damned_institute | M1-M10 Hall, Outside M5, Nightshift 22

"Glad you weren't waiting long." Maes nodded. "I was just giving Alfons here a couple of tips on the finer points of knife wielding." He gave the teen a wink. "I didn't want him going out unarmed tonight. And I was waiting for Ed, who is probably trying to be wherever I'm not right now." he rolled his eyes.

"You take care of whatever you need to. I know you mentioned earlier that you had some stuff to talk to me about - and Elena filled me in somewhat on what happened last night, so I can make a few guesses as to what that would be." Okay, so he was bullshitting some. But what else was he gonna do in front of such a large audience?

"Oh, Alfons, this is Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. Riza, this is Alfons Hiedrich." The other two, well, they'd run into them last night and didn't exactly need introductions.

The boy listened carefully to everything that was being said, trying to remember everything so that, if it was needed, he would be able to recall what had happened. Roy certainly seemed impatient to go, anyway, and so Heiderich would keep as quiet as possible in the hopes of not making anything more difficult. Alchemy and then exploration, right? He could manage that.

At the introduction from Hughes, the boy simply smiled. It wasn't the 'finer' points, sure, but the wink made him feel just a little more confident about himself. Maybe he'd be fine after all!

In any case, he offered a slight bow to Hawkeye, wanting to be polite. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hawkeye." He, being a civilian, wasn't sure if he should call her by title or not... and he didn't dare go on first-name basis until she said it was okay. She was just too... professional, to be familiar too quickly.

Ah, there he was! Kadaj grinned once his brother came into view, quickly checking him over as he approached to be sure that he was unharmed. When this seemed to be the case, he said, "As long as you made sure they regret making you late, you're forgiven." As long as they didn't follow Yazoo, too, but he knew his brother was smarter than that. Maybe he'd set them on some other unsuspecting patient instead? That would've been fun to watch, but now wasn't the time to ask about that.

He laughed at Roy's impatient tone, giving the man a sly smile and asking, "That eager to get rid of us? I'm hurt, Roy. I thought you liked us! Are your other friends really that much more important to you?"

He looked around at them all with an obviously feigned pout on his face before dropping it and smirking again. "All right, Yazoo, you heard the man: tell him what kind of weapon you want, and we'll be off. We have a very important appointment tonight that we simply can't miss." He refrained from saying more than that, though, just to keep everyone in suspense. Besides, it wasn't really their business anyway; this was a family matter.

Returning the grin, Yazoo came to a stop beside Kadaj and fought back the urge to roll his eyes when he noticed his brother looking him over. It wasn’t like he didn’t do the same thing when it came to Kadaj and Loz, so he simply ignored it and nodded his head. “Oh, don’t worry. They’re paying for it alright,” he said with a small smirk. “I left them out there to fight those things on they’re own. I hate that I’m missing all the fun, though.”

His eyes went to Roy at the other man’s words and fought back a snort. After all, it wasn’t his fault those monsters decided to target him rather than some other unsuspecting patient out roaming the halls. However, he wasn’t about to make some snide remark at the alchemist’s tone. No, he’d get a weapon first, then snark off… maybe.

There was a sound of metal clinking against metal as he handed over the makeshift bag full of scalpels, at the same time explaining what kind of weapon he wanted. “Perhaps some type of blade for now; maybe a dagger or two,” he explained in an offhand manner. “I’d ask for a firearm, but ammunition would be nonexistent until I gather more materials and find an alchemist to make some for me.” Looks like his time spent in the game room mulling over a good weapon had been well spent. Even though he’d have to get used to using a blade, he’d rather be armed now as opposed to having to wait on bullets for a gun.

It was hard not to double-take when Heiderich called Hawkeye "Miss." Roy wasn't sure he had heard anyone call her that, though he realized he mainly interacted with her in a military setting. For Alfons, it must have seemed like the best thing to call her. He doubted she would mind - and if she did, she'd correct him.

