damned_institute | 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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Other than the fact that his arm was in a sling and he had a pretty nasty rope burn around his neck, Adelheid seemed about as well as could be expected. He was, at least, conscious and upright, which was more than what he'd been practically the entire day. And thank goodness Edward wasn't injured; Adelheid was worried that the scent of blood would drive him into a frenzy or something similar.

But he wasn't, so the young man offered a slight smile to his friend. "Other than the obvious, I'm as well as can be expected. And you?"

Ed slumped a little with relief when Adel said that he was alright. Well, not grievously injured or dead and not... not trying to bite people like he'd heard about over the bulletin. He didn't like that he could see new injuries. Where had the rope burn come from? But he was there still and that was more reassuring than he cared to admit.

"I'm fine," he said, forcing a smile. "A little shaken up after last night, but I'm fine."

"Last night was... rather rough," Adelheid quietly admitted, "for me, anyway, and I read that it was fairly bad for some others as well. I... hope that nothing too horrific happened to you?" He had the sneaking suspicion that something had, because few things shook Edward, but he was willing to let the other boy decide whether to reveal it or keep it concealed. Either way.

Ed went to sit on the bed opposite Adel's shoulders slumping slightly at the memory of what had happened. "I don't believe in ghosts," he said, hoping that it sounded more confident than he felt. "It was just smoke and mirrors, just tricks." He wanted to believe that, he really really did. "It was nothing. Nothing at all." Except that he thought he'd seen her and it hurt to think that he had.

That made Adelheid blink curious, tilting his head blankly. He hadn't really been paying attention to the bulletin board all day, nor had he really talked with anyone about... well... anything. So hearing Edward so hurt was something that brought the taller boy up short. "...'ghosts'? I was in my room all night, I didn't encounter anything like that."

Ed clenched his fingers into fists at his side, the knuckles of his flesh hand turning white. "I didn't leave my room last night either," he replied in a small voice that was so uncharacteristic of him. "But I saw... thought I saw because it wasn't real, couldn't be real... I saw my mother last night, heard her voice." He gave a strained smile. "I'm going crazy, right?"

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/728695.html?thread=60083063#t60599415).]

Kenshin remembered where Adel's room was from when their "weaver" had made his sakabatou and its sheath. It seemed like so long ago now, but it couldn't have been more than...what? Ten days?

Time here was so strange.

"Adel-dono?" he called, knocking on the door. He motioned for Kaoru to join him. "Apologies for our tardiness. Homura sent us."

Edited 2009-10-20 05:07 (UTC)

Behind Kenshin, Kaoru held the back of his shirt with her free hand. She hoped the person they were to meet didn't mind that they were late.

Adelheid shook his head, frowning a little as Edward said that. "I very much doubt you're going insane," he firmly answered, "not here, anyway. We've both been forced to see people we know couldn't possibly be real before, so... it had to have been some kind of trick." Of that, he was certain. The thought of Edward going insane was too painful to even consider contemplating.

But those dark thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door, and for a brief moment, Adelheid's temper flared. His eyes flashed fire, his mouth watered for the taste of flesh, the sudden sound made him lurch to his feet as his concentration was momentarily broken... but then he stopped himself. It took willpower, it took concentration, and it took time, but he finally managed to calm down. ...he was still so hungry, though...

"Homura sent you? Well, I'm better than last night..." He had to debate whether he wanted them to come in or not; more bodies would make it more difficult to control, but on the other hand, if something did go wrong, then there'd be more people to stop him. Hm. "...you don't have to come in if you have other plans?"

"Alchemists are half insane to begin with," Ed replied dryly, a faint smirk curling his lips. "Sane people just don't have the aptitude for changing the fabric of the universe." He'd yet to meet an alchemist who was, well, normal. They all had their quirks and the quirks were what hid the fact that they were never far away from crossing the line into true madness. But he nodded anyway. "You're right. This place is designed to play tricks on us." He shouldn't let it get to him.

He looked over at the door sharply, catching Adel's strange movement out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't like it should have been, a fluid fighter's movement. No, that had been an ungraceful lurch, too much like...

He scowled when they said that they'd been sent by Homure. More weapons? Just great.

Kenshin frowned at the door, wondering if he ought to leave. Adel's voice had sounded a little strained; what if he was still afflicted with the...illness from a few nights ago? If there was any way they could help, those ways needed to be explored. Also, the rurouni's motivations weren't entirely altruistic. This could be their only chance to get Kaoru a decent weapon for a while, and he didn't want to pass it up.

"If it's all right with you," he said levelly, "we would like to come in. Homura's orders were fairly explicit, and this one is rather concerned about what may happen if they are not followed. May we?"

"We won't stay long," Kaoru piped up, and raised her eyebrows at Kenshin as though she meant business. And she did; the way the men inside sounded, it didn't seem like she'd want to stay very long herself.

Adelheid still wasn't sure what to think of Homura. On the one hand, he was grateful that the demigod had made sure he couldn't attack anyone last night- even if that had involved dislocating his arm and then strangling him into unconsciousness- but on the other, the arrangement between the two of them was starting to feel far too one-sided. This smelled to Adelheid like another request for weaponry, and tonight, his patience was wearing far, far too thin.

If it was anyone else, Adelheid might well have told them to go away, but Kenshin was one of the few people who had been kind enough to hear Adelheid out. So, for that reason alone, he finally sighed and called back, "Very well, come in. Though I do have to ask what Homura's orders were, exactly." He couldn't entirely hide the hiss in his voice as he spoke, though he struggled as best he could to fight down the instincts trying to claw their way forward.

Nightshift 44: M21-M30 Hallway

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