damned_institute | Nightshift 21: M21

The fact that Sora was never able to get a complete answer out of Luxord was grating. Maybe the man had gone through that effort just to annoy him, but what was the point? While it was probably stupid, he wanted to track the gambler down at some point and question him. It might be a better idea to do it on his own, as well...

Hearing the names announced for experimentation made Sora wary. What if one of those people was someone he knew? He needed to get the "real names" of his friends so he would know when they were in trouble. Besides, it would be easy to add that next to the room numbers he already had written down in his journal.

So, tonight would consist of more exploring with Nowe and Renji. Sora was looking forward to it, but he was also worried about Kairi. She would be with Roxas, so she'd be fine, but... Well, old habits are hard to break.

He gathered up his journal and had the foresight to take his flashlight so he wouldn't have to borrow Nowe's or Renji's this time. He didn't have a hard time navigating his block of rooms anymore, so it was easy to find Nowe. He stepped up to the other boy with a grin. "Hey there," he said, but was careful to keep his voice low. He remembered how they had glared at him for his noise level before. "I'm glad to see you weren't... taken."

The short hallways between his room and Nowe's went by in a flash. Which was kind of the idea. If something jumped him and at him right outside his own room, well, walking or running wouldn't make that much of a difference.

He slowed easily from a run to a walk as he approched the two boys. "Hey."

Nowe smiled as Sora approached with Renji not too far behind him. He raised his hand in greeting to the pair.

"Good to see the two of you," he said, relief evident on his face. With every night the three of them weren't selected, Nowe dreaded that the next night would be when they finally were.

"So what is this... CM-US thing the doctor were talking about?" Nowe asked, tilting his head, "I know there's the Special Counseling, but is that different?" It made him uneasy. Was there more this hospital could do than brainwashing?

He seemed to think of something just then, and looked down at Sora.

"Sora, didn't you mention bringing a friend with you? Where is she?"

"It's like... experiments or something," Sora explained, pulling out his journal with a frown. "No one I know particularly well has had it happen to them yet, but..." It was only a matter of time, right? He didn't like the dread that came with knowing that, this impending problem looming over him, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. It was exasperating.

"By the way, could I get the names that the nurses call you? That way next I'll know if you've been taken for special counseling or experiments." He had his pen out now and was ready to write.

Though he was distracted when Nowe brought up the friend he was supposed to bring. Oh, right, he hadn't gotten back to them about that. "Sorry. I spoke to her in the music room and it turned out she already had plans. But she's with people that will take care of her," he said with a nod.

"Okay," Renji said. "Uh... I don't know. I really try to ignore it. K-something. Kyle. I think." He shrugged. Acknowledging that these people were calling him by any name but the propper one was, he felt, uncomfortably close to admitting some kind of defeat.

"Let's hit the same set of stairs we were on last night. I think there was more stuff over in that area that we didn't look at yet."

"Oh, the name they call me is kind of similar to my own. They call me 'Noah Scarborough' here, I think." He scratched his head. "Close enough, anyway. Don't ask me how to spell it. What's yours, Sora?" He pulled out his own journal, prepared to write it down, making note that Renji was "Kyle".

"I'm sure there's a lot of areas downstairs we haven't investigated either," Nowe said thoughtfully, chewing on the edge of his pen, "we'll have to check those out another night."

While Sora could understand Renji wanting to ignore it, he was glad that he was able to remember at least part of it. How could he not, when he was constantly being referred to by it by the nurses? He jotted it down and then realized that he was missing something else. "Actually, Renji, I don't have your room number, either..."

At least Nowe was able to remember his fake name. Making a guess at the spelling, Sora scribbled it next to the other boy's room number. He blinked curiously at Nowe's following comment, raising his head questioningly. "Downstairs? And oh! I'm... uhh... Matthew Lawrence."

"M44," Renji told Sora.

"Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to check out the downstairs either. Right now, I'm looking for metal, for a sword. The kitchen'd have stuff in it, but there's probably a lot of people hitting that area, and I may as well do something useful while I'm looking." He grinned. "Anyway, let's get moving. And let's give Kurosaki's room another go-by, since he said he'd be there tonight. And if he's not, I'll fucking punch him." He sounded far more amused than annoyed.

