damned_institute | Nightshift 45: West Wing, South Hall 1-A

[From here, and waiting on little Batman and the baby X-Men.]

Peter took a heavy breath as he entered the hall where he'd first met Kurt. He ought to have his own little raincloud following him around by now, because his parade was in a permanent state of being rained on. Yeah yeah, he was feeling sorry for himself and that was not a good thing, but gaaaaah this whole thing was getting on his nerves.

One thing he did know was that he was not dragging anyone up to the third floor with only three shots of webbing. It was too risky. He'd have to take up Sangamon on his offer to help out in the lab sooner than later, then. If the powers that be had any shred of decency they'd have all the equipment and ingredients he needed. Or at least some decent substitutes. He might even have to work out a new formula. Talk about a pain in the butt.

Peter took his place by the door to what he assumed was Kurt's block. With both his costume and his flashlight on he stuck out like a sore thumb, so he flicked off the light and waited in the dark. Hopefully they hadn't left already. Kurt said they were meeting at his room. Maybe he'd catch Alex or Kitty on their way in.

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/756668.html?thread=62284476#t62284476)]

There were a lot of people moving around here, but no way to tell who'd been brainwashed and who hadn't--except looking around for whoever looked the most lost. An imprecise method at best, Indy thought. Maybe they'd be better off branching out of the patient blocks. These areas were usually pretty free of lab rats; if the goal was to keep them off the patients, he'd probably do more good out in the main hall or up on the second floor.

It didn't look like anyone here needed help, so Indy kept going.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753282.html?thread=62286978#t62286978)]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755796.html?thread=62062932#t62062932)]

Jason couldn't see much of the next hall until Two-Face came through with his flashlight but like the rest it seemed mostly empty. There were a few others standing around and he thought he could hear some kind of animal nearby but he couldn't be certain.

No one was paying them any attention, all wrapped up in their own business and, possible wild animals aside the area was quiet enough. Going somewhere private to talk just seemed like a waste of time. People were good at not paying attention to what was going on around then so he saw no reason not to get down to business. Jason hated to admit it but it might not be a bad idea to get Dent's input on tracking down Drake. The kid was smart and had good reason to be wary of them both and Jason was uncertain how to approach him without alerting him to what they were planning.

Voice quieter than before he said, "Well that was nice and all but we've got other things to think about." Dent would know what he meant.

Whether or not Jason was being facetious, it was difficult to gauge just why he had problems with his roommate. Though on the other hand, Harvey didn't think Jason could get stuck in a room with anyone and actually get along with them. Maybe he wasn't giving the kid enough credit, but Harvey was more or less guilty of the same thing.

At least he and Godot hadn't shot suspicious glares at each other throughout the meal, though. That guy had at least had a sense of humor about their predicament. There really wasn't much that was funny about it, but Godot's attitude had been easier to tolerate than Lunge's.

In the end, whatever bickering was going on with Jason and his roommate didn't matter. It was Jason's own stupidity that had gotten him beaten up, and Harvey wasn't concerned with it so long as it didn't affect Jason's performance tonight. Not that they had much planned, but the kid better be able to keep up if a monster found them. It already sounded like there was activity brewing nearby, which set Harvey on edge.

"You want to talk about it here?" he asked incredulously. Unlike Jason, that didn't sit very well with Harvey. He knew that no part of the institute was safer than any other, and yet he didn't consider it a good idea to start chatting in the middle of a hallway where tons of other patients would be passing through. "Let's keep going," he urged.

(no subject)

no-ones-son.livejournal.com - 2009-11-26 22:48 (UTC) - Expand

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/760122.html?thread=62286394#t62286394).]

It hadn't even occurred to Calvin to bring his flashlight until he'd already made it to the dark, dank hallway connecting the his dormitories with the women's rooms. Frankly, he wasn't even sure whether or not the flashlight even existed, or whether it was just another figment of his overwrought imagination. He couldn't actually remember using it. Instead his insane dreams had relied on magic to light his way.

Magic. Little glowy balls of light, suspended in midair like that idiotic fairy in that old video game.

How...retarded.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753282.html?thread=62350722#t62350722).]

Edited 2009-11-26 07:28 (UTC)

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755104.html?thread=62353824#t62353824)]

They were only in the sparsely populated hallway for a few seconds, but it was long enough. Now that he was following habit and years of training, his movements were natural and little remained of the uneasiness that had been do obvious in the room. He hesitated, taking quick stock of the situation and assuming Kakashi would as well. "Do you know him?" he asked, aware of the jounin's tendency to go to great lengths to protect those he considered friends or acquaintances. The man was unarmed, but there were a handful of others in the hallway that could probably help him as well. "It might have friends and we could be outnumbered. I suggest moving as quickly as possible." He cast another glance back, making sure that Kakashi didn't seem opposed to the idea. Shikamaru felt another inexplicable pain behind his eyes, but it was weak enough to warrant only a few blinks and the flip of his flashlight's switch: there were others in the room, and aside from the unnatural brightness of the light, he didn't want to attract attention. Because Kakashi hadn't protested, they continued on, keeping close to the wall and moving with the silent speed that was second nature to ninja.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62354700#t62354700)]

Edited 2009-11-26 08:07 (UTC)

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62359386#t62359386).]

