damned_institute | Nightshift 44: M21-M30 Hallway

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Nightshift 44: M21-M30 Hallway

[M30]

So the doors really did unlock, huh? That was something. And look, he even got a convenient flashlight. Well wasn't that something.

It was only as Haine reached for the door that he realized he had no idea what room that idiot partner of his was in. He'd been too busy growling at Giovanni to think of asking anything useful. Then came dinner, and now there was some crap about monitoring the bulletin board. Haine hadn't even looked at a bulletin board all day, so whatever, as far as he was concerned. There was some weird shit going on here, though, that was for sure.

He was really beginning to think that this might not be the Underground, but what other explanation was there? He hadn't exactly spoken to anyone who'd disillusioned him of that thought, so he'd stick with it until he had a better explanation.

The back of his neck suddenly felt funny, and he put his hand back there...wait. How was it possible that the metal collar was suddenly there? He was sure it had been gone! He'd been losing his fucking mind about it earlier! He was sure he hadn't been hallucinating that...

Fuck this. He was going to find that worthless partner and figure shit out while the doors were still unlocked.

[going down to here]

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The transition to nighttime found Suzaku continuing to pick ineffectually at his dinner, like he had been ever since he'd been dragged away from Teresa. Teresa. . . He shuddered a little, wondering not for the first time if she had an ability like -- like that horrible man who'd threatened Nunnally. But no, he was pretty sure she had just read him the old-fashioned way. Who knew who she was, or what she had experienced in her lifetime? Maybe Suzaku's story was nothing to her.

It seemed laughable, however. Things couldn't get much worse than the way his life already was. And -- dammit! He'd been so caught up in what Teresa had been asking him, that he'd forgotten to probe her own motives, to analyze her as a person as she had done to him. And he had even forgotten to make sure he knew Euphie would be safe tonight. It was just, with the feeling of inevitability so strong in the back of his throat, he almost couldn't make himself keep fighting. They were all going to die -- no, he was going to change that. He had to keep trying, no matter what happened, until his very last breath. Suzaku's hand clenched around his fork in determination. He would make Lelouch see sense, he had to. Far too much was riding on that now. If anything, Teresa had made him recall his chosen path.

He had to wait for Yuffie first, though. Suzaku slid the wakizashi out from under the mattress, where he'd barely had the presence of mind to hide it that morning. He could do this. He could do it, step by step, until he reached his goal -- don't think about Lelouch, he told himself. Not yet. He was just going to wait for Yuffie and finish his dinner, because right now, that was all he could do.

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/728500.html)]

He didn't have long to wait. A scant handful of minutes passed, until, out of nowhere, there was a chipper chirp of, "Put your pants back on!" and one single rap on the door. Which was promptly—and dramatically—swung open, because hanging around outside was for losers.

Yuffie poked her head around. "Yo," she greeted, her smile easy. It was a front, but a good one; she'd had years of practice, and she didn't exactly want to show Suzaku a vulnerable front. Last night had been bad enough.

. . . His pants were on. They'd never been off. Suzaku really didn't get this girl. And how she could talk like that, when just the night before she'd -- but that was what Yuffie was like. She always managed to be chipper, even in the Institute, so it stood to reason that something like that wouldn't get her down for long. Still, seeing her in person again brought back such vivid memories of blood all down her front, her small body twitching in its death throes. . .

Suzaku stared at her blankly for a moment before finally managing a "Hey." It hadn't been real, he had to remember that or he would lose it (again). She was alive, for now, and that was all that should matter. Step by step, action without thought, that was the only way he could keep going.

"Your sword's here," he said, lifting it towards her and trying not to stare, trying not to fixate on the way she was breathing, on her so-very-much-alive smile.

With that blank expression on his face, it was almost like he was looking straight through her.

Or, more likely, he was looking at her and seeing last night. Yuffie couldn't stand it when people dug their heels into the past. It was what it was, and there was no changing that; but there was no point in stagnating in it. All you could do was face the future, and give it all you've got. Putting it into practice was always harder than theorizing, but Yuffie believed in her philosophy whole-heartedly.

This wouldn't do. At all.

"Is there a banana on my face, or are you just happy to see me?" she asked blithely, tossing her flashlight aside so that she could accept the sword back.

Suzaku blinked, now more confused than ever. A banana. . . ? He didn't understand, but she must have noticed him staring. Shaking himself out of it, Suzaku tried for a slightly wobbly smile. "Sorry. I just -- yeah, I'm happy to see you."

Happy to see her alive. Happy to know that his failure, that time, had only been an illusion (even with the too-vivid recollections of a time it hadn't been). Yuffie hadn't originally been on the list of people he had to protect at all costs; she had been a friend and a tool, someone he couldn't spare more of a thought for because he couldn't afford to be everyone's savior, as much as he wanted to. And yet -- in his mind, her impending death was the same as Euphie's, something he should be able to prevent and probably couldn't. It had already happened once, why not again?