Assuming the kids would follow, he headed back down the hall, making for Kurosaki's room.

(heading here)

He had to wait. He had to be patient.

The problem was that he hadn't known that the others would be taken in such a manner. While he didn't recognize any of the names, he wasn't one to just lay around while all of that happened. Not tonight, anyway, not now.

But he had to be patient and wait for Eric to show up. Until that time, he occupied himself with finishing up the drawings of the creatures and concluding his notes; he just hoped the Eric wouldn't be late.

...gah, and he'd have to go to Edward and tell him that alchemy practice was off... there were far too many things to do, as always. If only he could be in more than one place at once. Ah well; he had vast stores of energy and the food had helped out in that regard. He'd be fine so long as he could get moving.

Eric had woken up and gone immediately to Adelheid's room. He knew his way around the cell block well enough to find it quickly.

When he reached the door, he checked the room number and then knocked softly. He spoke mostly to himself, quietly, with a little smile, while he waited for Adelheid to open it. "Suddenly, there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping...rapping at my chamber door."

"'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door. Only this...'"

Adelheid couldn't quite hide his grin as he opened the door and motioned for Eric to come in and join him. "...'and nothing more.'"

Of course, reciting part of Edgar Allen Poe's work, considering what happened to the man and moreover what happened to the protagonist in his story, wasn't exactly the most auspicious sign for his new plan. But so it went.

The teenager went over to his desk and retrieved the medical kit, his journal on top of the desk and with a pen for notes. "Sadly," he informed the man, "you'll have to wait until tomorrow to learn if there is balm in Gilead. While I don't recognize any of the names that had been spoken, I wouldn't leave any of them alone this time. And as the Head Doctor seems prepared for us this time... I doubt that I'll be learning alchemy tonight either."

A bit of a shrug as he added, "We'll have to wait until tomorrow to compare notes, as well; it seems that the voice behind the radio was listening to us quite intently."

He was smiling when Adelheid opened the door, pleased that someone had picked up on a quote for once. He took the kit and the journal, tucking the latter under his arm. "I agree with you whole-heartedly. I plan to review the things you've written, and then leave to see if anyone is in need of these." He shook the medical supply case slightly.

He smiled slightly. "Yes, I was in my room when that one came on, so I heard that. It seems as though he's not too happy with us. I do appreciate the help he's offering, but that doesn't mean that I'm completely content to let the wizard stay behind his curtain. But tomorrow then, when we have more time to talk."

"I suppose that will give me just enough time to inform Edward that there's no need to wait for me, and that will be that. If you wish to come with me, then by all means; otherwise I'm sure that we'll meet up later, seeing how our goals coincide."

Adelheid drew both rapier and flashlight, frowning as he had to change the batteries for the latter. At least he had a fair number of those, still? It wouldn't have done for him to lose his vision; while the monsters could very likely see in the dark, Adelheid could not... and for a moment, he was jealous of Eric's ability to do so.

But there was no time for petty jealousies. As he limbered himself up- and made a mental note that the deep wounds of the night before hadn't fully healed- he added, "I will say this, though. Hearing his words make me wonder if we can trust him at all; while we don't necessarily have a choice right now... he made reference to how nature triumphs over all and can take care of itself, if humanity would only get out of the way. In my world, that was the teaching of a mad blood cult, not any 'savior' that I would care to know."

He shrugged. "I suppose I can simply borrow your journal and then get it back to you tomorrow during the day. I think that finding those in need is more pressing at the moment. I'd be happy to accompany you."

Eric watched him change the batteries with a little internal sigh. He wanted his friend to be able to see, of course, but he found flashlights annoying if just for the fact that people had a tendency to turn them on him without thinking, effectively blinding him for a short while at night.

"That is very true," he said with a nod. "Who knows, really? All we can do is wait and match his actions with his words."

"I agree, but that goes without saying by now." A bit of a smile at that; obviously Eric believed that finding those in need was the important thing. Otherwise Adelheid likely wouldn't be alive, let alone planning to rescue another.

"As an aside," he continued conversationally as he tested the light to make sure it worked, "that healing power you possess is quite amazing. Normally a dislocated shoulder, let alone all of the other injuries, would have made my planning a rescue operation an exercise in futility. Hopefully, this time, I won't require another saving."

