HeLlo GUests. This is I.R.I.SSSssSS. There Has bEEn a SLiGHt malfuNction iN oUr syssstemmnn. It sHould BE fixEd shOrtly. DaTe and tiME INCORRECT. ViRtuaL intrUder dEtEcted. PuRging....

PROcessing main frame validation...

USERNAME: M LANDEL

PASSWORD: ....incorrect

Processing...

Processing...

The word echoed until it slowly faded away into the garbled static of the intercom announcement. The doors unlocked, and all seemed normal out in the halls – or at least as normal as Nightshift at Landel's Institute could ever be. How and why the computer would broadcast its own input could only be attributed to the fact that it was malfunctioning, but it didn't seem to be something that the prisoners of this place should be immediately concerned about.

Of course, when some patients began venturing out, they might have seen something flicker in and out of view in the corner of their eyes – an extra hall, or a door, or a skeleton of old pipes revealed from the inside of a vanished wall – but it was gone so soon that most would probably attribute the flashes to stress or paranoia.

[ If you're introducing your new character during the night, you may do so whenever you wish; if they don't have a room assignment yet, please have them wake up in a random, unoccupied room consistent with their gender (compare this and this to this) and make your character's introduction post in response to the appropriate hallway post (you'll be able to find it here or in one of the recent posts to the comm). However, when you do post, please reply to this intercom post with a link to the introduction for organization's sake. ]

Loz immediatly sat up in bed when the intercom went off. Most of what the voice said confused him, but when the door clicked unlocked, he immediatly forgot about it and started grinning.

Night had finally come. It was time to go out and have some fun.

Not even sparing a glance at Tem, Loz grabbed his light-rod and practically leapt out the door. Everything was dark, with not even a window to let in moonlight. That was a little creepy, but Loz wasn't scared. He just turned his light on and scanned around the hallway with it. No one else was out here yet. Loz wasn't really sure where he should go, since he wasn't exactly sure where the big room was. Shrugging, Loz decided on a direction and just went that way.

As he walked, he could have sworn he kept seeing something, but when he turned his head to look, nothing was there.

[to here]

Raz opened his eyes. The room was now completely dark. Night had arrived.

He felt something hard under his pillow, and he lifted it to discover that it was a flashlight. "Where did this come from?" Raz inquired, obviously not expecting an answer. Still, it was definitely going to come in handy, so he took it in hand as he hopped off the bed and sneaked out of the room. He turned on the flashlight and walked down the hall uneventfully.

[to here]

[from here]

As he scurried through the corridor, the boy started to notice something was off.

"Where are all the monsters?" Raz wondered aloud. Everyone else was stressing the fact that this was a terrifying place crawling with giant snakes and zombies, but none were to be seen so far.

But then again, that was... probably a good thing.

[to here]

[from here]

Raz trudged on forward over to the Sun Room. Still no monsters...

[to here]

When I.R.I.S went off, a cold shiver went down Jun's spine. He'd been able to tell earlier that this wasn't how things normally were, true, but the other announcements hadn't been as disturbing as that one. No, something was very, very wrong. Thus, he set about the room trying to find suitable materials with which to protect himself. He remembered feeling a lump in his pillow that morning when he awoke, and felt around in the unoccupied bed, hoping it was something he could use.

A flashlight. Besides the obvious, he wasn't sure how useful it would be, but after searching more, it was the only thing he could find. The only other thing he could think of was taking apart one of the pieces of furniture already in the room, but he knew that he couldn't possibly do that without help.

With a feeling of unease, he stepped out into the hallway. He hoped that the person sleeping in there would be alright, but right now he couldn't do anything about it. His only form of protection was, after all, his Persona. He didn't pause while walking down the hallway, but his eyes darted around cautiously, always searching for figures in the places his flashlight couldn't reach.

[From here]

Okay, so far so good. He got a bit turned around for a moment, trying to remember whether to go left or right, but he'd figure that out quick. It wasn't like--Woah! He swore he'd just seen something weird for a second, but with two human eyes? No way to tell.