There were people in this hall, though not many of them, and so Remy's first impulse was to duck back into the door, flatten himself against the wall, find a patch of darkness. Even from a distance, though, he could see that none of them was too much taller than him -- a head, maybe, at most. He had to remind himself, against lifelong ingrained panic, that humans probably wouldn't see a rat when they looked at him. He wondered what they would see. There has to be a mirror somewhere in this place, he thought.

With caution, he peeled himself off of the wall. The hall to his left was long; to his right, it was much shorter. It might actually lead somewhere. His nose twitched against weird scents in the distance, and he wondered where he might find a kitchen, or at least some food... a look around suggested that if he did find such a place, there was a good chance that he'd be disappointed with its condition.

He chose the right turn and continued to move in that direction.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62312460#t62312460).]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755796.html?thread=62359124#t62359124)]

Another hallway, and if Wally wasn't already way too familiar with this place, he'd have been able to tell he was getting closer to the main hall just from the fact he was starting to see more people around.

It still wasn't that busy, considering how many rooms where around here. But that wasn't that unusual; Wally was used to beating everyone out of places, even when he wasn't using his powers nearly constantly. He was just used to going fast.

It wasn't too bad though; he had time to think about things, try and plan an idea of where he'd go tonight as he passed through a quieter spot in the hall...

Quiet except for the faint sound of something growling hungrily.

Wally sped up, his eyes finding the splash of light from a discarded flashlight seconds before he glimpsed the shape of a man on the ground, something pinning his chest down. He didn't need to see anything else; simply threw himself into a run.

[dashing in to save the day here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/756289.html?thread=62351937#t62351937)]

[From here.]

As he passed through the door into the larger corridor, Daniel resumed speaking to Lunge.

"I remember the directions very well. It is only that I am no longer convinced that anything sinister is happening here. Finding out whether or not there are ruins in the woods may go a way towards disproving these rumors, but even if they exist, the likelihood that they mean anything -- "

He shrugged, showing that he thought their significance was probably negligible.

Whether or not Lunge recovered from whatever psychological problems had landed him in the Institute wasn't Daniel's problem, but as he considered it with a mind that was more awake than it had been a few minutes earlier, he realized that this jaunt might be beneficial to both of them. If all went well, it would serve to underscore Daniel's own newfound stability; that it might open new horizons for his companion was also worth considering, even if it was only a fillip. Although he couldn't yet muster actual empathy, he understood that learning to be a friend to another person was vital to his own rehabilitation.

He had promised Lunge his company on this trip. Given his own goals, the change in circumstances did not seem like a good enough reason to break his word.

Edited 2009-11-26 12:45 (UTC)

Less 'cast off a mask', more 'put on a mask'; Laurier sounded intelligent, but he was most certainly not L. He suppressed a sigh of irritation.

It occurred to Lunge that 'anything sinister' was bound to include monsters. On a practical level it was troublesome but not completely insurmountable; it was like that L, based on his physical condition, was likely to have been a liability anyway. But the fact remained that he was dealing with a man so delicately attached to his sanity as to be institutionalised; there was no telling what exposure to the Institute's horrors would mean for him. Without further observation and questioning it would be impossible to say if all it would take to shatter the man's reality was one supernatural event.

The softly-softly approach seemed to be working, patronising though it was, and he pursued it. A patronised, irritable Laurier was vastly preferable to a suspicious one, far more easily directed- and it was obvious that, even for all the smarts in the world, he was going to be leading Laurier a lot.

"I see," he answered with the same casual lilt. "Well, the sooner we see them- or don't see them, as the case may be- for ourselves, the sooner we can draw our conclusions." He moved into the next hall.

[from here]

Partly down the next hallway, Albedo stopped, looking to his left. M12. They had passed that, Rubedo and him, if logistics were to be believed. And he was on his way to passing it again. (Why had he come out again?) The boy rolled his eyes and started to walk to the door of the endcap hallway. {I'm already close to there. I'll wait for you.}

Nothing more was given. Albedo leaned beside the door and closed his eyes.

[From here.]

Nerve endings sparked at the prospect, but Nigredo continued without break. Rubedo's sword, however, he brought closer to his side. A mistaken impression would be the last anyone needed.

