "Albert".
She didn't have time to check every file! Not when she had a cure to find.
No clues had been mentioned over the speaker, but she wasn't letting that hold her back. Most of the clues she'd read today contained references to historical figures she'd never heard of. The main thing they suggested to her was that the woods might hold an important clue, though someone had said on the board that they'd be looking into it tonight. But the drawing left by one of the prisoners had definitely reminded her of something: Robotnik. If a device was really what was causing the infection, they might stand a chance. After all, she'd had more luck dealing with machines than magic.
Time to check out the Medical Wing!
[to here]
no subject
F20, F19... halfway down the hall the Once-ler stopped. He glanced at Soma.
"We're here. Do you want to do the honors?" The man gestured at the door. Soma and Rapunzel were friends, after all. That would probably be less awkward for everyone, since they were, in essence, dropping in unannounced.
F15
Nothing.
She frowned a little, then raised her hand again and knocked twice more. "Rapunzel?" she called. "It's me, Soma. Are you there?"
Still nothing. Soma's frown deepened. Had Rapunzel simply missed their note and decided to head out for the night instead? It was possible. Not everyone checked the bulletin before dinner. But it wouldn't hurt to make sure. A few more knocks, and then she slowly pushed the door open, clicking on her flashlight so she could see.
No, she realized as she eased her way into the room. Rapunzel hadn't left--she was asleep, and deeply from the looks of it, her hair gathered around her in a soft pile.
Soma lowered her flashlight instinctively, not wanting to wake her friend. Well, that answered that question. If Rapunzel was that tired, waking her up and asking for a quick heal was out of the question. It was a little disappointing, but it had been a long few days for everyone, and it wasn't as if Soma was going to blame her friend for feeling tired.
She backed up, hitting the side of the desk with an audible clatter, and flinched at the noise, but Rapunzel didn't even stir. She slept on, and Soma wheeled back out of the room and shut the door behind her.
"That plan's a bust," she said quietly. "I'm still going to the library, though."
Re: F15
Curiosity overcame him when Soma entered the room, and he edged forward to get a better view. The man caught a glimpse of the long-haired girl asleep on her bed before Soma lowered the flashlight.
The Once-ler sighed softly and leaned back against the wall. Soma might decide to wake her up, but he doubted that would happen. She had been concerned over taking advantage of Rapunzel's powers that day.
He jumped slightly when a clatter came from the room. It sounded like the wheelchair was difficult to steer in the room. Maybe the noise would awaken Rapunzel?
Soma closed the door behind her as she exited and gave the verdict. The Once-ler shook his head in disappointment. "Well, another day isn't going to kill me. Let's just go back to- wait, what?"
He straightened and looked directly at Soma. "I'm sorry, but I could have sworn you just said you're still planning on going to the library. While in a wheelchair. With other people turning into shadow monsters or who knows what else. Am I hearing this correctly?" He stared at her incredulously.
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"It's just down the hall," she pointed out. "And we're armed, aren't we? And Lingormr wasn't taken for Special Counseling tonight, since we just saw him, and I'm wouldn't shoot to miss for anyone else besides you or Rapunzel, and both of you are here."
And as far as she was concerned, the night was still young. And her stomach wasn't as sore as it had been this morning. It had been one thing to stay in all night when she'd thought there wasn't anything worth doing, but now that she was out and about, returning to her room seemed incredibly dull.
"Besides," she added after a moment, "the flashlight works against the shadow creatures. That's what people have been saying."
no subject
That caught him off guard. For a moment, the Once-ler simply stood there, blinking. Lingormr and Rapunzel were Soma's friends, and she had mentioned him in the same breath as those two. They'd known each other for two days. Could Soma really consider him a friend after that short time?
He pulled the last seed from his pocket and stared at it. Soma didn't know what he had done, what he was responsible for. Would she still list the Once-ler alongside Rapunzel and Lingormr if she did?
Responsibility. In a way, he was responsible for Soma's plans tonight. He'd suggested the book could only be read at night; she might not even have left her room had he not brought it up. His ideas had already caused enough pain and destruction. Should this endeavor leave Soma even worse off than she already was, it would be another failure to add to the already-towering collection. And if she did think of him as a friend, abandoning her would be just that much worse.
"I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?" he said, still looking at the small brown seed. The man sighed and closed his hand around it, returning the seed to his pocket. "Fine."
The Once-ler moved to the back of the wheelchair and stuck his arm through the upper gap in the crutch, allowing it to hang off his shoulder like a bizarre purse. He then grabbed the handles of the chair and began pushing, favoring his injured leg. Soma couldn't very well use any weapons if her hands were occupied with wheeling the chair around.
no subject
But the Once-ler didn't say anything at all. Instead, he pulled something out of his pocket--a pebble? It was hard to tell in the dim light--and stared at it for a moment. Then he sighed, moving behind her and beginning to push in what could almost be considered a gesture of surrender if she weren't still so sure he was going to find some way of talking her out of it.
"What was that?" she asked instead, a little warily. "The...thing. In your pocket."
no subject
But Soma had seen it, or at least glimpsed it. There wasn't a way to avoid the question without being harsh, and if this young woman thought of him as a friend, it didn't seem right to hold back.
[to here]
no subject
Niikura started when Shiina began to sit up, his other hand reaching for her shoulder to prevent her from moving. Once she stopped, though, he relaxed and settled back on the bed. "Heh, nah," he said, smile coming back a little wider and looser than before. "I'm okay, honest. I'm a Shou, y'know? If I couldn't do somethin' as easy as catchin' a bird, I don't know how I'd ever be able to face anyone."
Granted, no Shou had ever attempted to catch a bird that also fired lightning from its wings, but that was a technicality.
He looked down and let his thumb move in slow, lazy circles across the top of Shiina's hand. "Don't remember anythin'?"
no subject
She appreciated the touch. Shiina's only regret was it felt like too much work to try and take his hand completely in her own.
"Only a little..." She released a shaky breath. Last night had not been pleasant, and before that... Her eyes prickled with tears. "I don't know... Did I hurt anyone?"
She swallowed, trying to think back to before the night. Only a few images were clear in her mind. "I remember... cages. And... screaming. And it hurt..."
no subject
He winced when she brought up what she did remember. He hadn't expected any of it to sound pleasant, but just thinking about cages and screaming and pain, he couldn't find any way to make it all seem better. "Wish I could take all those memories for ya," Niikura said with a sigh, "'cause I could take them. Just...try not to think too much about it all for me, okay? You're here now, same as usual--well, mostly."