Nightshift 25: Courtyard

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

[From Here]

It was almost a relief to find his bare feet landing on dirt again, and Cloud stopped as he allowed the door to swing shut at his back. He found a gentle sigh leaving his lips as he felt the coolness of night press down on him, so natural that he could not help but take a moment to enjoy himself. This was familiar, even in its foreignness.

He slowly moved over until he was walking across the grass, his gaze moving around the courtyard with a sudden renewed sense of determination. He took a little more time than he had in the previous locations to just explore the new surroundings, finding the trees and benches something of a novelty from compared to what he normally saw.

Sighting the pond, he approached and stared out over the silent waters. It reminded him of Aeris, but he told himself instantly that she had forgiving him for his past sins. It still reflexively brought a pain to his chest, even if his expression failed to alter with the feeling. The pond felt like both a blessing and a curse to look over.

“I never said thank you for what you did for me,” he murmured softly. “I have forgiven myself too... you would be proud of me for it, I am certain.”

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[damned-monsters.livejournal.com]

Once Cloud had uttered those words, the pond's calm surface started to ripple, as if responding somehow. The source of the disturbance soon made itself known, breaking through the surface of the water, a few feet away from it's next 'victim'.

The creature was very lovely, certainly not something one would expect to find lurking in the waters of the institute. She resembled a mermaid from a fantasy book, with shimmering white hair and blue skin that faded into the dark water. Her oceanic eyes regarded the newcomer for a moment, and the undine gave a warm smile and started to sing softly as she swam closer and closer.

There were no flesh to feed on underneath the hospital, after all.

(Linny)

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

Blue eyes shifted at the rippling of the water, and Cloud raised an eyebrow at the sight of what appeared to be some kind of mer-water creature. He thought this was a little out of place, given that he appeared to be in some sort of courtyard, but that could mean that she was friendly in a sense. Her song was calming as well.

He kept himself on the bank far enough away that she could not reach out and touch him unless coming ashore herself. He was weary enough of his surroundings to not take for granted that he had finally met another humanoid being that could answer some of the questions tugging at his mind. He did wish that he had a weapon in case she was not as friendly as her beauty suggested.

He considered his options, and he eventually opted for forcing himself to speak. If he were lucky, she would provide answers. If he was not, she could just swim up and try to bite his head off. “Can you tell me where this place is?”

[damned-monsters.livejournal.com]

The undine's victim was smarter than the creature originally thought him to be, as she watched him backtrack away from the banks and slightly out of her reach. No matter, he would come closer in time. They always did.

In response to Cloud's question, the undine only nodded. It seemed she was incapable of actual speech, but with another soft song and a wink of her eyes, she beckoned Cloud to come closer to the edge of the water, as if she were trying to show him something hidden in it's depths.

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

It crossed his mind that she was probably luring him closer for a specific reason. Given that he had no idea where he was or how he arrived in such a situation, he remained weary of the invitation. If he had his First Tsurugi, he would feel much more secure. As it was, he had a flashlight and pens as his own weapons.

Glancing around, he thought the benches would be a little unwieldy. Still, he considered himself strong enough where he could defend himself if required. He was not comfortable despite that.

Slowly, he took a small step towards the water’s edge, eyeing the mer-creature with suspicion. He kept his flashlight in his right hand as he gradually drew himself within a foot of the water, refusing to budge any further until he was given some answers.

[damned-monsters.livejournal.com]

The undine swam back as Cloud approached the edge of the pond, giving herself some room between them. She cast her eyes downward on the surface of the water and spread out her arms, circling them around a small area of the water before her. It looked as if she was attempting to make something appear on the surface of the water, like an image or scene of sorts.

Sure enough, there was something there, a small flash of silver sparkling just below the surface of water. But if Cloud wanted to see what it was, he would have to get closer...