At the moment, he was more focused on the work that was to be done. "I've known my other friends for much longer," he told Kadaj. He knew the boy was merely pulling his leg, but it wasn't like he'd acknowledged him or his brother as friends in the first place. He doubted they considered him as much, either.

Taking the bag, he jostled it to get an idea of how much was in there. It sounded promising - and the weight let him know that he wouldn't be short of material. "Twin daggers," he murmured to himself. That would probably be the best choice. "Even if you had a gun and ammunition," he warned as an afterthought, "you'd still need some sort of gunpowder." He doubted there was anything resembling that just lying around in the building - unless it was strategically placed to be found.

"Someone keep watch," he ordered, pointing out across the hall. He was certain Hawkeye would be the one most willing to listen, which was what he'd prefer, anyway. He knelt down on the floor and dumped out the contents of the bag, sorting through what he'd need and beginning to pile the scalpels together.

It had been a long time since she'd been called "miss," though on second thought it was possible another of the patients she had met had used the title. It caught her a little off-guard, but she still responded with a "pleasure to meet you,"--genuine this time--with a slight hint of a smile.

As the colonel took his material, giving his light warning, she sighed inwardly. It was only too ironic that she should only be at her full potential when fighting against her allies, and not the institution or its living weapons.

"Sir," she said, acknowledging the order. Though it was directed to no one, she was the only subordinate in the area. She turned towards the long expanse of hallway again, flashlight in hand, but still turned off. The dim lights were sufficient enough at the moment. From this perspective she wouldn't be able to watch the colonel's alchemy, but she suspected there would be other chances during their stay here, which promised to be long.

A couple of daggers probably wouldn't take too long for Roy to make. He watched as Hawkeye immediately took up position, rigid and professional, and just shook his head.

"I'll stand lookout," he told her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I couldn't care less about alchemy, and I've got my knives." If anything came at them, he was armed and ready to deal with it.

While it seemed that calling her 'Miss' might have been a bit of a surprise, Alfons was more interested in the faint hint of a smile that he had earned. It was good, to know that a soldier like her still knew how to smile, and he rather hoped that she had enjoyed her life before she'd been brought to this place.

Even though Alfons wasn't the best at look-out, he leaned against the wall and started glancing both ways, worried that if there was a demon girl, that she might be able to come through the walls and surprise them, or something of that nature. Besides, it gave him something to do as he waited.

"We'll find plenty of fun to make up for it later, Yazoo-- you'll see." He gave his brother a wide smile after that, cheered considerably by this (pointless) banter. It was a quite notable change from his earlier quiet behavior, but it was doubtful anyone would really pick up on it. Kadaj had few if any illusions about just how disliked he was in this place, so something like that didn't make a difference.

He couldn't help but giggle at Roy's comment, though, amused by the sheer fact that the alchemist had probably known his "friends" longer than even the he had known Yazoo. Two years wasn't a very long time to other people, but it was literally a lifetime to the two of them...

But that was irrelevant. He gave a very slight nod of approval to the choice of weapon, then watched with interest as Roy set about making the daggers, appearing to be engrossed by the activity while really the majority of his attention was on the hallway. He had seen one of these things done before after all, but he was still curious, so splitting his attention between the two tasks seemed only natural. The more eyes (and ears) out, the better.

((Sorry for breaking posting order, all. ^_^; ))

Okay, so... alchemy was taking a little bit longer than what Alfons had expected. The way Edward had said it- those early times when Alfons was still humoring him- it had only taken a clap of the hands to transform something into something else, and he'd expected something a little faster. He had a knife, he had a clear goal to work towards, and despite his attempts, he just couldn't stand still.

He felt a little bit like Edward; wanting to go, wanting to do something. He'd been like this while he was working on the rocket, and even though he didn't fidget too much, the anticipation and frustration built up rapidly.

So, as Roy began piling up the scalpels, Alfons finally couldn't contain himself any longer. "Ah, please excuse me," he politely said, but with the bubbly excitement of the scientist he truly was, "but I remembered that there were some other people who'd be willing to look after me, and I wouldn't want to slow all of you down, so please pardon me? I'll see you tomorrow, I hope."

