Sechs (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sixth_attack) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
damned_institute2013-07-15 07:10 pm
sixth_attack) wrote in damned_institute2013-07-15 07:10 pm
Entry tags:
Night 71: Basement: Grand Ballroom
[From here.]
Racing to leave the biting chill of the freezer, Sechs bowed his way down the darkened steps to the basement. Yet his brief moment upstairs was more than enough to trigger off the worst of his dreaded post M-U effects. All six scars left behind by that cruel doctor's syringes were searing from the frigid poison inside his spine, spreading pain throughout his nerves and muscles like cracks diverging across an icy landscape. Such agony clouded the Replica's mind, slowing down time and stretching the staircase below into infinity. Sechs' vision worsened and his hearing was overwhelmed by the drug's malicious taunting. Nearly thrown off balance with each step, Sechs forced his flashlight-wielding hand against the wall to keep himself stabilized. Refusing to give in, Sechs continued his pained journey down the stairwell, focusing on reaching warmer air than anything else going on around him.
Once he finally reached the end of the stairwell, Sechs nearly stumbled off the final step, his boots shuffling against the pristine marble floor as he turned to lean his back against the wall. By then his shivering had faded and the icy sensation that racked his spine had finally thawed. The triggering cold of the freezer was gone, replaced by the lukewarm air of the ballroom. Even though the worst was over, Sechs' nerves remained ransacked and his burdened flight down the stairs left him hunched over and panting. Standing with his head bowed over, the Replica closed his eyes tight against whatever dark hallucinations may be awaiting him, knowing they could trick him into attacking his allies.
It was then that Sechs' awareness of the present returned, reminding him that he hadn't been alone during his episode. Zero and Aigis were sure to have seen it all now. There was no doubt that they were going to ask the questions which Sechs always dreaded to answer. They may even decide to leave him behind. He was just a big liability to the group and the drug was no more than happy to remind him of that fact with a deviant cackle. All Sechs could do was catch his breath and rub his hand into the back of his aching neck, bracing for the questions to fall upon him like blasted shrapnel.
Racing to leave the biting chill of the freezer, Sechs bowed his way down the darkened steps to the basement. Yet his brief moment upstairs was more than enough to trigger off the worst of his dreaded post M-U effects. All six scars left behind by that cruel doctor's syringes were searing from the frigid poison inside his spine, spreading pain throughout his nerves and muscles like cracks diverging across an icy landscape. Such agony clouded the Replica's mind, slowing down time and stretching the staircase below into infinity. Sechs' vision worsened and his hearing was overwhelmed by the drug's malicious taunting. Nearly thrown off balance with each step, Sechs forced his flashlight-wielding hand against the wall to keep himself stabilized. Refusing to give in, Sechs continued his pained journey down the stairwell, focusing on reaching warmer air than anything else going on around him.
Once he finally reached the end of the stairwell, Sechs nearly stumbled off the final step, his boots shuffling against the pristine marble floor as he turned to lean his back against the wall. By then his shivering had faded and the icy sensation that racked his spine had finally thawed. The triggering cold of the freezer was gone, replaced by the lukewarm air of the ballroom. Even though the worst was over, Sechs' nerves remained ransacked and his burdened flight down the stairs left him hunched over and panting. Standing with his head bowed over, the Replica closed his eyes tight against whatever dark hallucinations may be awaiting him, knowing they could trick him into attacking his allies.
It was then that Sechs' awareness of the present returned, reminding him that he hadn't been alone during his episode. Zero and Aigis were sure to have seen it all now. There was no doubt that they were going to ask the questions which Sechs always dreaded to answer. They may even decide to leave him behind. He was just a big liability to the group and the drug was no more than happy to remind him of that fact with a deviant cackle. All Sechs could do was catch his breath and rub his hand into the back of his aching neck, bracing for the questions to fall upon him like blasted shrapnel.
no subject
As for Aigis's question, Zero had nothing to say. He was still content to leave the actual navigation up to the other two. Anywhere they could possibly go would equal progress made to him, because he hadn't been to the basement before. Even just getting here was technically progress, even if it wasn't very much progress.
Instead, he would address something that Sechs just did after confirming his readiness, something that made Zero stare in confusion for a few moments. A ring that could teleport one to wherever they wanted as long as they bled on it...? What kind of a messed up thing was that? Whatever it was, both Sechs and Aigis seemed to know about it already. So when did he miss the announcement for these? It better not have been when he was sleeping all of yesterday...
"Where did you get that?" asked Zero, unable to hold back his curiosity. While they were trying to decide where to start exploring, he could at least get this one answer.
no subject
Despite his distaste, Sechs attempted to open the doors, but found that they wouldn't budge. Stepping back, the only clues Sechs could find to unlocking them were two indentations. Were these some sort of keyhole?
"Shit. This door ain't opening," Sechs growled, turning away from the marble entrance with a scowl. "We might need to find two keys or something to open it..."
Returning to the center of the ballroom, Sechs focused his attention between the two hallways. There weren't any discernible differences between the two opposing options, just a gut feeling that egged his attention towards the eastern corridor. Even though they had no idea of what may be discovered at the end of these opposing hallways, they had to start somewhere to find anything in the first place...
Then Zero's question brought Sechs out of his pondering. Plucking the aforementioned ring back out of his pocket, Sechs appraised the odd object with a shrug. "I found it in my room one night," he answered Zero with a brief glance before stowing the ring away. "Don't know exactly why only a few people like me got it. I remember it popping up sometime after that one night when all the doors became random portals to other places..."
Meanwhile, Sechs' instincts remained fixated on the east-facing hallway. He couldn't tell if it was just a blind guess or something else, but he wasn't going to waste anymore time trying to figure out which way to go. The night could end at any moment...
"Even if we can get back here faster with the ring, we don't have a lot of time to explore tonight," Sechs gruffly added, turning to face the eastern entrance with a shuffle of his boots. "So let's get going and try out this way. I don't know if it's the right way or not, but we gotta start looking somewhere, right?"
And with that, the Replica began his determined prowl down the chosen corridor.
[To here.]