[from here]

Okay, turn right. Now it was just down the really, really long hall and then they'd head in the same direction they'd been going before. This wasn't so bad! ...A little boring, and a tad creepy, but not bad! Especially because he had Loz with him. And if recent events had taught anything, a heavy application of friends solved everything.

After that fantastically successful conversation with Lelouch, Suzaku hadn't had much stomach for dinner either, and had fallen asleep before his roommate even got in. It was strange for him to need that amount of rest, but he was still wounded and it had been a long day after an even longer night, so Suzaku forgave himself just this once. Besides, he'd need all the energy he could get tonight, and he didn't want his injuries to slow them down.

The unfortunate corollary was that he was completely starving by the time the intercom woke him up, not having eaten at all that day. He didn't have time to sit around and finish a meal, however, and he still felt vaguely nauseous every time he remembered Lelouch's words. So he fished his flashlight and butcher knife out from under his pillow, retrieved his map from where it had been folded in his journal, and shoved a piece of steak in his mouth as he left. Not adequate at all, but it would have to do. He probably should have taken better care of himself when he was still injured and when people were counting on him (whether they wanted to count on him or not), but -- it seemed he'd never be able to master his emotions.

At least he should be able to figure out how to get into the women's block. They were all organized in the same way, after all. Too late, he realized he should have gotten Euphie's room number, just in case. Seemed he was as competent as ever today.

[to here]

[from here]

Suzaku made his way out of his own cell block at a brisk pace, even though he wasn't quite sure he could take Yuffie's presence right now. He didn't want to talk to anyone, least of all have to pretend everything was fine again -- because he didn't want to bother her with the details of his life, and even if he did there was only a limited amount he could tell her. He was sick of pretending.

On the other hand, talking to her reminded him a bit of being with the Student Council. No matter how miserable he felt, he couldn't help relaxing a little around such cheerful people. Even if he hadn't spoken to Yuffie in person, maybe it would help to be with someone so. . . perky. And it would definitely help to beat the shit out of any monsters they ran into outside. He needed to feel like he was doing something proactive, actually accomplishing something useful, and since fighting was the only thing he was good for, he was looking forward to it for once.

[to here]

[from here]

The halls were empty so far, which was probably a good sign. Suzaku was hoping to get a move-on quickly, so they could hurry up and get Yuffie's sword made. The first night he'd been here, he'd been pulled back to his bed the instant he made it outside, so they'd have to move fast if they wanted to make any decent progress. And right now he couldn't afford to focus on anything but just that, making progress.

[to here]

[from here]

Even distracted as he was, Suzaku remembered to stay on his guard as he passed into the main hallway. He would only be here for a moment, but there could still be a monster lurking in the darkness. And it was so quiet and deserted just now that he would make easy prey.

[to here]

Endrance was quiet as he gathered his things - flashlight, pipe, long chef's knife from the night before - and slipped out into the hallway. It felt a bit strange to be leaving without saying much to his roommate, but...what was there to say, really? He wasn't sure, and so saying nothing at all had probably been the best course of action.

As he closed the door behind him, he blinked. Had - had the walls just blinked for a moment? It reminded him of what had happened two nights ago, when the false-Kite had changed the entry room into Hulle Granz, and it put him on guard. Was he out again tonight, then?

[to hereeventually.]

Ignoring the pain in his broken arm, Snake crept along the hallway. He had brought only the matches and hairspray with him, hooked into the band of his pants, needing no light. His feet made no sound. Even that vision of the corridor earlier hadn't phased him like his much-loved old Outer Heaven flashbacks usually did, as he was far too focused on his mission.

He had been checking the men's block rooms, one at a time. Most of them were vacated; some were not, and even the sounds of movement inside those ones were enough to reassure him that they were not the rooms that belonged to Big Boss.