Adelheid smiled, very faintly, as he kept the beam away from Eric's eyes. He didn't want the older man to think that Adel couldn't defend himself, even if Eric- if anyone in Landels- knew just how powerful Adelheid was. But at the same time? The teenager was starting to realize, blow by painful blow, just how limited he was and how far his own power could take him. It was still a sobering thought, and while he went through that he had to hold on to some vestige of his own pride: otherwise what would be the point of trying to improve? If he lost his powers, and became just another face in the crowd... he would have lost what defined him to himself. Ironically, it was his meeting with Ed and Hughes earlier, and the realization that there were many others weaker than himself, that was aiding him along this path. So long as there was someone else to protect, and by corollary someone to whom his strength mattered, he could keep going. He could keep getting up and fighting these monsters, putting forth all of his effort, so long as someone needed that to be done.

...and it was at times like this that he missed his dear sister the most.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. And perhaps it was the presence of Eric, whose expression could be so avian at times... perhaps it was the memory of the bird that seemed to haunt the man's path... perhaps, even, it was just the memory of discussing authors and their works with his sister... but he couldn't quite keep himself from softly quoting, "'Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore.'"

Even Adelheid himself wasn't sure which mystery, out of the myriads that pressed around them, would be the object of his scrutiny. The only certainty would be that, whatever it was, it wouldn't be a mere breeze that would greet them.

((Going to here. (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/52665.html) ))

Having a plan was a nice change. Zack didn't want to waste any time finding Aerith's room, especially since he wasn't certain he knew how to get there. He couldn't imagine it would be too hard to find, though. Besides, he didn't want to get left behind, so he had to find it.

He doubted Aerith would let them leave without him, but the other woman - Lyta - had seemed rather pushy. It might be best not to get on her bad side.

So, more or less ignoring both the intercom and the radio, Zack grabbed his flashlight and his sword, feeling rather empowered at the feeling of the hilt in his palm. With a smirk, he left his room, skirted around the group of three nearby, and made his way out of the male block.

Cid was in bad shape and even worse spirits. His chest hurt like it had the day after he'd first been wounded--and by that, he meant that he felt like he'd gone through a meat grinder.

The fact that he'd tried to fight against the nurses when he'd woken up hadn't helped much, either.

The pilot stumbled slightly as he exited his room, but it was with grit teeth and new determination that he turned his head and began to walk down the hall to the space in front of the bathrooms.

Broken, but not beat. That's the way he'd have to the world for now, since after all, it wasn't his.

[ To here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/54935.html). ]

The flashlight at Sanzo's side wasn't much more than dead weight. Flicking it on and off did nothing, other than rattling something inside the casing. Broken. Without a doubt. Sanzo'd suspected as much when he'd heard the crack when the flashlight made contact with the lock the night before. The light'd gone off immediately too, so that was pretty much a damn good sign that the thing had gone to hell.

It was still frustrating. Landels could manage to transport all the patients here, without them seeing how they even could pull off such a feat. It could also dampen their powers, pull patients back from wherever they were in the building, apparently mend wounds (Sanzo had seen the kid he's shot in the stomach walking around earlier). It could even do something as inane as cleaning a spray of blood from their uniforms.

Everything except repair a simple fucking flashlight.

Even if it could still be a weapon, it wasn't going to do shit for defense. The defense part generally required Sanzo being able to see in the first place, and the priest didn't exactly have the night-vision youkai or half-breeds had.

But it was either go on ahead and risk it or stay in his room the entire nightshift. The last just wasn't an option.

[Moving on here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/58316.html?thread=2737356#t2737356)]

It was weird that he was going right back to where he'd started, but Zack knew it was only going to be a second. Leading Reinforce along quickly and dodging any patients in the hallways, he stopped a door before his own room.

"M28," he announced with a cheerful grin to the girl he barely knew. "Glad I could help!" he said, and he was actually sincere about it. He was just one of those people who liked the opportunity to offer someone else aid.

[Likewise.]