White hair or no, it still took a moment to spot the small form. When he did, however, Nigredo spared no second in the approach, stopping within an arm's reach, eying his brother with a heavy expression. Albedo appeared empty-handed, an aspect he hadn't really predicted (but should have). Nigredo swallowed thickly.

"You...didn't have to," he muttered after a minute. The grip on the sword's hilt tightened.

(no subject)

purgatio - 2009-11-27 04:45 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

falseblack - 2009-11-27 05:32 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

purgatio - 2009-11-27 05:55 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

falseblack - 2009-11-28 07:21 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

purgatio - 2009-11-29 05:19 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

falseblack - 2009-11-29 06:21 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

purgatio - 2009-11-29 06:39 (UTC) - Expand

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755796.html?thread=62302292#t62302292).]

Hiro had made this trip so many times now, hadn't he? Afraid Ristuka might get eaten by monsters. Afraid of a room upstairs he'd dreamed about. Pathetic. Perhaps this was why Ritsuo left. Hiro had already begun believing in Soubi. Just a little. At school, around Kio, where he could be someone else.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755104.html?thread=62425248#t62425248).]

Edited 2009-11-28 17:28 (UTC)

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62392410#t62392410).]

"We're going to head to the female dormitories briefly," Kenshin explained as they entered the next hallway. "We're meeting someone there. Plus, we can always check to make sure that Yuffie-dono is safely in her room. This is a very bad time indeed for her to be wandering around, thinking she's 'Hanna.'"

"Female dormitories. Got it." Cloud stopped just long enough to get his bearings. Anyone female appeared to be coming from the end of the hall, so if he had to guess he'd say that the girl's rooms weren't further in the other direction. If so, the female population was even lower than it had originally appeared.

He started walking toward the main hall, but gave Kenshin a sheepish smile as he did. "You might have to show me the way."

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62413580#t62413580)]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62468954#t62468954).]

Even more people were here, though it was still sparsely populated. Jomy decided for once and for all that it had to be an illusion. He quickly calmed himself down and closed his eyes, mentally repeating a mantra consisting of 'this is an illusion'. When he opened them back up and the scene remained, his eyes narrowed slightly. He had been sure that it was an illusion, but he was a type-blue Mu; had it been what he thought it was, it would have been broken merely by his first thought.

The calm that he had briefly felt dissipated quickly, and Jomy had the sense of being like a small child again, feeling an intense desire to see his mother and bask in the comfort that was her presence. Physis would do as well: she could have foretold the ending of this story he did not want to be a part of--maybe. He had no idea what her situation was now, whether she and Harley and Leo were even alive any more.

Jomy shook his head, ridding them of such thoughts. He was a leader, and being able to put on a calm exterior and interior was something he had been able to do easily. Letting something like this place bother him would not bring comfort to his people, had they been there with him.

Thus, putting on a zen-like face, Jomy walked from the hallway into an even larger one.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62469900#t62469900)]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62492684#t62492684)]

Again, Shikamaru hesitated, this time smelling far more fresh blood that he'd smelled the first time through. He remained silent, not wanting to attract the rotting-demon-cat or whatever's attention, but he quietly retrieved two scalpels just in case its interests changed. This time, there were two patients. As he'd expected when he passed through the first time, another patient had decided to interfere, and judging from the second man's movements, his memory was intact.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755796.html?thread=62493524#t62493524)]

Edited 2009-11-30 08:25 (UTC)

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62511450#t62511450).]

Blah blah blah...if hallways could speak, this one would probably be talking about how it loved to watch paint dry or something as equally stimulating.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62616588#t62616588).]

(no subject)

piggy-king.livejournal.com - 2009-12-07 21:44 (UTC) - Expand

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62410330)]

Sanae continued his pace through this next hallway, even though it looked like two patients were getting on the bad side of...something. Something that wasn't attacking them--yes, that was it.

And now that they were going to be heading into the larger hallways, maybe it was a good time to bringing up the scanning issue. "Hey Phones, I noticed you doin' something with your headphones back there. You still picking up stuff?" If he was, the larger flow of patients in these areas would give him a good gauge to his limits.

Neku rubbed his arm self-consciously when Mr. H brought up his taste when it came to pins. Yeah, of course he liked CAT's work. He'd been a fan for what felt like forever. CAT's stuff spoke to people in a way that was undeniable. But having the guy himself call you on it was kind of embarrassing.

At least he changed the subject pretty fast. Neku was quick to latch onto the new topic, something he'd been wondering about himself.

"Static," he said, scratching his head. But he hadn't tried much beyond it. Glancing from Mr. H to the floor, he closed his eyes and tried to focus. It felt similar to the way he could scan in the UG, but it was different too. Like tuning into a channel on a radio. The closer he got to a thought, the clearer it became, but it took a lot of focus to get much.

