Day 28: Bus 2

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

Momo tugged on the collar of the light blue sweater she was wearing as she followed her nurse to wherever these buses were, winding her hair up into its customary bun as she went. It was an odd feeling, knowing she was about to go outside of the institute's borders. Maybe the Head Doctor was about to make an error and the shinigami, as well as everyone else, would no longer be limited and they could finish what they started several nights back.

That was probably too much to hope for. She was feeling better this morning, even with the blood moon, and was mildly looking forward to the bus ride. Captain Jack said he was going to be here this morning and even if it wasn't customary breakfast in the cafeteria, she's be satisfied with him sitting next to her on the bus.


The nurse handed her a muffin, some napkins, and a small box with a straw. She stared at this box for a moment before shaking it. From the sound it contained liquid. How odd... Momo wasn't sure why they would but liquid inside a small paper box - it didn't make any sense to her and she wasn't sure how one was supposed to get it out of the box.

Clambering onto an empty bus, Momo chose to sit in the very back near the emergency exit. Maybe she could force her way out of it as they were moving and escape the limiter enough to come back and level the institute, freeing everyone. Or maybe she just wanted to be able to see everyone that was on the same bus as her. Wishful thinking versus reality.

Comments

[gentiana-clusii.livejournal.com]

Ken didn't consider himself picky when it came to clothing, but what the nurse had surprised him with this morning was almost enough to make him rethink that opinion. He looked like a colorblind raver. The lime-green shirt was bad enough, tight enough that it would be more at home in Yohji's closet than his, but the white vest was just pushing it. He'd been given a denim jacket as well, nearly enough to hide the eye-blinding combination under.

The narrow bus aisle was difficult to manage with crutches, but Ken moved toward the back with his muffin and juice box anyway. He figured he might as well make an attempt at being social, since there was only one other person on the bus.

"Morning," Ken said absently, falling into one of the seats nearby. If the girl didn't want to talk, then he would just wait for someone else to show up.

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

"Good morning," Momo replied automatically, though she was somewhat distracted by the juice box in her hands. It was such an odd contraption. She turned the box over and peered at it, pulling the plastic straw off its side.

The shinigami held the little plastic package containing the straw up in the light and tilted her head at it. Did they expect her to somehow gets the tiny edge of the weak plastic straw through the thick paper that the liquid was contained in? She set the juice box onto the seat next to her where her muffin sat so she could use both hands to extract the straw from it's cellophane confinement.

... and promptly dropped the thing, still in its packaging, onto the floor.

"Oh no!" Momo exclaimed, flustered that she couldn't quite figure the whole juice box thing out. She leaned over and attempted to find where the straw had run off to.

[arc-wrench.livejournal.com]

Nothing had gotten done! He hadn't killed anything last night! Not even SubZero!

All pacifism and no violence made HK a grumpy little boy. It didn't help that he was now wearing some meatbag's pre-owned clothes. He had been given some faded black denim pants and an over-large t-shirt with some music group's logo on it. It was some sort of cross done up in red, with a little blocky figure in it. possibly a letter. R? He didn't enjoy being befuddled by his clothing.

And he had an old plaid shirt over that. It smelled like musty wool. Taking his rather meager breakfast, he boarded a transport that looked fairly empty. He took a seat half-way back, and started trying to figure out how to get the juice box to work.

[theycutitout.livejournal.com]

The clothing she was given to wear into town was actually not unlike to frocks she'd donned aboard Serenity. A flouncy, red, plaid skirt that fell just down to her knees with a simple, white, button-down shirt that was covered with an overly-large, red sweater with sleeves that were long enough to cover her hands. The white knee socks and old, brown loafers almost completed the ensemble. Very modest. Very early century school girl.

Pleased nonetheless with her attire, River pranced onto the school bus as though she'd just had a full night sleep along with some pleasant dreams to boot. She flashed her most impish brightest smile at Daemon before adopting the posture that was needed for her latest experiment. Coming to a rigid halt next to HK, River's usually lively face became a mask of careful indifference.

"Statement: It is against my programming to engage in meatbag displays of pleasantries. Query: Are you the unit that I spoke with over the primitive, meatbag messenging system?" she asked, her voice as completely devoid of emotion as her expression.

[thesadist]

Whatever realm this institute was in, they certainly had different fashion sense than any one he was used to, Daemon decided, as he glanced around at what the others were wearing, then down at his own outfit.

The trousers were made of an oddly comfortable material Daemon had never seen before - one the nurse had called denim - and was at least in his customary shade of black. The white cotton button-up shirt that she'd provided was a little more casual than he was used to, but comfortable all the same, and he left the first several buttons undone in the informal style he was used to back home. All in all, the change of clothing was a relief, and something one of the boyos might have picked to lounge about the Keep in back home. While it wasn't his customary look, he didn't mind it all that much.

Dark hair gathered back off his face and bound at the nape of his neck with the elastic that had held the writing utensils, he made his way outside, only to stop and stare at the strange, bright yellow carriages waiting for them. These, then, must be the 'buses' the nurse had mentioned. He wondered how many horses it would take to pull one? Or how much Craft was required to control it? Or was this one of those machines that ran without Craft?

The whole thing was rather bewildering, and he cast the carraige a dubious, skeptical look as he mounted the steps inside and found an empty seat to make himself comfortable.

Such strange things these other realms had...

[highlord-ofhell.livejournal.com]

Being awakened at this hour of the morning after such a useless night... Mother Night! The nurse was lucky he didn't have his full powers. He grumbled at her good cheer. He frowned at the clothing she thrust into his hands. At least the woman had the good sense to let him dress with only the dubious company of his sour roommate.

