damned_institute | Nightshift 30: M31-M40 Hallway

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Nightshift 30: M31-M40 Hallway

[M39]

Being dragged away from ZEX mid-conversation was something of a mixed blessing. On the upside, it meant that Zelnick would have at least few minutes to regain emotional balance before spending the whole night with the guy....

Well, perhaps it was more of a mixed curse. Normally Zelnick didn't begrudge allies their oddities, but ZEX had this amazing ability to jump straight from normal conversation to oh-god-awkward innuendo-laden flirting, and Zelnick couldn't do much but hope that he'd keep away from the latter.

In any case, he paid closer attention to where they took him, this time, not just his room number, and he realized he was actually really close to Yuber's room. Wasn't that convenient?

Once he was in his room, he started to get ready for the night; skillet, knife, pestle, all loaded into the apple basket that had wound up in his closet, along with a couple pens and the radio (hadn't Yuber said it spilled hints at night?). This meant he couldn't take all the apples with him, so Zelnick wrapped them in one of the extra shirts and left them in the corner of the closet. All that was left was to get the flashlight, which he found under his pillow like he did last night.

Then the intercom clicked on.

So that was their lord and master, in this place? After spending the first night confused and the first day hearing the voice of the Head Nurse, he found that the guy sounded pretty sane, until he admitted to killing someone. "The man on the radio--" did he mean whoever was on the other side of the little antique, sending out hints? And the method of death sounded... frighteningly personal.

He unloaded the skillet from the basket and held on to it as the doors unlocked, and sat at his desk to wait for ZEX.

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"I dunno. I don't think so. I was all normal, until..." When had this started, anyway?

Usopp held obediently still for the medical examination again, and again resisted the urge to stick out his tongue and go 'ahh.' When Sai gave him the odd order to count, he blinked, but started. "Um. One. Two. Three. Four... that's me. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten..." Why was he doing this again?

Sai raised an eyebrow as Usopp's pause in his counting to point himself out as number four (what was the significance of this?) caused him to lose place and skip five. Distracted, maybe? He hadn't even made it halfway through. "Five comes after four," he said mildly. "And I don't know what's wrong with you."

He was willing to bet it had something to do with the events of that morning still, but how? It could have been something in the sedative, another ingredient slow to take effect. Finding out which patients were the most troublesome and then disabling them at night? It was plausible, but the methods used wouldn't catch those simply smart enough not to get involved. He didn't suspect Landel to be that shortsighted.

"If you can't function appropriately tonight you may simply have to reschedule dealings with anyone you had plans with."

"I know five comes after four." Usopp gave Sai a mildly irritated look, unaware of his own miss. He was feeling a little off, but he wasn't stupid, after all. "It's not exactly like being drugged." He felt as though he could walk all right. And he wasn't slurring.

"Hey." His expression brightened for a moment. "I wonder if I'm a better artist like this." Weren't great artists supposed to be on drugs or otherwise messed up somehow? Maybe he ought to start on that picture he was going to do for Sousuke, only he'd forgotten something he needed to know before he started on it. Fishing out the piece of paper Sai had gotten for him, he reread it to remind himself. "Never mind. Bangs."

He folded it and put it away again, frowning at the opposite wall. "It's embarrassing. Especially people I don't know. If I can't even build things..."

If he couldn't build things, what? Meaninglessness? Directionlessness? He'd been winging it all along, or at least he didn't remember any master plan. Grab everything, hope it all works out. "New people!" That was right, and he looked even more depressed. "Will you tell them I'm not normally like this?"

"I'll have to ask if anyone's suffering from the same symptoms." If it was just Usopp, then there was something the pirate's system in particular didn't like with the sedatives. If others were suffering from the same dilemmas then it could be any number of things.

"I'm sure if you were posting messages on the boards earlier you were..." Sai stopped himself, realizing that Usopp had been sedated for a lot of the posts he'd made that day. They wouldn't be any clearer. "Well, I'm sure they'll understand. The Institute plays with the minds of its patients, after all."

"Oh, man." Usopp fretted, as he did his best to consider the situation. It wasn't easy, but focusing on the downside always seemed easier for him, no matter what the circumstance. "What if I'm always like this at night? What if I can't build stuff anymore?"

That was pretty terrible. All the stuff he'd gotten had included the idea that he'd make something more useful out of them. If he couldn't...

"I didn't feel like this at dinner." He was sure of that, mostly. "And nobody got me with a needle."

"I don't think that will be the case, Usopp." Sai gave the pirate an awkward pat on the back, as those were supposed to be encouraging somehow, and the usual smile. "I haven't heard of that happening to anyone before." Of course, he hadn't heard of the sedatives having effects that lasted this long either, but that wasn't quite the same.

"Maybe something you ate caused a reaction with some residuals of the sedative?" It was a long shot, but made sense if Usopp hadn't been feeling any of the effects while he was eating.

"What if my brain is melting? Or I have early... what's that disease when you can't remember things when you're older?" Usopp slumped over, despite the pat, and frowned with consternation at the floor. Then he looked up again, feeling guilty. "I don't think I'm good for anything tonight." As opposed to usual, when I'm super-useful. "If you wanted to go off and work on something without me, maybe find some of your ninja friends, I could wait here."

Sai raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure your brain isn't melting. You think very negatively." He stood up, moving back to the door and pressing his ear against it to hear the going-ons outside. There were several voices, but the clinic was two doors over so he wasn't all that surprised.

"I won't leave you alone here in this state while you're expecting others," he went on, returning to the pirate's side. "If you had another here with you or weren't expecting anyone that might be a different matter."

"Oh. Oh, you're right." Usopp blinked, reminded. After all, even if he sort-of trusted Yuber in a weird way as his ally, he didn't know those other people he'd been talking to on the message board. Literally, he had no idea who they even were. Only a couple of people were supposed to drop by tonight, but still, for all he knew they were the kind of people who'd find him alone, bash his head in, and take all his stuff.

Even the stuff he didn't know what to do with. He'd still gotten Sai and Sasuke and Yuber to go to all the trouble of helping him get it, he owed it to all of them to make something useful. If his brain would just work!

"If you were me, you'd be negative too." Usopp sighed.

Sai blinked at Usopp. "...Well yes. If I was you then I'd be you and that would make me negative." What an odd thing to say. But then, he had to take into account that Usopp wasn't exactly thinking clearly at the moment. "Perhaps you should lie down for a while. Do you remember who all will be coming tonight?"

He good greet others well enough, even if the friendly act didn't always go over as well as he hoped. It was, after all, just an act.

Usopp stared at Sai for a minute, before squinting and covering his ears. If I was you then I'd be you and... "SAI! Why did you have to go and say something like that?!" Now he couldn't get it to stop circling in his head!

Despite himself, he tried to think of who would be coming to see him embarrass himself tonight. Yuber, and... um... there was a vampire, but she was bad, or at least not with them, right? "Yuber. And some people. Yuber, definitely. He's my ally." They'd already talked about allies and friends, a long time ago. And shook hands on it.

Was Yuber negative?

"I apologize," Sai smiled, though he wasn't sure what he was apologizing for. Had he really said anything all that confusing? "I'll try and avoid saying anything like that in the future."

Yuber and some people. The 'some people' bit was the questionable part. How many people? Which ones? "I do remember Yuber." He had, in fact, just attempted to teach him how to play chess not too long ago. "You can't recall how many others besides that?"

"I don't know. A couple?" He'd talked to what seemed like an awful lot of people while he'd been on the drugs, remembering through his current haze and that haze wasn't easy.

Usopp had been running a hand over his bandanna-clad forehead in consternation when he heard a knock. "I... I better go get that." He gave a concerned look to Sai. "If it's trouble, you'll be here, right?"

Without asking for an answer, he went to the door.

[Which is down here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/301449.html?thread=24674697#t24674697)]

[And back]

"It's Yuber and some other people with him," Usopp described to Sai, as he opened the door wider to let the others in. "Everybody, this is Sai, he's my friend, and a ninja... uh, I'm Usopp, the great pirate..." He trailed off.

"Nice to meet you?"

"Hello." Sai smiled the same fake smile at Yuber, but one hand rested on the 'hilt' of one of the trowels at his waist as his eyes fell on the other two. They didn't appear all that threatening and they were accompanying another ally, but it was important that he get across that any threatening movements on their end would be returned in kind.

"Take a seat, please." The and don't touch anything part was a silent addition, but he hoped the point came across all the same.

Yuber didn’t bother hiding his amused smile at Usopp’s rather standard greeting. He’d gotten used to the nose being the first thing he’d see from his companion, and thought nothing past his amusement as he sauntered into the room. He didn’t bother introducing himself or the others since that was something they were more than capable of handling themselves – that and everybody in the room was already aware of who he was.

Returning Sai’s smile with a far too pleased one of his own, Yuber gestured for Zelnick to place the basket on the bed. “We come bearing gifts.” He murmured smoothly before holding out the carton of eggs he’d managed to swipe the previous night. It had taken him a while to obtain the odd request and he was at least pleased to have that nuisance off his list. He could only imagine Pesmerga’s reaction if he’d found out such information.

Their... host, for lack of a better word, seemed a bit nervous, and Zelnick did his best to look friendly. "I'm Captain Zelnick-- of the New Alliance of Free Stars, if it means anything," he introduced, smiling at both Sai and Usopp. "It's nice to meet you, too." He set the basket on the bed Yuber indicated.

Sai looked a little aggressive, actually, despite his friendly expression. (A ninja? He'd heard the word before, but it wasn't a profession he was familiar with. Piracy, on the other hand... but Usopp seemed more jittery than pirate-y.) Smile turning a bit wary, Zelnick stepped back, closer to Yuber-- he was still holding the skillet, though loosely at his side, and it was a comforting weight for if something went terribly wrong. (He hoped it wouldn't, and Usopp had seemed nice enough on the bulletin, if a little bemused.) "We found some nicely nasty stuff upstairs," he added, in as chipper a voice as he could muster. "Hopefully, we can put it all to good use...?"

More humans! How delightful! And so unique as well... Sai's skin was so light, and Usopp had such an interesting facial protuberance... it reminded ZEX a little of his natural trunk. Was it flexible? Prehensile?

He stared, as usual, and waved a hand strangely near himself, a VUX gesture that never translated as well as he wanted it to. "I am Admiral ZEX, formerly of the VUX military, and quite pleased to make your acquaintance."

ZEX again gestured strangely, fingers all pressed together. "I'm afraid I come bearing nothing particularly useful, but I hope to be helpful in perhaps other ways. I'm most interested in what can be made of what we have..."

"Oh. Right." All these titles being recited reminded him. "I'm the fearsome Captain Usopp, and... are those eggs?"

His train of thought derailed successfully yet again, Usopp gaped at the carton Yuber was holding out. Since the first night he'd arrived here, he'd wanted...

"You got me eggs!" Overcome for the moment with joy, Usopp gave the large and imposing Incarnation of Chaos a big hug. "Thank you! Thank you!" He let go, stepping back, looking back over the eggs some more. If he'd been asked for one gift from the Radio Man, that would have been it...

... right after gunpowder. "Sai, look, they brought eggs!" And what was it? "Saltpeter too?" He turned to Zelnick and ZEX hopefully.

Oh yes, the eggs. Sai still wasn't sure what his pirate friend wanted the eggs for, but at least he had them now and was looking quite a bit more cheerful than he had before. Usopp being in positive spirits was good. He might be able to get more things accomplished.

But of course there was still the matter of him having a difficult time focusing. And if he planned on making explosives...

"What were your plans for tonight?" he asked suddenly, directing the question at everyone in the room at once.

Absently noting Zelnick’s gravitation towards his position, the knight had more pressing matters to concern himself with as the arrival of the eggs brought about a surprising reaction out of the pirate. In his entire time of being within Landel’s, Yuber’s demeanour showed its surprise for the first time as he suddenly found arms weaving their way around his body.

It took far more will power than he would have thought not to out rightly attack Usopp for the hug, and as it was his face took on an almost disgruntled expression that he had let his guard down enough for such a thing to happen in the first place. “You can thank me by never doing that again.” Why humans saw the need for affections was beyond his comprehension, but he’d make certain such a thing never happens again. Human customs always seemed so unnecessary and unneeded to the knight, and the rituals behind such emotional gestures was something he could do without.

Schooling his features back into an easy smile, Yuber levelled Sai with an even stare as he murmured. “Tonight doesn’t appear to be the night for it, but Zelnick here is rather well versed when it comes to chemicals and has offered his aid to us… but considering the state Usopp is in it might be best if I head back out in search of further supplies.” His gaze slid back over towards Zelnick and ZEX as he added. “That is if you’re both interested?”

"Fearsome" hardly described Usopp, or the enthusiastic hug he sprung on Yuber. Yuber was obviously less-than-pleased by Usopp's thanks, in a pretty funny way-- a few years ago, Zelnick probably would have laughed at Yuber's expense. As it was, he drew a few drops of tact and managed to keep his reaction down to a quickly-muffled amused noise.

"Yeah, saltpeter, too," Zelnick said, amusement clear in his tone, despite his best efforts. "As much as I could find. Also ethanol, ammonia, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid..." Not as nice as missiles, but still plenty deadly. "Oh, and a mortar and pestle. Which will probably be useful," he added. "I don't suppose you have sulfur or charcoal on hand for gunpowder? Or even just charcoal?"

At Sai's question and Yuber's reply, Zelnick shrugged. "Resources are never a bad thing." He'd been short on them often enough... "I wouldn't mind looking for more."

What an interesting gesture! Clearly a sign of affection between two humans, even if one had seemed less than receptive. ZEX would have to remember it later, and perhaps try it on the Captain some time.

ZEX kept his smile and hoped it looked natural. "I'd be glad to accompany you on your search, my Captain." He looked over at him fondly. "With my... limited knowledge of chemistry, I think it's the best option."

"Sure, no problem, you got me eggs!" Usopp, if intimidated by the Incarnation of Chaos or even aware of the danger he was putting himself in, didn't show it. The downside of being perpetually terrified was that, once he stopped being terrified of something or someone, it tended to stick. And he was no stranger to dirty looks from tough guys, thanks to Zoro.

Instead he was busy grinning over the eggs, then looking excited despite himself at the information Zelnick gave. A mortar and pestle! They had brought so much stuff for the party, what could he...

"I have some things. We shouldn't duplicate. Or we should agree on what to duplicate, or..." But what should he tell them about? Or show them? Not the treasure, but maybe the rest of it... He looked at Yuber, not sure why he made that choice, when Sai was the more logical one. Maybe because Yuber had brought these people into his room. "You know where their rooms are and would go stab them if they tried and steal anything, right?"

What was Usopp going on about? Duplicating? He wanted to create more of something? "Usopp," he warned with a smile. "Please take a deep breath and concentrate." It was about all he could do for now. If he knew what the pirate wanted a bit better he'd be able to help his friend get the message across, but he didn't.

"Were any of you sedated today?" he asked, looking to Yuber in particular. He needed to find out if what had happened with Usopp had happened to anyone else in his situation. He kept himself situated between the pirate and the closet, though he didn't think any of these men would try and go in without their permission.

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