Systematically, he started down the furthest corridor in the block to the south of his own, starting with room M10. The door was, of course, unlocked, and he cautiously pushed it open. Like many of the others, it seemed empty, but for less than a second he caught a trace of Big Boss's smell. It was enough to lure him into the room, even though no-one was visible. Had he imagined it?

[M10]

Soubi was restless. Demyx had provided a distraction from thoughts of Seimei and Soubi had other things to distract him once he was with Ritsuka. Now he just had to make sure Kio was sticking around and not sneaking off.

He'd been pacing by the door for only a minute before the intercom clicked on and the doors clicked open. He was out in a flash, waiting at the door of the room next door.

He wanted to move quickly. Make the exchanges he needed to and... set to work on this. Oh, and Ritsuka wanted to see Miku. Soubi was jealous curious about that...

The day had been relatively quiet for Ken, for which the boy felt a deep-seated gratitude. Things had been less than savory the last few days; a little time for himself was a refreshing element. He only needed to return the bat to Phoenix, pick up his spear from Ururu, and finish gathering the last of the items for...

He had not taken two steps from the room when a dizzy spell hit him, forcing the child to take a minute breather against the bat in his hands. What had gotten into him? Exhaustion? Sudden increase in movement? He couldn't be sure.

The spell soon passed, and after a brief consideration, the child continued. He couldn't keep this waiting any longer.

[To here.]

[from here]

The silence of the empty washroom was almost oppressive, and the grime that seemed to have appeared on the walls wasn't helping with the creepy atmosphere. Anise made sure to be quiet herself; if anything was going to sneak up on her, she'd probably hear it before she saw it.

She made her way over to one of the sinks, and turned the water on. The same dark, foul-looking liquid from before poured from the tap. With a groan, Anise turned it off. Fine, so much for that.

The girl set her flashlight down on the counter, facing upward while turned on, to act like a lamp. She leaned in close to the mirror and rubbed at the few wet spots she could see on her face. That would have to do it. Fortunately, it was dark, so it was unlikely that anyone would notice that her eyes and the skin underneath them were still a little bit red.

[from here]

Finally, the Sun Room. Unlike the hallways, this one actually had some light in it. Specifically, moonlight coming from the big window on the ceiling. It did help to have some light, but the big, dark room washed in moonlight didn't exactly make the place look too inviting.

"Doesn't look like he's here yet," Loz said, finding a couch and sitting down in it. He'd mostly regained his strength from his run, and sitting down felt nice.

Loz whipped his head around when he thought he caught movement ou of the corner of his eye. Once again, nothing was there. What was going on here?

Huh, night already? How time flew. Lockdown listened to the broadcast, in case it said anything important, before getting up and shutting the door once more, propping a chair against the knob. He then returned to his bed and sat in front of the assassin droid.

"C'mon, I won't bite... hard," The bounty hunter grinned. He put both hands on HK's shoulders and pulled him in to kiss him on each cheek, while his hand ran through the droid's hair. "What do you say?"

The intercom's words grew more and more telling as the day neared its end. Faize now understood that to those running the institute, he and the other captives were the subjects of some sort of reeducation program, one which was responsible for the brainwashing of patients, visitors, and doctors alike. Next Wave, the announcements mentioned often. Whatever it referred to, it seemed important.

Shortly after Faize finished his dinner, the automated voice seemed to malfunction, repeating a single word as though trapped in a loop until the doors finally unlocked. Without hesitation, Faize took his newly copied maps, stuffing them into the waistband of his pants at the back, where they would be out of the way. With his flashlight in hand, he took to the halls.

The moment he stepped out into the hallway, he thought he saw a door on the opposite side of the hall, but after a blink, it was gone. It wasn't unusual for one's eyes to play tricks on them in the dark; when trying to identify obscured objects, the mind often attributed a familiar shape to them, such as a human figure or a face. Perhaps that was what happened just then. It showed that Faize needed to be more focused.

The Eldarian's pause lasted only a second, and soon he was walking again, making his way over to the next hallway.

