damned_institute | Nightshift 27: 2nd Floor Hallway near Medical Reference Library and Railed Area

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Nightshift 27: 2nd Floor Hallway near Medical Reference Library and Railed Area

[from here]

Once they were safely at the top of the stairs, Ritsuka flicked on his flashlight and swept the area. It was probably unwise to announce their position, but he needed to know where he was. For all the times Ritsuka had been up here, he had never really gotten very far and his memory was fuzzy. Somewhere to his right was the pharmacy, near the railing, where he needed to stop for supplies for Tamaki.

Whether he should stop there first or after their explorations, however, was the problem. Turning to the right, he started forward and tried not to show any fear. He wanted to get things done tonight, even if it meant facing the worst that Landel's had to offer. He just hoped he wouldn't have to do that just yet.

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Surprised, Ritsuka almost took a step back when Soubi suddenly crouched before him. It was a strange gesture he was all too familiar with. Part of him wanted to protest when Soubi kneeled, but another part was happy for it. For once they were on the same level and he could look Soubi directly in the eyes. While he could never fully tell if Soubi was lying, he always thought it was easier to accept if he could see the man's eyes.

Soubi's words made him feel a bit better and he nodded, trying to smile for the older man. "I know. Just be careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt."

He'd seen too many people get bloodied trying to help him and he'd been the cause of Alfons' and Miku's injuries once. He never wanted to do that again. Besides, he was Soubi's Sacrifice even if Soubi wasn't his Fighter and it was his job to take the damage while Soubi fought. "I'll do my best, Soubi. I promise."

Soubi was aware of Ritsuka's urge to take a step back. He was the boy tense, tip back just a little. It kind of hurt, but the fact that Ritsuka restrained himself made up for it a little.

"Me too," he nodded. He meant it about everything. Not wanting Ritsuka hurt and wanting to do his best. And it meant a lot to him that Ritsuka was going to try hard, but it didn't mean he'd let Ritsuka get involved if he could help it. This wasn't their world of Battle Systems.

Pulling Soubi back to his feet, he slipped his hand into his and started walking again. He wondered how things would work here now that Fighters were roaming about. He'd felt Soubi enter the room - the ringing in his ears was familiar even if the pain hadn't been. How much more had changed?

As they approached the railing, Ritsuka thought he heard something going on below. He'd seen a fight before, but for now he avoided looking over. The sounds from below were terrifying and he didn't think he needed to start traumatizing himself this early in the evening.

"...I wonder if it even works here," he said absently as he walked along.

Maybe Landels wasn't such a bad place after all. Ritsuka seemed to show a little more affection here and seemed to willingly accept it from Soubi too. Not completely, but a little more than before.

Soubi had been so tense in the car, he could feel his life drain away, he was so uncertain of the future as they headed to Goura. Usually had no need to worry about anything but his Sacrifice, but, with the way events had been unfolding, nothing made sense anymore. If only they could run away. Soubi could belong to Ritsuka forever.

Unlike Ritsuka, Soubi gave in to Morbid curiosity, but he could make much out from where he was and he definitely wasn't letting go of Ritsuka, just to watch people he had no concern about.

"We'll have to wait and see," he said, though he wasn't sure it was much use. He'd tried, when he was alone, to form spells. Small ones. But there was that terrible lack or presence. He didn't want to take away Ritsuka's hope, however, so he wasn't going to say anything.

They reached the end of the railing and Ritsuka stopped, looking up at Soubi. He should know whether or not the spells would work here. It was his skill after all. If there was one thing Ritsuka couldn't stand, it was not knowing the important things.

"Does it work here or not?" he asked plainly, hoping for a frank answer. If he was useless to Soubi as a Sacrifice, then they should stop at the pharmacy for supplies. Although Ritsuka hated the idea of fighting, he was slowly coming to the realization that it was a necessary evil here.

Soubi stopped and looked down at Ritsuka. He hesitated. That was another thing he wasn't used to. Once upon a time, he'd been the perfect Fighter. He could be again if Ritsuka would just take the reigns. But this was a surprisingly good start. It showed that Ritsuka was aware of their duties and relying on Soubi. Not from the position of a child, but a Sacrifice.

"I don't think so," he admitted, shaking his head. "I should have some degree of power, even outside the Battle System, but so far I haven't had any success. It might require a drastic situation, or the company of others from our world, I'm not sure. But it doesn't matter, I wont let anything hurt you."

It was strange to think he should be thanking Yohji and Natsuo for anything, but they had been the ones to teach him the most about the roles of Fighter and Sacrifice. Maybe they hadn't been the nicest about it, but he had learned things and that's what mattered in the long run.