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

Well that was completely useful, Cloud thought as she swam away from him. It was clear that her preferred media was the water, and he knew that he would be at a distinct disadvantage if he entered the water himself. He also had no idea if there were more than one in the large pond of water, and the darkness did not allow him to get a gauge of how deep the water was.

Of course, there was also the issue that if he entered the water, he would be completely wet. If last memory served correctly, he had just come from a place that had drenched him.

The image that was beyond even his advanced sight was intriguing, but as he stepped forward so his feet became wet, he decided that the risks were beyond the benefits to go further. It felt foolish to be wandering into possible enemy territory without even a proper weapon just for an answer that may or may not be accessible.

“I will not go further,” he remarked softly.

[damned-monsters.livejournal.com]

That was fine. Cloud was close enough to the edge for her to strike.

The flash of silver turned out to be nothing more than the undine's tail, which Cloud would have caught a glimpse of as the undine suddenly lunged forward, her soft songs turning into wicked laughs as she grasped his ankles in an attempt to drag him further into the water and down into the abyss. She pulled and pulled, trying to make Cloud fall and make the process much easier.

Despite her seemingly frail looks, the undine was remarkably strong as she grinned at Cloud, her lips lifting up to reveal rows of sharp teeth.

[1mperturbable.livejournal.com]

Tensing as the mer-creature lunged at him, Cloud set his weight where he was standing before making an attempt to wheel backwards. She managed to get both of his ankles before he could step back, and he regarded her toothy grin with a raised eyebrow. So much for answers…

His weight jerked with her pulls, and he felt himself slipping forward into the water. She was pretty strong, but he managed to stay on his feet as he shook his head a little. Where was his First Tsurugi when he needed it?

He raised the flashlight and readied it for a strike. He would probably break it if he smashed it into her head as he planned, and there was one resource he was down. That would not help in possible future hallways, which forced his hand in dropping it down into his pocket and using more brute force methods.

He tilted his head away as he reached down and grabbed the mer-creature’s upper arms. He squeezed known human pressure points in an attempt to force her to release him as he began to simply lift her from the water.

[reunion.livejournal.com]

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/156364.html?thread=10243532#t10243532)]

Kadaj couldn't help but smile as he stepped out into the cool night air. It was the first time he'd been outside at night since he'd arrived at the institute, he realized. How long ago had that been?

Frowning, he began to walk slowly down the path, looking around for anything that might prove to be useful. Again, he didn't actually need anything, but sooner or later he was going to need to return to his room and if he ran into Sephiroth along the way and didn't have the tale of River's defeat to offer him, he was going to look incredibly stupid. Wasn't there anything else...?

He'd just have to keep looking.

[eiyuu-ou.livejournal.com]

The smile Kadaj wore was mirrored on the young man's face, but it was over a more perverse pleasure. Finally, a rat had come scurrying near his foot. It was about time. Although the courtyard had already seen a figure come and go, this time they wouldn't be so lucky.

The King of Heroes, lounging on a nearby bench with his eyes closed, and arms crossed, only smiled wider.

"Where do you think you're going, mongrel?"

[reunion.livejournal.com]

It was the insult more than the voice that stopped him in his tracks, and once Kadaj had spotted the offender, he shot him a poisonous glare. The fact that the young wasn't wearing a Landel's uniform should have been enough on its own to set off little warning bells in the remnant's head, but he was already charging past that. He was not going to tolerate insults, and even though it was incredibly ill-advised, he had been waiting for a fight all night and here there finally seemed to be someone tangible enough for him to cut in half. Perfect.

"Through the courtyard, of course," Kadaj replied smoothly, giving the young man on the bench a confident smirk. "Where did you think I was going?"

It was strange, though; like he'd told Sephiroth, he'd never come across an enemy in this place that was actually humanoid or had a human level of intelligence. This made the second he'd run into in a single night, and since he was sure it wasn't Special Counseling night... what was going on?