And just slow enough to be polite, Alfons moved down the hallway and back towards his own block. Staying still was absolute torture, so even if it was a rather bad idea, he'd like to take a risk. Besides, with his knife and what he could offer, he was sure that he could come out okay. What did he have to lose, really?

((Eventually winds up here. (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/72126.html?thread=4559038#t4559038) ))

Yazoo couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in slight amusement at the exchange between Kadaj and Roy, not really paying attention to what anyone else was saying. He nodded at the comment about the gunpowder before turning to his brother, returning the grin. “As long as your definition of fun isn’t playing with cards in the game room. I’ve had enough of that for one day.” He wanted to ask what the important appointment was, but chose to wait until they weren’t near so many prying ears.

Turning his attention back to Roy, he watched as the man sifted through the contents and pooled all of the scalpels together. Since this was first witnessing something like this, he let the others stand guard in the hallway and kept his eyes trained on the alchemist. This was something he didn’t want to miss.

[[ooc; Sorry for taking so long to reply, everyone.]]

Now that there was alchemy to be done, Roy was blocking out everything else. He knew someone would be keeping watch, so nothing else mattered. The banter between the two brothers, Hughes' exchange with Hawkeye, even Alfons' departure - all of it feel on deaf ears, or at least wasn't going to be acknowledged until he had finished.

With the materials gathered and laid out, he reached for his journal and started to sketch out an array he had become familiar with after making so many blades for other patients recently. It had to be slightly altered - since he was making two daggers, the blades had to be shorter and obviously more than one had to be made - but it wasn't too much of a change.

Once it had been drawn to his satisfaction - the lines were perfect even on the first try thanks to years of practice - he ripped the paper out and set it down on the floor, transferring the materials on top of it.

His hands were set down on the edge of the paper and the light that formed as a result brightened most of the hallway. It persisted as he concentrated, pulling at the different chemicals and forcing them into new forms. It took so much more effort now, so about thirty seconds had passed before the light died down and revealed the two new blades.

They were nothing special - if he had been in Amestris, he would have made certain they looked ornate, had balance, and were all in all good quality - but here he had to resort to making something that was just decent.

That had taken more energy than he thought, mainly because he'd had to make two weapons instead of one. Roy leaned against the nearby wall and lowered his head as he attempted to steady his breathing and will the dizzy feeling away.

Though being "relieved of duty" was an accurate phrase for most soldiers, for Riza it wasn't much of a relief. But when the brigadier general set his hand on her shoulder, she did not ignore him. After all, with a weapon he could act immediately rather than alert others first.

His remark concerning alchemy, though, didn't suit her as much. Had she telegraphed her interest so plainly? Had anyone else noticed?

Nevertheless she nodded shortly to him and turned towards the group a little more, her attention still divided between it and the hallway, where Alfons Heiderich was hurrying away. It wasn't that she didn't trust the brigadier general to keep watch on his own; rather, she did not think it would be wise to allow herself to watch her commander too closely.

When he was finally finished, two knives where a jumble of metal had been, she remembered what Lust had told her about abilities being weakened here, and she fought the urge to crouch down next to him where he leaned against the wall. She could only remain watchful, her concern heavily veiled in the presence of antagonists.

Severus hesitated in his approach. A young woman with blonde hair seemed to be standing watch as the group prepared for...a spell? The presence of wizards gave him a split second pause. What were their loyalties? The Dark Lord or Albus? He could not risk his position as a spy.

He stopped a good few paces from the group and attempted to look somewhat older than he was; less threatening but cautious.

Looking at the blonde woman, he cleared his throat softly. "Excuse me, miss?"

Maes didn't protest when Alfons slipped off - as long as he was meeting with someone, that was what mattered. At least the hallway seemed rather clear of creatures - for now.