Reinforce nodded. She wasn't sure of the wisdom of sending their armed member to escort her, but he'd known where she wanted to be and she couldn't argue with results, and she now at least knew some small portion of the facility. His selflessness was good to see and hear, too. It gave her confidence that she could live up to her name, even here.

"Thank you for the help. I wish you and your friends good luck." She wished she could offer more substantial blessings, but words were all she had right now.

Words were all that Zack needed. Just getting some gratitude and a thank you was enough for him. He smiled and nodded. "Take care of yourself," he said. Since she was going to meet someone, at least she wouldn't be alone if she decided to wander the building. It was quite possible that she was capable of taking care of herself, though if that had been the case, she probably would have searched for the room on her own as opposed to asking for their help.

With his errand done, he knew he had to make his way back to his group. So with a final wave in Reinforce's direction, he turned to leave the male block.

[Heads into M28 (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/52665.html?thread=2607545#t2607545)]

((Coming from here. (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/52665.html?view=2796729#t2796729) ))

Confident that Eric was following behind him, Adelheid exited from Edward's room and started down the hallway. He didn't have anything against the three he'd left behind- quite the contrary, he had a great deal of respect for Edward's talent, especially. But five people going all at once was a little much for the German. Three was much more manageable, and two even moreso. Besides, himself and Eric would be the more admirable strike force: Eric could regenerate and Adelheid was much tougher than any of the others in that room. If they could get whoever it was distracted, and the others could ambush them and strike at some vulnerable spot, it would all work admirably.

And if not? Eric and Adelheid could probably handle whatever it was on their own. The older man was quite strong and tenacious, and Adelheid had proven himself over and over. To say nothing of his brand-new weapon; the entirely-metal spear would give him quite the advantage over any monster that might confront them.

It was only a matter of getting there.

Phoenix was deathly afraid of the dark in this place, but he knew that he had no choice. He had to leave his room.

He had to find Edgeworth.

Flashlight in his shaking hand, it rattled noisily, to the point where he had to clamp his other hand down on it. He had spent a long while in his room, steeling himself and gathering the courage. The hall was quiet now -- all of the previous occupants had left already, and Phoenix regretted that he hadn't been able to leave earlier.

He hadn't eaten, and the fact was dragging him down somewhat, since he hadn't eaten at all during the day. He regretted being too caught up in trying to figure out what to do about Edgeworth's return. He needed his strength here. But he had no time to worry about that now. Edgeworth was his first priority.

The announcement from the intercom had frightened Phoenix, if only for the fact that he didn't understand what these Experimental Trials were all about. However, he understood that if it followed the general trend of what he had heard, it was in most likeliness horrifying.

The quiet was enough to make him want to run back to his room. It swallowed him up, with the exception of the yellow beam of the light, as if it were a monster of its own, and he shuffled along, getting less brave after each press of a foot to a ground. He could go back to his room, and hide underneath the covers, as if all of this were a bad dream...but he knew that nothing would change, that he would be here...and if Edgeworth died...

...he needed to find someone. Shifting the light of the flashlight upwards to the doors, he slowly counted them off under his breath. Phoenix hadn't gone too far down the hallway before he had heard the shutting of a door behind him, and he jumped, whirling around and brandishing the flashlight out almost like a weapon, as if the light could actually save him if a monster had been existing there. The batteries rattled within the flashlight again, as he had removed his other hand from steadying it, and his face was ashen, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.

Not that Adelheid had expected to be blinded as soon as he left the room, but the sudden stab of light made him block his eyes with his hand anyway. A good thing Eric wasn't right behind him, or the man would have lost his darkvision. "Put that down, please," he called out, "I'm not going to hurt you, whoever you are!"

This was the first time he'd met someone with such a case of nerves during the nightshift; it made him wonder who was responsible for the shaky beam of light.

A shame that so few of the monsters seemed to be vulnerable to that blinding illumination. Adelheid would have enjoyed being able to get that bit of comeuppance against the various creatures that seemed to enjoy taking bites out of him. But alas, if this was an easy matter, none of them would have remained captives, would they?

It took a moment before Phoenix realized it was a person he was blinding, not a monster.

"...ah! Sorry!" Phoenix lowered the flashlight quickly, flushing in embarrassment, even as his heart still stayed, stuck, in his throat. "I-I thought...you...were a..."