"You're not going out alone tonight, are you?" he asked, trying and failing to sound casual about it. He had to meet with Lelouch, but -- dammit, he should be able to look out for everyone.

… Uh.

It was Yuffie's turn to blink, even though she'd kind of expected that answer. How many times had she heard those kinds of words before? Oh, yeah; try hardly ever. "You're such a dork." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." Not like that, anyway.

She tied the sword around her waist, knotting it carefully with the makeshift belt. No way would she ever allow negligence to lose her a weapon, so she made doubly sure that it'd remain both secure and easy to draw. A quick, unnecessary pat down later, and she was done; all shiny things were accounted for.

Suzaku's question—and his tone—earned him a swift glance. "Yup." Hands on her hips, she rocked on her heels. "Don't worry; I'm qualified. And," she added, reaching out to poke him in the chest, "I'm not stayin' out long, anyway, since I've got training to do." In theory. The plan was to head back to her room, but who knew what could come up?

A dork, huh? Whatever, he didn't mind being a dork, as long as -- as long as she was alive. And stayed alive. It didn't matter how confident she was, she was still mortal, and it was always the ones he trusted to be there forever that disappeared.

"I know you're qualified." He sighed for the ten millionth time that day. "Just -- don't do anything too reckless, okay? With the stuff that's been happening recently, you never know. . ." Which was a legitimate claim, even if she didn't want him worrying over her (which she obviously didn't). Regardless of who was responsible for the last two nights, Landel or someone else, there was no telling what might happen next. They'd already done the impossible a couple times over, after all.

Poke. Poke.

Poke.

"I am extremely torn," she told Suzaku. "I am torn between patting you on the head and saying 'there, there, dear', and saluting so hard I knock myself over, possibly giving myself concussion in the process." She poked him once more for good measure, before hopping back sharply. "Relax. I'm not gonna give myself time to do anything reckless."

"And," she added, twirling on her heel, "make sure you take your own advice. I know your type." … Probably. It was a bit of an assumption, but Yuffie was confident that her character-judging skills were good enough to tell at least this much.

That said, she sashayed her way slowly to the door, casual and cool as a cucumber.

Suzaku glanced down at the offending finger, then back up at Yuffie. No, she didn't want him to worry about her, that was obvious. But he was used to that, from Euphie and Lelouch and everyone else he needed to protect. Everyone who'd died at least once and probably would again.

Still, he managed to smile at her a bit. He wouldn't dream of limiting her from doing what she wanted to do, even if he was worried, because she was like him. She was going to do it regardless. Still, he felt he had to warn her, because it was the best he could do. "I believe you, Lieutenant. It just had to be said."

He was surprised by her parting comment, however. When he thought of people doing reckless things that put them in danger, his mind wasn't usually on himself. He took it for granted that his life wasn't preserving, and that it would be damn hard to kill him anyway. But Yuffie didn't know any of that, and she -- she must care about him, as much as she could for someone who was just an acquaintance. Which made her even more like the other people he had lost. And yet, he was grateful, grateful enough not to argue for once. "I'll be careful if you will. Uh, goodnight, I guess." Which was a stupid thing to say, because no one would have a good night here, but he couldn't think of a better way to say goodbye.

The 'Lieutenant' got a laugh out of her, a genuine flash of mischief somewhere between a chuckle and a snicker. "Never been called that one before, Agent Pratfall." Really, if the field commanders answered to her, Vince, Cid, and Reeve and she answered directly to Reeve (and Cloud) himself, what did that make her? It was still all a little mixed up, like military alphabetti spaghetti.

Yuffie swooped down to pick up her flashlight. It wasn't like she really gave a damn about — well, no. That was a lie. As acquaintances went, Suzaku had proven himself to be more tolerable than most. She didn't have to babysit him; he had a sense of humor; he had good connections. Short of all of AVALANCHE falling on her lap right this second, it really wasn't gonna get much better than that.

"Guess we've got a deal, then. Alright! We'll both be careful, and if either of us gets, I dunno, eaten or something, the other gets one free smack tomorrow morning." One cheeky grin and a wink later, and she was gone as quickly as she'd come.

[Going here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/728500.html?thread=60253620#t60253620)]

Ah. . . She seemed to think that one was actually funny. Well, that's what she deserved, with all that talk of saluting. She shouldn't be saluting him. At any rate, Yuffie was gone, for better or for worse. He didn't know whether she would take his advice or not, but short of actually following her, there wasn't anything more he could do. And he had other obligations right now.

Suzaku didn't waste any time, immediately dragging Lelouch's things out from under his bed -- he had so much stuff under there, he couldn't believe the nurses hadn't figured it out -- and trying to find some way to make them easier to carry. Finally, he settled on wrapping the clothes around Lelouch's bat and tucking it under one arm. Shoving the note in his pocket and picking up the flashlight and butcher knife, Suzaku headed briskly out the door.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/730785.html?thread=60267681#t60267681)]

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Nightshift 44: M21-M30 Hallway

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