NIGHTSHIFT 27: F-BLOCK HALLWAY

[icy-pole.livejournal.com]

[From here]

Ami stepped out into the wider corridor. Again, silence. It was disconcerting. Glancing around, Ami couldn't see anything threatening. Yet. She forced her fear back, determined not to let its icy claws grip her.

She walked across the hallway and into the women's bathroom.

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[roses-bleues.livejournal.com]

Diva opened the door to the hallway and let it swing slowly open. After all, although her senses were more pronounced than a human's, she still couldn't see all that well in the dark, and she had moved out of the flashlights' glow.

Normally, the girl had every tendency to wander on her own at a whim. This time. though, she looked back and forth down the hallways before turning around and waving her hand at the others. "Come look, come look. I told you." The little human female that the man had brought out was so -

Diva fixed her gaze on Rika, and her long, blue hair.

"I love that color. You're just like a doll! How pretty."

[neverreallyfit.livejournal.com]

Sam offered Rika what he hoped was a reassuring smile, though the glance he shot Dean on the heels of it was dark with solemn concern, and not a little anger. If ever there was a question of what the younger hunter might think of a child being trapped along with the rest of them, the answer was clear enough in the look. He said nothing on the subject, however, opening instead with a quiet, dry, "Next time, you get to stay with the crazy chick."

Sam glanced past the pair at the bathroom door, frowning speculatively. "It's running through the pipes?" he asked, unease colouring the request for confirmation. "Thought it smelled like a slaughterhouse when you opened the door, but that..." He trailed off with a shake of his head.

Diva's hailing caught his attention before he could spare much more thought for the possible sources of such contamination. He lifted one shoulder in a small, helpless shrug and turned about, heading down the hall to see just what had so snared the woman's interest.

[thehellismycar.livejournal.com]

"No way, man," he laughed, breaking out the customary grin. "The crazies dig you. Besides, she doesn't quite fit the description. Remember that blonde acquaintance of ours?" He was referring, of course, to Meg. Or the demon controlling her, whatever. Leaning closer to his brother, he instinctively squeezed Rika's hand as his gaze shifted to the other girl. "I'm surprised at you, Sam. Blamin' the kid when she can't help bein' how she is."

Green eyes traveled aloft, a grimace forming as a single question continued to undulate – where was the blood coming from? "Yeah. Just when you start thinkin' things couldn't get any weirder..."

Diva was fervent to lead them elsewhere. He couldn't really blame her; they'd been in the F Block for a few minutes now, and they hadn't gained leeway in their exploration. Even if a sledgehammer were in their possession, pipe surveillance would be stupid. They had to locate the source, the bloodbath itself, and Dean had a hunch...

"Rika," he quietly spoke down at the girl, as though Diva hadn't made the doll comment. His first thought was to distract the older girl from interacting with the younger one. She was messed in the head, and, frankly, Dean had the impression her erratic actions were akin in likeness to a bomb; if she suddenly lost her composure, he'd definitely feel more comfortable knowing he was in the line of fire, and no one else. "This is Sam, my brother. He's gonna take care o' you." He released her fragile hand, giving her a gentle nudge in the other man's direction. "We're all workin' together tonight, so don't worry, we won't be separating." A momentary look settled on Sam, holding a hint of warning that he should assume the duty without complaint, for Rika's sake. He swayed a little before moving toward the neglected member in their party.

"Diva, what's up?" He frowned, honestly interested. "What is it you wanna show us?"

[endlessjune.livejournal.com]

She had thought that the others might disapprove of Dean bringing a child to them, and it looked like she was right when the other man gave her a smile and then turned to glare (she thought he was glaring, anyway) at Dean. But how could she blame them? For all intents and purposes, Rika really was a helpless child. There was no point in trying to inform them of her true age or nature, was there?

The doll comment made by the adult female actually intrigued Rika, rather than offending her. A doll? That was the first time anyone called her something like that. It seemed to be a compliment, at any rate, so she took it as one and smiled back at the older woman.

At Dean's instructions, Rika nodded again and wandered over to Sam, giving him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Mii, thank you for taking me with you. I'll do my best not to get in your way," Rika politely said, returning her attention to the woman so she knew where they were going next.

[roses-bleues.livejournal.com]

Diva didn't think a child had ever smiled right at her before, and she smiled back too before Dean's form blocked the little doll from sight. So many fun people to play with! Amshel would probably disapprove, after all, there was blood everywhere and that usually meant lots of lots of humans. And a hospital and doctor people... It was a mystery! Like one of the plays Nathan would blabber about. A good performance required mystery, intrigue, and a beautiful detective. She was not - in Nathan's taste - a pretty boy, nor terribly interested in whatever paradox Landel's offered, but the thought struck her all the same.

She looked up into Dean's face. It was difficult to pigeonhole Diva for a variety of reasons, not the least of which included her apparent lack of intelligence versus whatever truth there was to be found.

"That's really awful, thinking ill of me," said the Chiropteran. Her voice had dropped to mimic the human's exchange with his blood relation. "Are you scared of me already?" Only a game, of course. She rarely had serious conversations with her own Chevaliers, and never with humans.

She hopped back a step.

_{[continuing to LOL out in the hall (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/217123.html?page=2#comments)]}