As soon as Royw as done, hopefully the two brothers would head out. And Riza... was currently being approached by a man that Maes didn't know. He looked a little on the hesitant side - must be new. If he was competent and a friend - or at least ally - then Riza would be set, and he and Roy could quite possibly get a bit of time to themselves.

Possibly.

He kept quiet, just watching to see what would happen.

Kadaj watched the blond go with a small smirk on his face, glad to see him go even though he really knew nothing about him. He'd seemed polite at least, but that was hardly enough to excuse him for existing.

To Yazoo, he said distractedly, "None of that, don't worry." He was getting anxious to get going now, worried about how their relatively late arrival would be received by Sephiroth. He didn't expect anything terrible, just annoying, especially if the man interpreted it as incompetence on his part. Hmph.

He was glad he was still looking in the direction the blond had gone when Roy did his work, because all of that light would have ruined his night vision. He turned back once it was gone, taking in the sight of the two blades and the alchemist in a single glance. Unsurprisingly, his first impulse was to mock him, but the need to maintain a relatively good rapport with him made him say instead, "Thank you, Roy. You've been very helpful." See? He could play nice.

He made no move to go check on the man more closely, though, figuring one of his friends would take care of it. Instead he snapped his gaze back to his brother and gave him a significant look before turning away. "We should be going now, unfortunately-- such a pity we didn't get to stay and chat, but maybe we could try that tomorrow. Yazoo, shall we? And don't forget to say 'thank you' to the nice man." It was a miracle he managed not to giggle at that too, but it was just as well that he was facing away from them at that moment. Really, he just couldn't help himself.

The display had been quite the impressive one, Yazoo immediately reaching down to take the blades once the alchemist had finished. They weren’t as elegant as he had hoped, but at least he was now well armed, and for that he was glad.

He rolled his eyes at Kadaj’s little statement and looked at where Roy was leaning against the wall. “Thank you, for the daggers,” he said with a small nod of his head. He crouched to gather up the now empty makeshift bag, using it to carry his new daggers and other supplies, and looked at the alchemist once more, adding, “And take it easy for a bit, hm?”

That was all he said before and, with a nod to the others, set off down the hall to exit the cell block.

[[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/83903.html).]]

All Roy did in response to Kadaj's words and his brother's thank you was give a small nod. He did appreciate that they were at least grateful - he could have easily refused them, after all. And while it would be nice to take it easy, there were things he still had to get done this night.

As he continued to try to control his breathing, he lifted his head and his eyes set on the stranger who was speaking to Hawkeye of all people. Did they know each other? It was doubtful. The man looked confused, which meant that he probably had some questions. Perhaps Hawkeye had looked the most approachable for whatever reason.

It didn't mean Roy was completely trustworthy. He remained seated, mainly because he wasn't certain his legs could support his weight at the moment, and watched the man carefully. Hopefully he could ask his question and be on his way, seeing that he had important news to divulge to Hughes and Hawkeye.

She was somewhat surprised that the approaching stranger addressed her, and for a moment she wasn't certain how to respond. In the company of the patients she'd met thus far, she'd adopted a friendlier, more conversational demeanor, but in the presence of higher-ranking officers she could not adopt that demeanor again. Without the uniforms, without even the state itself, it was perhaps inappropriate to maintain a military protocol, but she found it particularly necessary.

Though she regretted losing sight of the colonel where he remained against the wall, she turned to face the polite stranger more fully, her voice firm but willing to serve. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Severus glanced at the group, then back at the woman he had addressed. It was a motley crew, to say the least and he took a mental moment to prepare his question. Information then escape. His constant mantra now. He did not know if he could trust these apparent wizards, but they did not need to know that.

"I need to know where and what this place is." He glanced at the dark-haired man against the wall, and adopted a somewhat troubled expression. It was like no magic he had seen, but maybe it was another form. The young lady's accent had been foreign.

"Those aren't exactly easy questions." Maes offered the long haired man a small smile before he moved over to stand beside Roy, a silent offer of help should Roy need it. He glanced at Riza and shrugged, more than willing to offer up the explanations. He'd done it more times than he could count now.