[eiyuu-ou.livejournal.com]

Gilgamesh had no qualms about entering into battle in the human clothes he now wore rather than his grand golden armour. It really made no difference, as either way he would win against any opponent, and in this exchange he was not certain it would engage his interest. Transforming into battle attire was something of a courtesy, and he did not think this one deserved it.

His right foot hit the grass as Gilgamesh uncrossed his legs.

"I was thinking of going easy on you, but your insolence makes me reconsider." He stood, then, putting his hands into the pockets of his jacket. With a simple toss of his head that spoke volumes of his own self-assurance, the Servant said, "I think you will walk away from this place and return to your bed." The smile twisted into a cocky sneer. "And dream sweet dreams."

[reunion.livejournal.com]

Ohh, this one was fun. It almost made him disappointed, really, but he didn't have the time to devote more thought to it than that. His time was much better suited to more interesting things, like laughing in this person's face. He waited a few more seconds before doing precisely that, just to see his enemy would react to even more "insolence."

But that was hardly the end of it. Ceasing his laughter abruptly, Kadaj sneered right back at him, "'Dream sweet dreams?' Do you honestly think a line like that is going to work? And here I thought the Head Doctor had you all trained better than that." He shook his head in wonder, then eventually sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. There's only so much he can do with 'mongrels,' right? Better luck next time."

[eiyuu-ou.livejournal.com]

By the time Kadaj shrugged his shoulders, Gilgamesh had raised his right arm, twisted his wrist, and closed his fingers around the blade of the sword that materialized at his call; the only sign of the impending attack came with the crackling of the Servant's immense mana. Then the blade was released from his hand, aimed squarely at Kadaj's sternum.

But there was more to Gilgamesh's offence then just the immaculate aim of one designated as Archer. "Then show me, kid, who is the one being trained here!?" he cried, his wild exclamation exploding across the courtyard. His eyes, a deep crimson, were also narrowed into slits. Without pausing, Gilgamesh closed the distance in a heartbeat, a second blade in his hand and drawn across his chest, in preparation of a clear backhanded swing.

The first strike he had been planning all along. The second was for the slights spoken against him. Oh, he wouldn't kill the brat. But he would certainly have fun doing everything but.

[reunion.livejournal.com]

While he had been expecting an attack, he hadn't expected the blond to be able to pull a sword out of thin air and throw it at him. For some reason he thought Sephiroth might have been better equipped to deal with the situation, but unfortunately for Kadaj, he wasn't there.

... Damn it.

The remnant threw himself to the side as quickly as he could, drawing his own sword in the same motion and hopefully bringing it up fast enough to deflect anymore strikes, if not block them entirely. The latter would be nearly impossible without his usual strength and speed, but if he was going to make it through the night at all, he was going to need all the help he could get.

It occurred to him then that it had probably been a bad idea to taunt the blond so much, but like almost all great realizations, this one came far too late.

[eiyuu-ou.livejournal.com]

The blade that had been thrown only barely missed it's mark; it disappeared into the darkness, eventually plunging deep into the grass some distance away. Unlike normal, Gilgamesh didn't let it vanish back into the void. Rather, he left it as it was. The Gate wasn't needed to kill a bug, so there was no point in opening it yet. The night was still very young - it would be just a waste, for one silver-haired dog. He could keep the sword where it was and use it later, just another toy to catch this weakling off guard with.

So in keeping with his second front, the Servant simply followed Kadaj, staying on top of the roll by positioning himself above the other. The clash of steel on steel was pleasingly loud, even if the block had been weak. Too weak. The boy had brought his arm up in too awkward a movement, and Gilgamesh bore down on him with his full weight, steadying his own blade against that of the puny gladius's. Nothing at all like his last epic battle with her -when she blocked, she at least did so with grace. This one, though...

His sword screamed against the other; already he had forged a clear advantage as he Kadaj on the ground, and was fair on top of him. If only this were a worthy opponent, then it might have been worth something. Instead, it was only a certainty coming to pass.