He then recognized the voice after a few more seconds of standing in the middle of the hall, and the realization struck him as even more humiliating. "...Adel?" Good job, Phoenix. Late reaction time. All of those monsters are going to eat you alive if you keep on going like this...

"Nick." It took some time for his vision to clear, and even when the teenager blinked he couldn't quite get rid of the spots in his vision. The light really had been quite bright, which was to be expected. And yet, it never seemed quite bright enough in the darkened halls.

"I'm not a monster, thankfully. And please be so kind as to not blind my companion when he steps out? Unlike us he has night vision, and I'd rather not have him lose it." Adelheid strode until he was even to the older man, so that the light would follow him and not snap to Eric.

Only when he had done so did he sigh, looking up at the ceiling and with his red eyes sliding shut. If only Phoenix had stayed in his room. There was enough to worry about already, another concern would be... well... worrisome. "I'm afraid I don't have much time to stay and talk with you. I'm sure you heard the intercom announcing the experimental trials; I and the others are planning to rescue them, if we can. And as there is the promise of monsters there... coming with us may not be the best option."

It was for Nick's own good, really. Really.

Phoenix put his flashlight towards the floor so he didn't blind anyone else, feeling slightly ashamed. He really wished he could be of some help, physically or otherwise, but this place made him feel small and useless, especially in the light of what everyone else seemed to be capable of.

The sound of the sigh compounded the emotion in his chest, and Phoenix tightened his fingers around the flashlight, listening. He had to go and find Edgeworth. As much as the suicide note had affected him, he...still felt a need to help him. He wasn't about to just let everything slide and just pretend that Edgeworth really had died, when he had a chance to do something about it.

Phoenix looked at Adelheid, expression drawn, afraid -- he was vulnerable, he knew. But he had to. "...I can't. Not tonight. Thomas Pierce...that's my friend, Edgeworth. We've known each other since we were kids. I can't just leave him." His gaze was drawn in the dim light put out by the flashlight to the bandages upon Adelheid's head, and Phoenix wondered again as to what had happened -- this place was dangerous, it was apparent.

But...as scared as he was...he had to go. All of this wasn't going to bury itself away if he kept on ignoring it.

...of course it had been Nick's friend. Adelheid should had guessed as much; what else would make Phoenix Wright advance out of his room alone, when he was obviously scared? He could respect that- his concern for Eric had made Adelheid team up with the Colonel of all people- but at the same time Phoenix was far too vulnerable. Too weak. If he was caught in an ambush, then what would happen? It would only make Edgeworth's position more dire.

"I can bring him here, when we've cleared out the monsters. But I can not let you come with us." He put both flashlight and spear on the ground, then motioned for Nick to come closer. "Look carefully; this was done to me last night. I will admit to you that I would have died if Eric hadn't saved me; we are going to be facing something that is possibly even worse than what I faced. We may not be able to protect you."

With that he raised his shirt, baring his torso to the older man... how many times had he done this? Too many, certainly, but it wasn't like words could fit what the reality could show. Namely, deep gashes from the Leftover's claws; from shoulder to thigh, and even scabbed over it was obvious that the wounds had been both deep and serious.

Adelheid was just thankful that now they'd join the other scars on his body, all of the stab wounds and burn marks and energy gashes. Scars were nothing new to him; so long as he lived through it in the end, that was the important thing.

Phoenix's blue eyes widened in concern, his breath hitching in his throat. He reached out a hand to touch Adelheid, not to injure, of course...but stopped, dropping his hand to his side. Tempted to comfort, but not knowing whether it was welcome, Phoenix offered up a weak smile, his stomach turning unpleasantly at the sight of the wounds, his argument deflating.

He could bully his way through, and make it so he was going no matter what -- he had the argument in his head, on the tip of his tongue. But it made no sense. If he left...if he went with them, he might die. And he could end up taking people down with him, if they tried to protect him.

The knowledge made the helplessness worse. It rose in his chest and burnt inside his lungs, making it difficult to breathe. He hadn't been able to help Edgeworth before he had left, and now...what was he left with, just...waiting? The conflict was evident in Phoenix's face. But this was reality.