So the spells weren't working? That meant they were essentially running around unarmed, and that worried him. "I know, but I'm not going to let you get beat up just to protect me when we can avoid it." He wondered why it was easier to be honest about things like this than about other stuff. Everyone said he'd understand when he got older, but he hated that phrase. "There's a pharmacy behind the door two over from the end and lockers next to it. I got attacked in the locker room before, but the pharmacy had supplies that you might be able to use."

And the locker room might have cigarettes for Soubi to steal, but Ritsuka wasn't sure if he wanted to tell him that. He hated the smell of smoke and being here might be a good way for the man to quit.

"You think I'll get beat up?" Soubi asked, amused. "Spells aren't the only way of Fighting, Ritsuka." He was more than happy to use a bit of brute force if the need arose.

He nodded to this new information. He had the same thoughts as Ritsuka about the locker room. Apart from the bit about quitting. This would be the worst place to do such a thing, he'd be in Solitary in no time if he didn't have something to suck on.
Damn it, Kio, where are you?

"Well try the pharmacy first, see what we can get. Then I'll check out the locker room. Where will your camera be?"

"And you haven't seen the things that are here," he said, trying to save himself from the jumble he'd just made. His face was burning and he quickly looked away, thankful that it was dark here even with Soubi's flashlight casting its dim glow around the area. "...still, it'd be better to be armed."

He tugged Soubi over toward the pharmacy door and tested the lock, not all that surprised to find it locked again. A little force and the door would break open as it had the night before when he'd been here. Taking his flashlight, he held it in both hands and cracked the butt of it down onto the handle. He was more than a little mortified that, despite the noise, the handle didn't give way. He really wished he was bigger like his brother. "...so it's here, but my camera will be somewhere else. I don't really know where. Someone said they'd been there and that it was a room full of boxes that are labeled with numbers."

"It makes no difference to me." He'd fight some random mecha thing in the sky if it was to protect his Sacrifice. It didn't matter if he stood an obvious chance or not. But he couldn't deny that sometimes weaponry was useful.

Soubi had been about to bach the door down himself when Ritsuka took over. he was quite surprised ~~and maybe a little turned on~~ when Ritsuka took the torch and hit it against the handle like a little professional. However, when he failed, it took a lot of lip biting not to laugh. He ushered Ritsuka out of the way. With one hand on the handle and a shoulder against the door, he tested his strength and then pulled back and rammed himself into it.

The door swung open and he stepped back, wordlessly. But the smirk was too hard to resist. He put a hand on Ritsuka's shoulder and listened out. He couldn't hear anything, so he switched his torch on and shone it in the room, taking a step forward (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/229659.html).

[Returning from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/229659.html?view=16194331#t16194331).]

Soubi checked the hall once more, nothing had changed. New sounds were coming from below, but still nothing to concern him. He moved towards the next door, keeping a tight hold of Ritsuka's hand. Stopping in front, he out the bag down.
"What shall we do with these?" he asked, not wanting to take the lead in decisions. Ritsuka needed confidence and he wasn't going to get it if Soubi kept making suggestions. However, he couldn't protect Ritsuka with his hands full.

It wasn't that Ritsuka felt unsafe with Soubi, he just had unpleasant memories that were difficult to overcome. The enemy had been unseen and icy cold, coming out of nowhere to attack because Ritsuka had been careless. Following Soubi out of the pharmacy, Ritsuka tried his best to look nonchalant as they approached the locker room. The creature had probably already moved on anyway, right?

"I'll take them and keep them safe until we find something else that's useful. We might be able to find bags or something in here, so we should try it." There, that sounded confident - not quite an order, but definitely a plan. It was a start, or so he hoped. Taking the bag Soubi put down, he flicked off his flashlight and stuck that into his pocket. The radio was still silent, making Ritsuka wonder if tonight it was just the Doctor who'd be making the clues.

Soubi smiled at Ritsuka, who was beginning to sound a little better about the situation. He waited until the boy had the bags and appeared to be ready, before he tested the door. Locked, of course. Taking the position he had with the previous door, he surged all his weight into it and it crashed open, pulling him inside (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/231536.html).

Soubi peered out of the room. Yet again he was greeted by the sight of a dark and dangerless Hall. He stepped out and held a hand out to Ritsuka.
"Where next?"

Juggling the bags and the soda can was difficult, but he sunk one of the plastic bags into the rucksack Soubi had given him and it made it easier. He looked like a hobo. Tamaki had better be able to use this stuff. He sipped the soda again, glad that the hallway was dark because it covered his almost pleased blush. Stepping up next to Soubi, but unable to take the hand offered, he looked ahead and pointed down the dark hall away from the railing. "That way. I've never made it past here, but there's a laundry room up ahead and some other rooms there. That's what I saw on the map Miku gave me earlier."

He needed to update that thing soon. Surely someone else had to know where more things were, right? Taking a slight lead, he started down the hall around the corner of the locker room. So far the night had been relatively productive.

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Nightshift 27: 2nd Floor Hallway near Medical Reference Library and Railed Area

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