But a battle that led to victory was a battle worth fighting. Gilgamesh grinned. "Well? You're not laughing anymore! Why not!?"

[ontheabyss.livejournal.com]

((From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/158025.html?view=10280521#t10280521))

Lyta found herself once again pausing in the doorway to the Courtyard.

"Looks like it's busy again tonight," she muttered, watching the fight that seemed to be taking place. Great. Why did everyone end up out here? And was it worth drawing attention to themselves to make a break for the pond?

[outtokillhim.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be as easy to go undetected, as there seemed to only be two others out fighting in the courtyard. Still, they were occupied enough with each other, and it was Envy's job to keep watch after all. He unwrapped one of the knives that he'd strapped to his wrist with elastic.

"They look like they have enough going on with each other already. Besides. This is what you recruited me for. If they care that we're scoping out the pond, I can let them know it's none of their business." He smirked, a more genuine smile than he'd displayed in a long time. This was his element, after all.

[ontheabyss.livejournal.com]

"Alright." Lyta shrugged. She'd just have to trust Envy. "I'll just let you do your thing, then. If we need to pull out, let me know."

She'd let him go first.

"I'll try and be quick." She'd give him that, at least. Yeah, she'd hooked up with him so he could protect her, but she didn't want him dropping dead or losing a limb on the job.

[outtokillhim.livejournal.com]

"I think I can handle it. You can hear me if I declare something urgent, I assume." If there was one benefit to having a telepath for an ally, it was ease of secretive communication.

It was easy enough to slip smoothly along the side of the building in a way that obscured their view from the others. They were able to make it close enough to the pond at the corner. If the other occupants of the yard paid attention, they might notice the splash. Otherwise, he would just stand guard in the shadows and hold on to Lyta's unmentionables.

[ontheabyss.livejournal.com]

"Well then, here we go." Lyta quickly shucked off the prison uniform and handed it to Envy. She took a deep breath out of habit and dived quickly into the pond. Again, she was struck with cold and dark and the moment of panic before her gills fluttered open. But they did, straining the thick air and allowing some oxygen to get to her lungs.

Kicking, she headed down into the depths of the foul water.

[eiyuu-ou.livejournal.com]

_{[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/156663.html?thread=10245111#t10245111)]}

Damn, and the woman was already in the water.

As Gilgamesh appeared to step out of thin air, only inches away from Envy's body, and stepping in towards him, he gave Envy a smile. Then again, not even the woman could get out of range, no matter how deep or far she swam.

"Oh ho?" came the curious noise. "Think you can handle things, can you?"

[outtokillhim.livejournal.com]

Shit, where did he come from? People appearing literally out of nowhere was not something even Envy was used to. Wrath had had a tendency to slip through walls suddenly, but that was always accompanied with the noise and flash of transmutation, and even still, Envy didn't care for being surprised like that. He tensed and turned, but held himself steady, scoping out his adversary.

"If I have to," Envy said shrugging, putting on his smug face, "Though I must admit, I'm really more of a pacifist. I'd hate to hurt someone I don't even know, you know?" He smiled and tilted his head, the rest of him tensed and ready to spring at provocation.

[ontheabyss.livejournal.com]

There was no distress from Envy above, and so Lyta continued fighting her way through the murky water, unawares. It felt as though it were growing heavier, thicker. She was having difficulty breathing, even with her gills, as she went deeper. How the hell deep was this thing, anyway?

[i-slay-giants.livejournal.com]

( From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/163264.html))

The first thing Jack noticed when he got over the wall was the chaotic battle taking place. The last thing he needed at the moment was to get wrapped up in something like that. So much for trying to go over the courtyard wall.

Taking advantage of fight, Jack slid into the building before anyone could rope him into helping out. Not that he would have, had he been asked, but it was always better not to be asked at all.

( To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/156364.html))