And while he desperately wanted to go, felt like he had to -- he would end up being a burden versus anything else. A burden that could become deadly if Phoenix held them back.

He had fought his battles in the past. He'd always barreled through them with a constant, eternal hope that things would turn out all right. But this was no courtroom, and if he were to gamble and put himself in their way...Phoenix swallowed, turning his gaze down to the floor as he spoke softly. "...I'm sorry. What can I do. To help. I don't have anything that I can think of, but..." he was floundering and grasping at straws, and there was probably nothing. But he had to ask anyway.

It was a good thing that Nick didn't complete the motion; even as his hand reached for Adelheid's bare torso the teenager shifted a bare fraction backwards. Men touching him? Almost always a bad thing. It had only been a life-saving event and the building trust between himself and Eric which had let the other man be given that privilege. And even then it hadn't been anything so... intimate, as the touching of those old scars. Only Rose had that privilege, and only because she had seized it long ago.

He'd let Phoenix examine the bruise on his hand back then only because it proved the point. And while the older man didn't really offer a threat per se... that was still far too much, too soon.

...but perhaps Adelheid had a weak spot for Nick, after all. Seeing that weak smile and that downcast expression, and furthermore hearing that helpless tone, softened the boy's heart more than it should have. It would have been better to just tell him to wait in his room where it was safe, but Tamaki's point that he had to trust others to protect themselves shifted back into his memory. If Phoenix was that worried about Edgeworth, then he'd risk even the monsters. That meant that Adelheid couldn't risk having another innocent's life on his conscience.

So he softly offered, "I trusted Eric to hold a medical kit and my journal for me, so he could look at the latter at some other time and to use the former. If he's willing, you could hold them for him; that would free his hands for the battle ahead. Just be sure to run, without any questions, if he or I tell you to do so. Get back here, as it should be safe... and don't take any risks you don't have to."

Adel had a feeling that this would be a bad decision, but what else could he do?

Phoenix had been half expecting to be shooed off to his room, but was pleasantly surprised by Adelheid's words. Lips parting slightly, he let his gaze go back up to Adelheid, and a grateful smile appeared on his lips. It was sad, in a way, that he had to feel this way, like a puppy thrown a bone, but he really did want to help.

Warmth filtering into his expression, he didn't feel as frightened by this situation in the face of the instructions, and he was entirely willing to follow them if he was able to help both Edgeworth and everyone else he was traveling with, somehow, even if it wasn't fighting. "...okay. I understand."

Phoenix then scratched his head awkwardly with his free hand, debating on how he should show his gratitude. He then continued to speak, the words spoken with a heartfelt honesty. "...thank you. Really. It...means a lot to me."

((D: Sorry I'm so slow.))

Eric watched them both silently, listening to the debate. This man, Phoenix, seemed dead set on helping his friend, something Eric could easily relate to. If Adelheid had really insisted on making him stay, he might have voiced his opnion as a tie-breaker. Weak in battle as he might be, he deserved to see his friend to safety.

So he was glad when Adelheid agreed, and nodded to his friend. "It's perfectly fine with me. I'd appreciate it, honestly, since it'll make fighting a bit easier." He walked up to Phoenix and held out the medical kit and slim journal. He was careful to come from the opposite side of his flashlight. Adelheid had been briefly blinded, but the consequences in his case would have been much more severe. Flashlights were useful for most people in the building, he understood that. It still didn't make it any more fun when the light hit his eyes, however. "Listen to what he says," he told Phoenix after passing the items off to him. "If there is danger, yoy must hide. I'm sure your friend wouldn't want to hear that you died trying to rescue him."

((Nah, just wanted to get all the Adel-flailing done while Phoenix-mun was online. Hope you don't mind? ^_^; ))

Eric certainly had the right grasp of the situation, at least in Adel's opinion. Phoenix had to hide if he was told to, he had to be careful, and he had to make it through all of this alive.

What Adelheid hadn't been expecting was how Nick would react. He was... well... cute. Like a puppy that had gotten a bone, warm and thankful, and the tone of the man's voice wormed into Adelheid's heart in a way that was strange and very, very weird. Men weren't supposed to sound that way! They were supposed to be strong and confident always, and if they weren't they were supposed to pay for it somehow, like how Adelheid and Eric did. This was something else entirely.