There didn't seem to be anything odd about the trousers except that they were a bit too big around the hips, and he'd been given no belt. Well, there were worse things than having to keep in mind that his trousers didn't slide down. The shirt--well, it wasn't exactly a shirt--it was almost as heavy as a sweater but the same oddly machined fabric as the Landel's uniforms. It was a green not found often in nature with a smiling pumpkin on the front with an oddly intelligent-looking and again insanely cheerful bat perched upon it. He reasoned it could be worse.

In the hallway, the nurse handed him his breakfast. He ignored it for the moment while he tried to locate his son or that strange girl on one of the carriages. He knew these were some kind of mechanical devices and not Craft-powered, but he spared barely a thought for them. There. He entered the second in the line as he approached Daemon, who was already seated.

"Are you prepared for this small adventure?" he asked, letting the irony of the situation seep into his tone.

[paranoiatic.livejournal.com]

Thanks to everything he'd heard and read during the day, Stork had stayed hidden in his room the entire night. The taunting on the radio and intercom had kept him ... company, if that was the right word, and instead of just cowering under the sheets like he wanted he'd taken up his journal and pens and flashlight and started sketching possible weapons, armor, and ammunition he could craft while here.

If he ever found a source of scrap metal, anyway. Sure, he could tear apart his bed, but that would still leave him with finding metalworking tools to craft with, and most important of all, crystals to power any weapons with.

Although he'd looked his little radio over again and again and hadn't found any crystals. Maybe they were internally mounted?

When morning came (with such a sudden shock that it nearly made him tear his sheets apart) and with it, a nurse with a pile of clothing, Stork asked if he could just stay inside.

"Certainly not," said the nurse, handing him the clothes with a chiding smile. "Unless you're really sick, we want you to get out and explore! It's not good for you to be cooped up all day long."

"That's what you're doing by keeping us here," he said, looking through the clothes skeptically, wondering what kind of horrible germs were lurking on these. (They looked used.)

"And that's why we're letting you take a trip to Doyleton. Now, get changed! You'll have breakfast on the bus."

... whatever the clothes were made of, it wasn't familiar to him. Still, they were distinctly less humiliating than bland gray and a bright yellow smiley face, and so with some hesitation, Stork pulled them on. The stiff-materialed blue-ish pants were a little big (although not too long) and the sleeveless shirt similar, but the warmer, long-sleeved, thicker shirt they gave him (the nurse called it a sweatshirt) was ridiculously huge. He was going to drown in it.

On the bus, Stork scrambled to the back and cowered in his seat, eyeing the food in the paper bag suspiciously. He was ... kind of hungry, given that he hadn't eaten properly since arriving here, but who knew what kind of hellish diseases lurked in the depths of this ... this ... stuff?

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

[Mind if Phibby joins you?]

Phibrizzo was a bit annoyed to wake up without causing a painful death to befall the cat, but once he realized he still had his scalpels and cigarettes, his anger subsided somewhat. His wounds were dressed and he was given a slightly oversized sweatshirt with the images of various barnyard animals to wear with jeans. How...strange.

Taking his breakfast and juice box, the Mazoku lord was quick to find himself a seat mate to torment, lest this ride prove to be boring and uneventful. Smiling sweetly at Stork, he ventured, "This seat taken?"

[heartcrown.livejournal.com]

Dress for fall? Kairi had been surprised to hear such a thing. Fall on the islands was always the same as every other season. It was always hot, no matter what time of year. When the nurse came in holding some clothes, the once Princess took them with curious eyes and went to changing in silence.

Now sitting on the bus in a large gray sweatshirt, a black scarf, a knee length skirt, and a pair of boots, Kairi couldn’t help but wonder what this fall season was like. Oh, how she longed for the heat of the sun on the beach.

She had chosen a seat relatively close to the front of the bus, so she could see whoever came in. Kairi’s fingers pressed gently against the cold glass of the window as her eyes peered around at the outside world.

What was the town they were going to like?

[bond-off-lame.livejournal.com]

Morning had come all too soon for the redhead's tastes, stretched out on his bed like he'd just won a rigorous game of Twister. Fortunately, the redhead awoke from his slumber before the nurse meandered in, which ultimately would've gotten his new weapon confiscated. Axel, having no sense of time, shoved the chakram under his mattress only moments before the door opened to reveal the woman's being smile.

"Today's the day, Mr. Flynn." The first thing he found rather out of place was the set of clothes she had in her possession. Before the Nobody could ask exactly what was in the mess the pile was quickly shoved into his hands. Of course, decency and dignity were non-existent in this hospital, quickly dressing and tapping the tips of his shoes once he got them on. The attire was plain at best, a faded pair of jeans with a normal shirt and a worn green argyle sweater to finish the picture. However, having worn nothing but that godforsaken uniform ever since he arrived, Axel couldn't find it in him to complain.

Still somewhat bleary-eyed, he was soon escorted out the room, giving a fleeting glance at Ashton before he was herded down the Hallway and out of the door. If all went well then his roommate's wounds would heal within a few days time, but it'd still hurt like hell.

It wasn't until he actually stepped on the bus, juice box and muffin at hand, did he remember about the trip the head doctor had been boasting about yesterday. Well at least they were getting some change in scenery.

Only a blind person couldn't see that familiar shade of red seated near the front, his groggy expression dissipating into a tired grin before he wandered over to the latter and flopped down next to her.

"So I see it was a girl's night out last night."

[deathinvitation.livejournal.com]

Sephiroth couldn't say that he really minded the bus. He'd ridden in much worse during his time in Shin-Ra's army. Walked through worse if one wanted the truth. The change in clothing had been likewise accepted without a complaint. He was pleased to make it back to wearing something that wasn't just grey. While the black jeans were ragged at the knee and ankle, he was content with them.

There was a reason for Sephiroth's passivity today, and it wasn't druggings. Since arriving at Landel's, he'd been lucky so far in avoiding nurses with needles although there had been a few close calls such as with the Turk and his friend. No, Sephiroth had plans which probably didn't bode well for anyone. The next move was Kadaj's and Cloud's, although he was willing to speed things up himself if necessary.

[jei.livejournal.com]

Farfarello was a little disappointed that neither Schuldig, nor Artemis, nor the ShinRa bastard appeared to be on the bus he'd been hustled onto. He wanted to make sure his partner and Artemis were still in one piece after a night without his help, though he was a lot more concerned about Artemis in that sense than he was about Schuldig, and he wanted to point and laugh at ShinRa's busted nose. That had been worth the sedation, it really had.

In fact, he only saw one especially familiar face, in his cursory glance around the bus. Despite the reasonably mellow note their last communication had ended on, it was probably a really, really bad idea to approach Sephiroth.

And yet, that's exactly what Farfarello did. He was, after all, a masochist. So he sat himself down next to the silver-haire general and rummaged about in his bagged breakfast. "Yo."

[bigshotbarret.livejournal.com]

Barret was pissed. Really pissed. Seeing red pissed. He didn't know if Rufus was saved, or if his team was ok. Once again, another nightshift lost with virtually nothing accomplished except intervening between Reno and Yuffie to prevent death and bloodshed. Not that he didn't feel she needed a smack upside the head at the very least, but death-by-Turk was something he wasn't prepared to allow to happen. They had bigger problems.

The clothing given was a much needed improvement from the smiley pieces of shit they wore day-to-day, but the fact that the clothes he wore now were a bit on the tight side left him nearly squirming. He was pissed, AND he was chaffing. Pissed was now an understatement.

He was wary more than ever, keeping a careful eye trained on an enemy every so often, just to make sure he didn't flip his script and go cruisin' to give a bruisin'. He wanted to see his teammates, see Rufus to make sure they were at the very least...still alive.

[robin-fox.livejournal.com]

Robin's nurse had sat down with him and they'd discussed his behaviour. After promising (convincingly) that he'd behave, she decided not to dose him up on any of the small sweets they gave to trouble makers to slow them down.

Although she looked like she wanted to change her mind when Robin was given his clothes. Dungarees, she'd called them. And she'd given him a woolly red jumper to keep him warm and 'doc martins'. Heavy boots, but sturdy. They slowed him down a little, actually. It wouldn't be enough, of course, but it was a subtle start.

Robin wandered onto the bus. He was a little worried about the disappearing boy from last night, but he was learning to have faith. Spotting a familiar face, he sat down and smiled.

"Big bear, you don't look happy. Bad night?"

[a_sin_for_him]

Lust was less than pleased. Not because of the lack of progress made the night before - it wasn't her fault the radio man had offered nothing! - or because of the plans for the day.

No, it was the brown wool dress that covered her from chin to ankle that the nurse had thrown at her. Even cinching the belt as tightly as she could around her waist didn't improve matters much. But it was better than those ridiculous uniforms.

The event itself had her interest. She knew the first floor of the institute in and out, and she was familiar with the second, but the town? This was something new. Stabbing her juice box with a straw, Lust sat on the bus and stared out the window, curious as to what the day would bring.

[adorkabledragon.livejournal.com]

Keman woke feeling quite refreshed. The night they had spent in Valyn's room had probably done them a lot more good than a night spent exploring the building.

When his nurse came in bearing a pile of folded clothes, he smiled and thanked her sincerely. The uniforms had never really bothered him--clothes were clothes, after all--but it would be nice to get away from the slightly deranged-looking face...things for a while.

A few minutes later, the young dragon was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a green collared t-shirt that the nurse had insisted he cover with a lumpy gray hoodie. Once he set foot outside the big double doors in the front of the building, he understood why.

The air held a distinct chill to it--there had probably been a frost during the night. From the red and gold leaves that covered the trees (and the ground directly under them), and the way the sun slanted in the sky, he could tell that outside the walls of Landel's Institute, it was Autumn.

The strange yellow...metal...things idling in front of the building stopped him in his tracks. What were they? There were people inside of them, so they were...carriages? Without horses?

Horseless carriages as big as an adolescent dragon. Huh. This was new.

Keman didn't have long to gawk. His nurse was hurrying him into one of them without even letting him look for his sister or the others.

"You'll see them in town. Go on, Calvin! You don't want to be late for the field trip, do you?"

Well, he decided mournfully as he picked the first available seat (without even looking who he was sitting next to), he would be able to see them in town. Draconic magic sounded so unlike the others' that if he sparked something, they'd know for sure that it was him.

Sitting slump-shouldered in a sweatshirt that might've fit a linebacker but hung off his scarecrow-like frame in baggy folds, Keman looked like any other teenage boy.

[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

It wasn't that Usopp thought things had gone perfectly last night, but they'd certainly gone well. Weapons made, a few more projects struck off the list, and now a new place to explore. And exploring was fun. Exploring was great. There was absolutely no point in dressing him up in sweatpants and a baggy flannel shirt, then handing him a bag that was filled with food, if they were just being herded onto the buses to make it easier to gas everyone at once, or to lock the doors and send the bus careening over a cliff, or to take them to a new testing center even worse than Landel's where the leeches were the size of Usopp and...

The nurses, with polite cajoling and a bit of pushing, managed to get him on the bus and in a seat despite his protests concerning the sudden flare-up of his chronic 'I cannot go on this field trip or I'll die' disease. Finally placed, he was shaking and staring out the windows, trying not to hyperventilate. Think about Sai smacking you on the back last night. That was funny, right? ...Poor Sai will die without ever really understanding what friendship is!

Usopp was definitely not going to start crying on the bus. Definitely. He bit his lower lip and chewed, though not hard enough to draw blood.

Could he slip through one of those weird, thin windows if he had to...?

[roger-hug.livejournal.com]

((ooc: hope you don't mind a cheerful blonde. ^^;;;))

Bridget didn't know why everyone seemed so unhappy. They were going somewhere! Outside this place! They even got to wear fun clothing! He looked happily down at his own. White button up shirt covered by a pink sweater vest and tan pants with white sneakers. He thought he looked rather nice. Of course, as a boy who normally ran around in a nun's habit and mini skirt, his ideas on fashion were a bit ... odd

He picked a seat beside a boy with a long nose who looked like he was about to have a fit.

"Hi!" He smiled cheerfully. "I'm Bridget! What's your name?"

[0bnoxious.livejournal.com]

Growling upon awakening almost seemed like a normal routine in the morning. Albel woke up in a foul mood, pissed at the blonde maggot who had stopped him from defeating that decaying wench. Why did that idiot insisted on meddling anyway? It was only some nurse changed into a monster. He was merely going to put her out of her misery!

But no! That worm decided to throw furniture around and generally being an annoying pain the ass.

Scum!

Speaking of scum, a day-time wench entered his room (Albel barely managed to hide the knife he was holding) and greeted him with a smile so cheery that it should have been forbidden. The Elicoorian eyed the clothes she was holding, only for him to remember they were supposed to go on a field-trip today. Figures they'd have some useless activity again.

With a scoff he climbed out of bed and changed into his new clothing. He was given faded black jeans along with a lime-green shirt, but both garments were way too baggy for Albel's thin form. After having to listen to his nurse's prattling that 'he should gain some weight' he was finally escorted to one of the yellow vehicles outside. Albel didn't knew what they were -- nor did he care. He wanted to get this useless activity over with.

He plopped down on a random chair and began to eat his sad excuse for lunch.

[damned-ivy.livejournal.com]

It really seemed that Hakkai had gotten luckier than most with his clothes, seeing as they all fit. Of course, with the plaid flannel shirt, black combat boots, and torn up jeans, he looked rather like a renegade grunge rocker, but that was beside the point.

He was directed onto a bus by his nurse, nudged toward a seat, and told to 'play nice.' Right. At least the breakfast wasn't anything too heavy.

[mylackofeffort.livejournal.com]

Once again, Quatre was disappointed by the activities of the night before. Nothing had gotten accomplished. He woke up in his room and stayed there, waiting for the nurse to come.

The outfit they had him in wasn't too terrible. He was thankful for that at least. Simple blue jeans and a red t-shirt. They were more worn though, previously owned. Not that he minded. It was nice to be out of the happy faced gray.

He got onto the bus and looked around for signs of his comrades, seeing none (though he did smile at his roommate) he moved to an empty seat to sit and look out the window.

[onestarknight.livejournal.com]

[hope you don't mind a sleepy bookworm!]

Just as Touma was about to ask if they had some sort of warning bell to return to their rooms, the sudden shift back to his room answered that question. Or, more accurately, the prodding, pleading, and physical shaking answered that question. He had gone to bed in the wee hours of the morning, and now this nurse insisted he get up at the crack of dawn.

He got dressed slower than he usually would to annoy the woman. The polo, sweater, and jeans didn't bother him too much, considering they were pretty high fashion for 1987.

Shoving a paper sack in his hand, she herded him onto one of the buses and into a seat next to a blond kid about his age. "Now try not to fall asleep on Mr. Bedeau, Mr. Fujimori," she admonished, still thinking he would drop off any minute.

[blazingsword.livejournal.com]

This time, Jean was actually relieved when she'd found herself in bed. They'd had no reason to anticipate the spider's presence. She'd also managed to grab two baseball bats, which she hid as soon as she saw the door open. One would make a good weapon; the other she intended to save as material for the alchemists.

She was surprised when the nurse came in holding a bundle of clothing--she'd thought they would have been going in their uniforms, but apparently they were to at least try and blend in. Eyeing the bright orange sweatshirt (was that a stain on the sleeve she saw?) and almost too tight green leggings, Jean found their effort lacking. She missed her flowing sleeves and skirts.

The nurse, mistaking her contemplation for loitering, took her by the arm and led her out to one of three big yellow vehicles, handed her some food, and then left. Finally.

Jean peered out the window. Maybe she could make a map of the town and speak to Hitsugaya-taicho or someone else about escape routes? It did seem useless at face value, but it was a good idea to know the area of the town so no obstacles came up.

[jurisfictional.livejournal.com]

Thursday had been surprised, to say the least, to see a giant spider lunging at her one moment and wake up in her bed, still clutching the bats and helmet, the next. She'd acted quickly, though, once she'd gotten over the initial shock, and stuffed the loot in her closet under a pile of T-shirts. Briefly, she'd wondered how she was going to get the stuff to Captain Kuchiki, but before she could worry about it further, her nurse had arrived.

And now she was standing at the front of the bus, wearing a disgustingly floral blouse and worn, overlarge brown slacks, clutching a muffin and a handful of coupons, and looking distinctly disgruntled. Just because she was bloody fifty-two didn't mean they had to dress her like her mother!

She did, however, recognise one of the younger women who had been in her group last night. Thursday made her way down the aisle, smiling slightly. A familiar face was better than nothing.

"Jean, was it?" she asked as she neared. It rather looked as if Thursday had fared slightly better in terms of clothing. "I'd say good morning, but I don't think it is, really. Is this seat taken?"

[blacksustenance.livejournal.com]

The problem with having a packed lunch for a change was that Brock had mowed through it within minutes of sitting down.

He was starving. After a real night's rest, combined with the symbiote's frantic efforts to go overtime on his body, his metabolism was shooting way off the charts now and all he could think of was food first, Parker next, and kicking Kasady's hick ass last. It didn't matter what kind of food was given to him or if he even liked it - Brock knew he'd eat anything and everything that was human food at this point because his body was so calorie starved right now it wasn't even funny. But he could at least walk without limping and he felt a lot more clear-headed and just better, aside from the fact that he was eyeing everyone else's lunches and debating swiping them when they weren't looking.

Pretty low, even for him. But hey, he was hungry and he'd have a better use for that then they would.

Brock still couldn't believe he was actually riding in a school bus. He hadn't been on one of this suckers since high school and his memories about them weren't great: brats surrounding you from all sides, yelling, screaming, giggling and the occasional spitball and wad of paper flying through the air, and you in the seat the whole time hoping you weren't going to be the unlucky one all that crap fell on. Unlike a certain Spider, he hadn't gotten super powers and that bus? The only way he had to get to school.

And now he was back on the Magic School bus, headed for some town with a bunch of fellow freaks, and wondering when he was going to get something to eat around here. Maybe he could swipe Parker's lunch; he didn't even need to act sneaky about that because anything that was Parker's, why, he'd just help himself.

Speaking of Parker: still no sign of him, Brock realized, glancing around, his stomach growling. No sign of Kasady either. Which brought him to another point; he found something that could give him an edge, the kind of cheap-kick-in-the-nads edge he was looking for, then he'd have to mount an attack tonight, while Kasady thought they were still down and out.

Brock sighed. Assuming there was anything he could use in this town in the first place. Actually, the sane thing to do would be to book it the hell out of here but he had the feeling he wouldn't get far, not weakened like this.

[beautyforhire.livejournal.com]

Nadie may have survived her first night, but she still knew relatively little about Landel’s. Like, for starters, how’d she get back in her room? She distinctly remembered being in the Sun Room with Max in the others, fighting against that… thing. Ugh, this stupid asylum just kept getting weirder and weirder!

Because of that, the bounty hunter actually would’ve preferred staying indoors instead of going on this ‘trip’. Where exactly where they going, anyways? Well, at least she’d be able to change out of the gray clothes she had worn so far…

Heat wasn’t a problem for her, since she had spent a lot of time in Mexico. Cool weather, though, was another story. Thankfully, the red sweater, blue jeans, and brown boots she was wearing would be sure to keep her warm.

After being led outside, Nadie took in as much of her surroundings as she could before taking her ‘breakfast’ and stepping inside the bus. There was already a fair of people inside, most of which she hadn’t seen before. It didn’t seem like her roommate was here, either.

She hoped she was safe…

The bounty hunter then moved through the bus, eventually stopping next to a man with short blonde hair.

“Hi!” she said, giving him a small wave. “Is it okay if I sit with you?”

[hangenki.livejournal.com]

It was obvious to anyone looking that Kaoru wasn't in a good mood. The nurse was practically dragging him to the bus. His expression spoke volumes. He seemed to be glaring at the world itself.

Kaoru shuffled onto the bus and sat in the middle. Anyone who knew him would assume he'd find a place at the back where he could cause trouble. But today he wanted to be left alone. He sat by the window and propped his feet on the seat beside. He was even trying to convince himself that he didn't want his brother there. But he knew he'd cave. For now, however, he was going to be stubborn and turn everybody away.

He'd never felt or been as weak and humiliated as he'd been last night, taken down by a swarm of Dragonflies. He was covered in their bite marks, told by the nurses that he'd 'been bad', whatever they meant by that. They shoved pain killers down his throat when he refused to leave his room, using pain as an excuse. Truth was, he didn't know how to thank people or apologise for his attitude. Especially not Hikaru.

[totallytheseme.livejournal.com]

Hikaru's mood wasn't much better than Kaoru's. It was slightly improved by the fact that he was now wearing jeans, a gray sweater, and a scarf instead of those awful Landel's uniforms...but...

Well, they were just clothes. And what were clothes, when his brother had been so badly hurt the night before?

Whether it was twinsense or sheer luck he couldn't say, but Hikaru ended up on the same bus as his twin. He knew that Kaoru was probably feeling sulky about the night before, but he really hadn't had a choice. They'd needed help.

"Wanna switch today?" he asked, already combing his hair to the other side. It was as if last night had never even happened.

[rope-victim.livejournal.com]

Miku had slept relatively undisturbed throughout the night. Her dreams followed a chain of events, and when she awoke she felt well enough to smile just slightly more than usual. Best of all, her bandages had been removed from her arm. The skin was still scabbed and pink, but at least she could wiggle her fingers and not feel lip-biting pain.

"Aliiice!" Her nurse trilled as she handed Miku her clothing. "You're going to have such a good time on the field trip, won't you dear?" Miku blinked. Field trip...? Oh, yes, someone had mentioned that.

When the nurse turned so Miku could get dressed, the young woman moved quickly enough, embarrassed. The clothing, on further inspection, was almost... cute. Sure, the grey skirt was a little longer than usual for her but it had cute blue embroidery that matched the color of her long sleeved shirt. Her shoes were black, as were her jacket. Without complaint, Miku took her bagged breakfast and wandered down to the buses with the rest of the patients, finding a still-empty seat in the middle. The photographer looked out the window expectantly, watching for Alfons or Ritsuka.

[clockworkblond.livejournal.com]

Alfons, all things considered, had made out pretty well. He hadn't been injured in the fight, much to his surprise, and the clothes he'd gotten were exactly what he usually wore- white shirt, slacks, suspenders, and the usual shoes as well. With a sack lunch and a bright morning, it almost felt like when he was studying under Mr. Oberth. Almost.

But the buses were utterly unlike anything Alfons had ever seen, and his blue eyes were wide as he walked around it. It... it looked so futuristic! So post-modern! Alfons wanted to know how it worked, how it went, what it could do! Alas, the nurse kindly yet firmly moved the German onto the bus, wherein there were enough shiny new things to distract him and keep him moving. The floor was made out of some strange material, the seats were also different than what he'd expect, and there were lights, and... and it was all really strange.

At least there was a familiar face there. Sliding into the seat opposite of Miku's- as it was terribly impolite to sit right next to a girl!- he smiled at her. She looked well enough, what more could be asked for? And her outfit was... was a lot nicer than his. "Ah, good morning, Miku," he quietly said, feeling suddenly bashful. This was, after all, the first time they'd seen each other out of the shapeless gray of Landel's clothes.

[somber-secret.livejournal.com]

Well, last night had gone well. Hisoka's eyes snapped open as his nurse chirped a bright greeting and proceeded to poke and prod him from the bed. The boy scowled darkly, not only had they got nothing done, but they had not even started on the mission! It was a running theme, Hisoka suspected as he pulled on the new set of clothing his nurse had given him once he was alone.

On the bright side, he hadn't exactly gone against Tatsumi's orders considering he had never gone down to the basement.

The day was only made worse when he was given a packed lunch and escorted to brightly colored buses. He did not want to go on some stupid excursion! He wanted to plan and possibly nap, maybe even read, considering how little else there was to do during the day. Hisoka huffed as he found an empty seat near the back of the bus and sat down.

[icy-pole.livejournal.com]

Ami woke with a start, suddenly back in her room. Sitting up, she brushed her blue-black hair from her eyes, feeling the rough texture of a bandage across her forehead. Checking her body, she noticed that the wound to the back of her left hand had also been bandaged, but it hurt to flex her fingers. The stitches from the arrow wound two nights ago pulled, but the pain had subsided to a dull ache since yesterday. She sighed. I really dislike these blank moments in my memory. I wish I knew how this Dr Landel was doing it.

On the upside, Dr Landel was supposedly going to be on one of the buses. Ami wanted to get a good look at him, to see what kind of person he actually was. She quickly dressed in the horrible brown plaid knee-length skirt, lime green jacket with a size-too-large white shirt and brown office shoes, wincing at what people would think. She was ushered on to one of the buses with a packed lunch in her hand. Glancing around, she couldn't see Usagi anywhere. I hope she's okay, Ami thought, concerned. She made her way down the aisle to a seat next to a young, blonde man, blushing as she sat down and trying not to think about how awful her clothes looked.

[bored-narrator.livejournal.com]

Wasn't he just sitting up a minute ago? Talking to someone? Clark, that was right. Wait, where did the night go? Where did he go!? Kyon shot up from his bed and stared around. What had happened!? Last night, was last night a dream??

It had to be a dream, right? What they did to him, it couldn't have really happened. How would they know? How could they have possibly known the things that doctor did!? He was up and out of bed in that next second, just as the nurse came in. She smiled to him cheerfully and handed him a change of ...normal clothes? What?

After she had gotten them onto him the then proceeded to talk about the events of last night. How he'd fallen down the second floor stairs and gotten that bruise on the side of his face. He touched it, and the lightly ran his tongue along his upper teeth. The fangs were still there.

It happened.

He was lead to the second bus outside with a small bag and he somberly took a seat by himself.

[expedites.livejournal.com]

After a second night in the institute, Kon had decided this was not a dream like he'd hoped it was. Two whole days in this place, a third started, and he was just hoping he could figure out a way to get back to Karakura. If he saw Ichigo on the way, that was great.

MAnd nee-san, she was here, he saw that on the board. He puffed out a sigh as his nurse fussed over him, gibbering on and on about a trip cheerfully and how 'Kai' would enjoy it so very much, he looked like a boy who loved to be outside.

That was true, but he still wasn't Kai.

She took him from his room once he was in normal clothes that were probably a size too big, continuing to talk as he followed her out to the buses. When a bag was presented to him, he blinked down at it, then headed up the steps of the bus to find a seat. A juice box and a muffin.

He had to smile a little fondly at the juice box, amused by it, before he looked up. Surprised, he moved to where Kyon had seated himself. "Kyon!"

[whiteychan.livejournal.com]

[waiting for the short cuteness]
Hitsugaya took a spot near the front of the bus, hardly even noticing that Momo was in the back. It had been a long night last night, and even though Landel's seemed to delight in healing wounds overnight and making it seem like very little had happened previously, he still felt exhausted from it.

The bus itself was bright and cheerful, and the nurses had decided that he should dress nice and cheerful along with it. So despite his protests, he had been dressed (how like a child!) in skater pants, a white undershirt and an extremely bright and gaudy hawaiian shirt, left unbuttoned. Hideous, and completely not his style.

Deciding it best not to think about it, he sat in an empty seat and pulled out his breakfast, examining the juice box suspiciously. "What the hell is this?" he growled to no one in particular.

[bewarethecute.livejournal.com]

Today was starting off much better than the last for Ururu, even if it was scary when she woke up. She didn't remember coming back to bed or falling asleep at all, but there she was, so it must have happened at some point.

Ururu didn't like forgetting things so much though.

Before she could really think about it, a nurse came in with new clothes for the girl. They weren't what she usually wore, but Ururu certainly liked this outfit better than the uncomfortable grey things: a soft pink sweater (far too big for her) with a picture of a puppy face on the front, a white pleated skirt, pink knee high socks, and white tennis shoes.

"Oh, you're so cute, Karen!" The nurse smiled, leading the girl to the bus. None of her friends was there that she could see, particularly not Kisuke-san. Ururu was really starting to get worried, but before she could ask, the nurse led her to a brightly dressed boy.

"Here. Young Tommy is about your age. Why don't you sit with him?"

Then the woman was gone, leaving Ururu to look at the other child, who didn't seem to be a child at all. No, he was something much more familiar to Ururu.