[to here]

[from here]

A sudden wave of fear washed over the Decepticon as his recently-injured foot hit the first step; granted, tonight was, as far as he could tell, no different from any other night here... but the events of the previous evening had had their impact upon him, as it doubtless had on the other patients. Thus, it was with quiet trepidation that he slowly made his way up the two flights of stairs, his back to the inner railing, the flashlight pointed forward with an occasional swing back to the ground floor.

His foot, though no longer in a cast, still ached if he placed too much pressure on it, and though he could walk just fine, he found the branch to serve as an excellent cane in times of particular pain. Perhaps I should fashion this into a proper staff at some point, he mused; it's certainly long enough, and from its heft, it does not appear as if it would break should its mass be decreased to a more manageable amount.

Reaching the top of the stairs after a few tense minutes, Starscream paused, sweeping his light around him. No one here yet, he thought to himself. Rather than stepping into the hall, however, he chose to wait just to the left of the doorway, light shining forward as he slid to a seated position, back to the wall. He held the branch vertically at his side; surely his anonymous companion would not mistake him for someone else now.

[in F12]

Momo had almost considered not changing into her uniform given how injured she was, but she grit her teeth and slipped the black fabric on, feeling instantly more comfortable than she had before. Still, the thick bandaging on her left arm made it impossible to attach her vice captain's badge, so she set it inside her desk drawer for safe keeping.

Now, all she had to do was wait for Reinforce to arrive. Sitting on her bed, her own sword and a sheet-wrapped bundle sitting on the bed beside her, Momo carefully unwrapped the gauze around her hands, examining the burns and letting her thoughts drift back to the previous night.

[from here]

Something didn't feel quite right about the building as Beatrix stepped out into the hallway. Moving to the left, she put her back against the wall to wait for Wonka to arrive. She wasn't sure what didn't feel right about it, but her instincts were warning her to expect more of the unexpected and to trust what she felt, not her eyes.

A flicker of movement out of the corner of her eyes, yet nothing was there. Her eyes narrowed. Yes, something wasn't quite right.

[waiting for Wonka]

[in F22]

Falis was sitting on Senna's bed, her back to the wall with the shinigami laying against her, when the weird intercom thingie went off. She looked up at the little box for a moment before frowning. What the fuck had that been? Damnit! Where was Dominikov when she needed him to figure shit like this out for her?

A sharp pain ran through the hunter's left arm accompanied by a searing heat she recognized from the night before. It seemed peoples' fears were going to be true this night. Taking a peak at the flesh underneath her bandage, Falis grimaced seeing the decay return and it work its way up to her shoulder. At least it stopped there, but she wasn't sure it'd stay stopped all night long.

Her eyes slid back to the sleeping shinigami. Falis licked her lips. Damn, she looked and smelled... No. She was not going to do this. She was stronger that whatever fucked up zombie sickness. Senna was important to the hunter. She may be Falis' prey, but not prey like this. Resisting the hunger that lay in her stomach, she idly combed her finger through Senna's hair as she rest her head back against the wall and waited for people to show up or for the shinigami to wake.

Breaking down the bed frame after she'd eaten some of her meal had given Teresa something to do while she waited for the night time phenomena to arrive. Having not been conscious when it occurred the previous night, she was curious. She was not disappointed. The overhead words were certainly something different.

As the door opened, Teresa finished wrapping shredded bedding around the bottom portion of the six foot long metal bar that had once been a main side support of the bed's frame. It wasn't good quality metal by any means, but it was better than nothing. At least, she didn't think it'd break the first time she hit something with it given her reduced strength. As she hefted the weapon, she swung it around to get a feel and decided that it would do for now. Should she manage to find the right kind of stone or a file, she could even work a rough edge onto it.

A few more strips of cloth and the hybrid tied the makeshift weapon across her back, the 'hilt' sticking a foot and a half above her shoulders, and fashioned the cloth so she could pull on the knot by her right shoulder for a quick release. That done, Teresa took her flashlight and exited the room.

[to here]