It was disorienting, that's what it was. It was beyond Adelheid's experience, and suddenly he remembered that Nick had been one to touch him. The bruise on his hand, the bandages of his neck, whispering into his ear... why hadn't he pushed away like he always had?

Adelheid knew he didn't have time to think about it, so he pushed it into the back of his mind. He'd deal with it later. So, taking his spear and flashlight in hand, he called out, "Please don't mention it. Just be sure to listen and be alert. It's really not something you have to thank me for."

...mostly because it was still weird, being thanked for something. Especially from an older man. Adelheid moved on before he got too bogged down in this new situation; he could worry about it after those who needed rescuing were, well, rescued.

((Adelheid is wandering off to here. (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/58316.html) ))

"I'll remember that." He then studied Eric, as he had been called, and his expression strengthened. Clicking his flashlight off since he didn't want to blind anyone else, Phoenix tucked it into his pocket as he took the medical kit and journal into his hands.

I can do this. "I don't think we've met before -- but my name's Phoenix Wright. Although, I like having people call me Nick instead, since it's a little shorter." Eric had a strikingly interesting appearance, but it wasn't something that bothered Phoenix. He really couldn't let it bother him, and nor did he want to. He seemed nice enough, judging by the way he spoke, and that was good enough for Phoenix.

He then realized Adelheid was leaving, and he followed after him, not wanting to be left behind.

[[following Adelheid to here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/58316.html), as well.]]

"Eric Draven," he said and nodded, smiling slightly with black lips. "And we haven't met. Good to meet you...it's Nick, then? Good to meet you Phoenix Wright, AKA Nick." He turned to follow Adelheid when he saw his friend had moved on, keeping both mismatched eyes wide open for anything shifting in the shadows.

((Gone there (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/58316.html?thread=2816204#t2816204) too. We're a big happy family!))

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/52665.html?view=2821049#t2821049)]

Ed stepped out into the corridor warily, glancing either way to make sure there was no obvious danger. He edged away from the door, staying close to the wall and then called back as loudly as he dared to the others. "It seems clear."

He hefted the flashlight in one hand, debating whether to keep it with him or dump it back into his room, and then settled for dropping it back inside the doorway. He'd need his hands free for fighting or last resort alchemy and it would just hinder him.

Reinforce emerged behind Ed silently, standing at angle to him to keep her eyes where his weren't. It was a shame she was so visually conspicuous or she might have had a chance at stealth...

She in turn looked back for Tamaki, whom, truth be told, she was a little concerned about. A weapon could even the odds in a fight but it could also make one overconfident. She saw in him an idealism and dedication to others that blinded him to the harsh truth of his own vulnerability.

It was ironic, that she saw this similarity and empathized with him for it, but failed to recognize that those same traits produced in her the same weakness. Reinforce had been invincible for too long to truly understand that she could be vulnerable in battle.

Tamaki took up the rear. He felt comfortable in that order, with the young woman between him and Ed. It was odd, to walk around carrying a sword. Maybe he could make himself a scabbord in Arts and Crafts or something like that. But then, that would mean he'd have to draw the sword... what if there was a situation where he didn't have the time?

Well, it didn't matter now. He carried it at his hip, the blade pointed down. He hoped that Azel was alright. He got worried, when he didn't see his friends often enough. Too many bad things could happen....

[ToHere (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/58316.html#comments)]

[OOC: OMG! I'm so sorry I put the wrong link ;_;]

[[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/62659.html?view=2986435#t2986435).]]

Phoenix had been here before, and his stride became more confident as he walked. The numbers on the doors matched the ones he had passed before -- a certain amount of pride welled up inside him for being able to bring Edgeworth back here unscathed.

He made sure Edgeworth was behind him every few seconds, and it wasn't long before they came upon M29. Phoenix then opened the door, and made his way inside.

Edgeworth breathed a sigh of relief at having been able to make it back to the patient rooms without more monsters attacking. Whatever that...thing was upstairs, it appeared to have been distracted enough to keep away from them.

He followed Phoenix inside, closing the door behind them.

Nightshift 21: M21 - M30 Hallway

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

[Likewise.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject