Dayshift 70: Bus 1

[ever_loyal_dog]

Soushi startled awake, and in a panic felt around the blankets and sheets. Ririchiyo's photograph. Where was it? He remembered to breathe a moment later when he found the photo, stuck between the sheets along with the bag he'd found in his box of supposed belongings. Now that it was daytime, it was easier to see the picture; Ririchiyo's cute round cheeks, her long hair, the soft pout of her lips, there was no mistaking it for a fraud. But why then, didn't he recognize when the photo had been taken or the outfit she was wearing? There were none like it in his collection, and he was sure he knew most of what was in her closet...

He tucked the scrap into his shirt when the radio came to life. Doyleton? They were taking a trip? Soushi was sorely tempted to look through the bag, now that he could see it, but if the staff here saw it, wouldn't they confiscate it? Rather than take the chance, he stuffed the bag back under his mattress, keeping the single photograph with him as the nurse opened the door to greet him.

While the clothing was much more acceptable than the pajamas they were usually assigned, the jeans were a little too big, but luckily included a belt. The plaid shirt was like nothing in his previous wardrobe, but at least it had a pocket on the chest, which he slipped the photograph into as he turned his back on the nurse to dress. He was accustomed to wearing what he was told, and managed to make even the jeans and patterned shirt look somewhat natural. Last, he was given a jacket, tan in color(though there were a few stubborn stains here and there), with buttons running down the front.

Once he was dressed and ready to go, he was led outside to the buses. It was strange being outside the institution like this. It certainly gave the illusion of freedom. How did they manage to control so many patients on a trip such as this? Surely, he wanted to believe, they wouldn't notice one missing. Not until the end of the day, at least. Did they take attendance?

Though if it were that simple, other patients would have made their escape by now. And of all those he'd spoken with, not one could cite a patient that had successfully escaped. The goal, he reminded himself, was not to escape at all, but to find his master and make certain she was safe. If escape was a key factor in determining that, so be it, but he'd yet to find proof of where to even begin his search for the girl. The notebook might have something more to it, but now it was out of reach. He resigned himself to the bus, accepting the bagged breakfast with a smile.

[Loki]

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[skeletonenigma]

"It's simple, really." If Skulduggery even noticed that he had Castiel's undivided attention, he certainly didn't give any indication. "Just fight your way through mounds of hair in the sun room so you don't have to deal with a dead woman who's not only falling apart, but can induce nasty hallucinations for days to come. Avoid touching the red one-eyed snakes in the library so you don't lose yourself in equally nasty and immediate hallucinations, and likely end up killing yourself. After that, pull out the Oxford Book of English Verse, and the wall right next to it slides open."

Then, he added silently, try not to kill your roommate. You'll miss the next three days.

He hadn't spoken to Rita yet, and didn't really know when he would. Skulduggery didn't need to see her for anything, and Rita was undoubtedly far too impressed with him to try and seek him out. Their relationship was a nicely balanced one.

"If you do manage it," he added a little less silently, "I'd appreciate it if you let me know what you find."

[freewill]

At first the detailed descriptions threw Castiel off, though it didn't take long for him to realize what Skulduggery was describing. So he had also run into that ghost. It seemed like the number of people who had been haunted was rather large, though Skulduggery had encountered her in the Sun Room, not the hallway outside it. But it still seemed clear that her haunting grounds were on the first level...

He hadn't heard of any red, one-eyed snakes, but he kept the warning in mind, nodding along as Skulduggery finally got to the point. The Oxford Book of English Verse. He would remember that, of course. "Which aisle is it on?" he asked. That was still the most important fact that he needed, all dangers aside.

Castiel felt strong enough at this point that he was relatively certain he could handle himself in a fight. If he could only find a seasoned fighter to go with him, there would be no reason to pass up this chance. Perhaps he could track down Kratos and ask him...

"I'll share whatever information I find with you," he agreed. "Thank you for doing the same." Castiel had become almost practiced at coordinating and allying with people here. It was strange, considering that there had been a time when his human interaction had mainly been limited to Dean and Sam.

[skeletonenigma]

Now this was more like it. Cooperation for mutual benefit. Mind you, if Castiel actually was an angel, that should be in his nature, shouldn't it? Judging by certain Biblical interpretations, anyway. Most people here seemed to keep things close to their chests.

Skulduggery nodded in response to the gratitude, and sat back in anticipation of the bus arriving in Doyleton. "The largest one in the middle," he answered. "Where all of the ten nonfiction books are."

It was a bit of an exaggeration, but there was a laughably small amount of anything factual in the library, and Skulduggery was perhaps still a little miffed by that. On the other hand, if he hadn't noticed that fact, he might never have tried to pull out the Oxford Book of English Verse. It was a double-edged sword.

[freewill]

That should be simple enough to find, then. Castiel made the necessary mental note, though he didn't miss the jabbing comment about the lack of non-fiction books. He'd noticed that a large number of patients were upset about that, but it didn't surprise him. Why would Landel give them information so easily? A secret passage seemed just as unlikely, but he had reached a point where he was willing to follow any lead.

The bus reached the town and parked itself at the usual spot, near the park. Castiel rose from his seat as soon as the bus came to a stop. While it was all new to Skulduggery, Castiel had adjusted to this routine by now.

"If I learn anything, I'll make certain to contact you." He was sure that Skulduggery would do the same. While they'd only just met, they clearly had similar goals and a shared willingness to work with others in order to accomplish them. With that, he headed down the aisle of the bus toward the exit.