"Um. You're a Shinigami, right?" Ururu fidgeted nervously. A good Shinigami, or an enemy? "What's your name?"

[neverreallyfit.livejournal.com]

The deep sense of foreboding Sam had been feeling the night before had not vanished with the abrupt-as-ever coming of the morning. The prospect of venturing outside of the Institute's walls did little to banish it; while on the on hand he was hopeful that there would be an opportunity to make a break for it, on the other he was certain that such a thing would be far easier said than done. Warped as this place was, there had to be a reason that the chains were being loosened even this much. Still, there would at least be a chance to get the lay of the land around the asylum, and he was hopeful of finding some piece of information that would narrow down the place's location to something usable.

At least the street clothing they'd given him - slightly faded jeans, a hooded sweatshirt in a shade of brownish-green he neither could nor cared to name, and a pair of running shoes - would not stand out terribly in most places if he did manage to slip away.

If he could just get to a phone...but perhaps that was thinking too far ahead.

His mind still chasing itself 'round in circles, Sam clambered onto the bus. He made his way past the midpoint of the aisle, far enough back to minimize the number of people who would be behind him, but not so far as to make it obvious, and settled into a window seat. His gaze roamed over the others on the bus briefly, noting the lack of familiar faces, before settling on the view outside the bus. His expression was abstracted, giving no hint as to just how much of what he saw was actually being internalized.

[dragon-lady-m.livejournal.com]

Aside from extremely large spiders harassing her room-mate, and ostensible captains who couldn't bloody well pace themselves, it hadn't been a terribly bad first night, all things considered.

That, reflected one grumpy and aging head of British Intelligence to herself, was perhaps the first sign that she might just be losing it. But the wooden baseball bat she'd 'liberated' had seemed tangible enough in the morning light, and now there was a bus and a promised trip into town. Decked out in a cotton dress and wool coat, both with the sort of floral patterns commonly seen decorating aging chesterfields, M made her way to the bus, attempted to sneak a surreptitious look at the license plate, and found herself ushered back into order with the rest of the travelers.

A small attempt at a baleful glare bouncing off the nurse like so much water off of cellophane, she grunted to herself, picked her way down the narrow aisle to a point far back enough to minimize the number of people who would be behind her, but not so far as to make it obvious, and perforce sat.

"Good day, young man,"

The seat was already occupied. A bother, that, but no need to be impolite.

[littlestrawdoll.livejournal.com]

When Ren 'awoke', he didn't really miss the previous night. It seems thing had been heading in an awkward situation with Saetan and Ojou, and then Daemon and River in another hall....

Needless to say, the servant felt no need to put up a fight whatsoever.

He took his clothes (standard young man wear: jeans, shirt, and sweater), his bagged breakfast, and picked a spot on the middle bus. Didn't seem like there was much of an opportunity to slip through the cracks, so no doubt Ojou would find her way on her own. As long as they were headed to the same destination, it'd be fine to just sit back and see what happened.

Although he smiled at Daemon and his father, he didn't approach them; falling into an empty seat, he left the spot next to him open and slid over to check out the window.

[meironohosoku.livejournal.com]

Hanyuu really didn't feel like going on any field trip. She wasn't even sure where it was they were going; not that it mattered, since home was the only place she wanted to go.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem she had much choice, and after some persistence on the nurses part, the former spirit reluctantly crawled out of bed to change clothes.

...which, she soon discovered, seemed to be a couple sizes too big. The baggy pants had to be secured with a belt around her waist, and the legs had to be rolled up a bit to prevent her from tripping over them. Hanyuu was grateful for the loose fitting shirt, although she was certain she'd get lost in the hooded sweatshirt she wore over the shirt.

Actually, she did get lost in it. Once the nurse slipped it over her head (it was difficult getting dressed by yourself when you didn't want to move your arm very much), the former spirit couldn't find her way out of the darn thing. It seemed to be meant for someone twice her size, as the sleeves fell past her hands and the hood fell down past her eyes.

After several auau's and some one-armed flailing (she would've used both, but it hurt when she lifted or moved her left arm too much), the nurse finally managed to push the hood away from the girls face and roll the sleeves up to an acceptable length.

It was shortly after that traumatizing event, that Hanyuu took a seat on a bus. She had hoped to see Arlene, Mion, or Rena again, but she didn't see a familiar face. So, she scooted next to the window and peeked outside. Maybe she'd see something familiar outside that would tell her whether they were near Hinamizawa or not.

[kaerutokoro.livejournal.com]

Although it had been a nice gesture, Rena wasn't certain the nurse's choice in clothing was sound. It was warm--perfect for the fall weather outside--but the red sweater... It felt as though a thousand ants were crawling over the entirety of her upper and lower arms. The turtleneck underneath could not keep out the sensation.

Definitely not a pleasant aspect to begin a trip with.

"Umm, can I just wear my coat?" she had asked the nurse earlier, eying her closet for the clothing in question. "This sweater is a little itchy."

The woman had dismissed her with a laugh, which Rena could not appreciate. "Now, Mary. You'll get used to it soon enough." With that, she shoved a brown paper bag into Rena's arms and "escorted" the girl to the buses. It was not long before the girl was standing within one of the long, yellow vehicles.

One hand clutching the bag and the other deep into the adjacent sleeve, Rena began her journey into the school bus, feeling suspiciously like a new transfer student. She spotted a couple familiar individuals among the seats, but they seemed occupied with other people. Not wanting to interrupt, Rena continued down the aisle, hoping to spot someone she could interact with.

It was then that she spotted Hanyuu a few seats away, seemingly focused on the scenery outside the window. Trying not to show the discomfort beneath the wool, Rena approached the young girl with a smile. "Hello," she greeted. "Would it be all right if I sit here?"

[sword-and-demon.livejournal.com]

It was quite a surprise to go from the middle of a fight to waking up in bed, and rather disturbing. For a moment Sparda had been waiting for something to attack before he had adjusted.

Then the nurse had brought him the most horrible clothing he had ever worn. A plaid shirt and pants that were just a little too large and required a belt to stay in place.

The breakfast seemed rather small, but there was promise of food in the town. And hopefully, it would be populated by humans, and not other beings masquerading as humans.

[clockmongler.livejournal.com]

…a 'bus'? What the blazes was a 'bus'? Aside from Xigbar's constant jabbering the entirety of the Gambler's first week in the Organization and proclaiming that the Superior was better off placing X on a short, white one with padded walls, Luxord truly had no idea what exactly a bus was supposed to be. From what he could see, it resembled that 'truck' that had been crashed into Memory's Skyscraper, but its color yellow and fixed with many a window. Upon further inspection of the interior, it held many a dull, gray seat.

At least the swelling from the night before had cleared, so there was no need to hide himself behind the white scarf Nursey had offered him earlier. Taking a seat by a window and particularly happy that while he was forced to wear a brown shirt, green hooded-sweater and black jeans, he was not wearing… ugh, plaid.

Truly, this would be fun. They had best had a tavern or something.

[judgemagister.livejournal.com]

A puzzling awakening this day, to say the least. He had believed the story of visiting a town to be false; more trickery of the Institute, on the same level as the crimson moon. But upon his nurse's bringing of a strange style of clothing (horribly common-looking, like something from the slums of Dalmasca), the judge deemed it to be true when he asked the woman of the town. She offered little information besides that it would prove to be a "fun experience".

Without another word, Noah put on the grey slacks and black sweatshirt, following the nurse to the "bus". He had as little idea as to what a bus was as his roommate, and turned to the nurse quizzically upon seeing it. Some sort of transporation with wheels instead of wings. Noah had seen grounded automobiles, but nothing this large and... bright. It made him wonder what the world he'd found himself on was truly like.

Upon entering it, the judge noted how drab it was to its yellow exterior. He also saw his formerly-mentioned roommate, looking all the worse for wear. Without a greeting, he took the seat next to the other blond.

"Eventful night, Luxord?" he asked, after a moment.

[his-singer.livejournal.com]

Once again, Bella awoke in a sweat. Even though she knew Edward was here – or was he? Was it a dream? No, she told herself as she walked through the halls of the mental asylum, he was here – the nightmares still were relentless.

Bah, at least she had her pipe.

The teenager sat on the bus in silence, her head resting against the back of the seat. Eyes shutting, Bella took in a deep sigh and released it soon afterwards.

Her hands brushed silently over her now clothed legs in a curious manner; it felt odd to be wearing jeans again. The sweatshirt she had tossed on was a little too big, but still comfortable. She was quite sure she looked like shit – but hey, what did she care anymore?

[her-lion.livejournal.com]

Worse than being tackled from behind by an overreacting Bella (which was not terribly unwanted, in comparison) and waking up with no memory of how he got back to the room (or how he was able to sleep in the first place, though at least he still had the bag of supplies) was the fact that his nurse was all too happy to give him a very pitiful human breakfast and lead him out into the sunlight.

The only saving grace was the woman had provided him a hooded sweatshirt, along with a more comfortable outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. Arguing turned out to be a waste of breath. The situation was dissatisfactory on both ends, and no amount of worrying was going to help.

In defeat, Edward followed the nurse obediently, hood practically plastered over his head while keeping his hands in the pockets of the sweatshirt. At least the weather suited the actions; an autumn coolness, with a strong breeze. He picked a bus from random, hurrying in to find a seat somewhere near the back.

Once he saw Bella, Edward carefully plopped down next to her, trying to smile as well as he could, amidst the circumstances. "Good morning," Edward said, slinking down in the seat, keeping his hands situated firmly in his pockets.

Today was going to be very uncomfortable.

[akarusa.livejournal.com]

Hokuto woke with a start when the morning bulletin began--she actually reached out for her alarm clock before she realized what she was doing. That's over, remember? she chided herself, mental voice very soft. No more school. No more 3 a.m. wake-ups for early bird specials at the mall.

She had no trouble remembering, though, what was happening today--field trip! She giggled softly, a little more subdued than she used to be, but jumped out of bed regardless. They were actually leaving the Institute for today! She could guess escape would be on a LOT of peoples' minds, but Hokuto just wanted to get out and see the world, again.

More importantly... she wanted to go out and see what America looked like for herself!

The weather had been starting to turn cold--thanks be to the gods!--so she went to the closet and got her jacket. It wasn't pretty either, but it would cover up the smiley on her shirt. She was just putting on her outdoor slippers when the door opened; she turned to see a nurse holding... a bundle of something. The woman smiled and said, "Are you looking forward to the trip, Kazuko?"

"Yeah," she said, managing a mostly-genuine smile back.

"I'm glad. Here, you can get dressed."

Hokuto blinked... before she actually squealed and took the clothes eagerly. Real clothing, not just a uniform! She unfolded them to find... faded black jeans, a dull green turtleneck, sneakers, and an ill-fitting black hooded sweatshirt. It took her a few seconds to get out, "Um... do you have anything else?"

Fifteen minutes later, Hokuto was getting onto the kind of school bus she'd only seen on TV--and in the outfit she'd objected to. Well, hopefully the townspeople would think she was just a kid on a school trip... she was a little embarrassed about the idea of people knowing she was from a mental hospital. Trying to explain she wasn't crazy wouldn't get her anywhere.

She had coupons, though! For a facial and a manicure and lunch and ice cream... she had a distinct bounce in her step as she boarded the bus. Today was a day to just enjoy herself.