"I guess you just got here today, huh?"

As he was speaking, Maes was sizing the man up - discreetly, of course. There was something about him that the soldier just couldn't put his finger on. Something almost familiar about the way he held himself and the way he spoke. Not specifically familiar, not as though he'd seen the man before, but a more general familiarity - as though he reminded Maes of someone else.

But with all the people he'd been meeting lately, everyone started to remind Maes of everyone else.

"I'm Brigadier General Maes Hughes," he said, finally offering his name. "This is Colonel Roy Mustang and First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Amestris Military." This man hadn't asked any questions about what Roy had just done - was he familiar with alchemy? And by extension, Amestris?

It seemed that Hughes and Hawkeye were going to handle the information-giving, but Roy didn't see any reason why he couldn't pitch in as well, having been stuck in this place the longest out of the three of them.

He was sick of being on the floor, however, especially in the presence of a stranger. Roy always did his best to make a good first impression, so signs of weakness were not acceptable. He realized the same way Hawkeye did that this was not the military, but it was ingrained in him by now.

Tilting his head to glance back at the wall, he placed his right palm flat against it and leaned as he started to force himself up to his feet. It took some effort, but he made it - even if he had to stay leaned against the wall afterward.

"During the day it masquerades as a mental hospital, but at night, the only time patients have to search for an exit, it's invaded by creatures that should by no means exist." They were unnatural creations, most likely more remnants of the Head Doctor's sick experiments.

She glanced at her commander furtively not only to assure herself of his condition, but to see that she had leave to speak. It wasn't so much formal permission she was looking for, just a certainty that she was not interrupting. She brought her attention back to the newcomer, adding only what had not been answered, yet still feeling an inadequate source of knowledge just yet. "The location is not clear. We don't have access to any points of reference outside of this place."

There was also the matter of when, and when made something of a difference to her and her world. She thought better of mentioning it, however. It was only natural that different worlds would follow arbitrarily different time lines. That the year of this place had any connection to the year of her home was only a guess on her part.

That did complicate the location issue, however, and so she went on after her pause. "In fact, the people here come from very different places. We could be truly anywhere now."

Severus raised an eyebrow at the information. Mental institution? Monsters? Military? These people talked like muggles, though they were obviously different from the everyday people he had run into in England. That spell they had done...Hmmmm.

His raised eyebrow became a scowl and assessed his current companions. The man who had been sitting on the floor seemed to be the unofficial - or maybe official, if the military remarks were true - leader of this little band. The other man, Hughes, had been friendly, though somewhat piercing in his gaze. All in all, their answers had brought up only more questions. He knew he was not crazy, at least not yet. Perhaps a plot? But by who? For what purpose? His scowl deepened.

"I see." A small pause, and he decided to share a bit about himself. Possibly draw them in, get more information, make allies. Things to help keep himself alive. "As for your observation Mr...General Hughes, yes. I arrived only a few hours ago." Another short pause. "If I may be so bold, what spell were you performing just now?" He tried to not grit his teeth. All this polite conversation was beginning to make him edgy. People who used politeness and smiles always hid deeper secrets.

Well, that explained a couple of things, as far as Maes was concerned. He wasn't familiar with alchemy, he thought it was magic. He supposed it was an easy mistake for people who came from magic-rich worlds - and there certainly were a lot of those, in Maes's experience.

"Well, you'll get used to things around here pretty quick. Unfortunately. No one's escaped yet, as far as any of us know. And not for lack of trying. You seem like the kind of guy that can probably take care of himself - you'll want to get yourself armed as soon as possible." Hughes pulled off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt, a perfectly needless gesture intended only to disarm and put at ease.

This guy seemed pretty controlled, and was certainly dealing with that was pretty crazy information well.

"And I'll leave Roy to give you the run down on alchemy, that's his area of expertise, not mine. But I will warn again about nights around here - they're dangerous. You got a name, by the way?"

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