Phillip. New formula. It was hard to tell where they were even coming from. But he managed to pick up a word or two. Cat food. Neku jerked back at the sudden flood of emotions that followed the last one. Fear. Strong and inescapable. His eyes shot open and he stumbled backward a few steps, tripping over his own feet, as if he'd been the total noob in that monster's sights. His hands were still shaking uncontrollably as his eyes darted back and forth down the hall, trying to locate the cat itself. It was here, wasn't it?

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755796.html?thread=62539092#t62539092).]

All he could think about was that Ethan could be doing something stupid, and Harrison could only hope that he would be able to catch the man before he got too far away. With the doors unlocked, Ethan could get anywhere in the whole building, and Harrison wasn't exactly interested in tearing the place apart looking for him. He moved past the few people in the hall, not really seeing their faces or hearing their conversations.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62540122#t62540122).]

Edited 2009-12-02 00:37 (UTC)

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62368858#t62368858).]

As he moved down the hall with long, graceful steps, Howl began to idly explore the pockets of his coat. His mind was wandering more than he liked, but it was far too easy to remember Sophie tending to this very same suit with deft fingers. He would catch glimpses of her, forever busy, as he came and went. The comforting sight of Sophie at work had become as much of a staple as being the target of her temper. She really had made the suit better, and he knew why. The cloth had radiated with magic after she was done with it, stitched right into the seams. Sophie hadn't even realized what she had done, and Howl hadn't seen reason to tell her.

Howl couldn't feel that magic anymore. Either it was gone, or he was too crippled to sniff it out. Both prospects depressed him terribly. He was not above looking this gift horse in the mouth if the complaints involved a lack of magic.

However, he could feel something tiny and hard in his breast pocket. He let out a small, victorious laugh to discover the single jewel earring he had grown so accustomed to wearing. It was enough cause to pull over to the side of the hallway for a moment, and setting down his supplies, he easily placed the earring. He had done it so many times, it was one thing he didn't need a mirror for. (Still, he would have appreciated one.)

When he walked, he could feel the jewel bump against his jaw in a familiar, reassuring way.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753282.html?thread=62562946#t62562946).]

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754018.html?thread=62091106#t62091106).]

At some point in his rather vigorous constitutional, Kristoph decided he required a meat shield. Preferably one who wouldn't later stab/blackmail/mar his less-than-perfect nails. He certainly hadn't forgotten what had occurred in his last visit to the file room. Obtaining insurance would surely be more beneficial than not.

The thought, of course, came at a rather unfortunate time; all the good ones likely found their place at some frail lady's side. Kristoph briefly entertained the possibility of pretending to be a woman, only to remember he lacked the physique. The skin, the hair, the perfectly chiseled fingers he had. His chest? Needed a few pounds.

Perhaps another strategy could be formed before he reached the entry way.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62066444#t62066444).]

Edited 2009-12-03 05:22 (UTC)

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62393868#t62393868).]

Addison smiled at Shinji as though he was feeling better. He was, in a way, but none of his questions had been answered. He only felt better because he was being allowed to avoid the problem. As a human, naturally he would do so. That was their nature. His nature. Avoid pain. He didn't believe that Shinji, nor Sean, would ask either. Talking about the past, what they remembered or did not, only upset him.

And yet, it was something he needed to know. Addison's stomach felt uneasy as he remembered Shinji's panic attack earlier that day. He told himself that if it looked as though Shinji was excessively distressed, he would drop the subject.

"What was I like?" He was surprised by his own voice, calm and feathery and nothing like his torn up mind. "The me that you know."

Shinji trailed after Kaworu, still casting occasional, uneasy glances into the dark. He still couldn't shake the feeling that the whole building was watching him (and only him) and that at any moment, it was simply going to swallow him whole. He'd been sorry to see Asuka go, but just the knowledge that she was here and she was safe (well, relatively) buoyed his spirits. He fell back for a moment and then hurried to catch up, falling in next to Kaworu as the question finally registered in his mind and he tried to think of way to answer.

His brow furrowed for a moment as he remembered. How much had he really known about Kaworu? Not much. He didn't even know where he was supposed to be from, what he liked (aside from music), what his dreams were, what he would have liked to do, if there hadn't been the small and annoying detail of Third Impact. He glanced over at Kaworu nervously with a compulsive shrug, "I... well... you were..."

He tried to find the right word, "...nice. You treated me like a person. You..."

You said you loved me.

"You talked with me. I... I guess you were a bit strange- in a good way! I mean... I felt like..."

He shrugged again, awkward. This was a bit roubling. He didn't like talking about how he felt, but Kaworu had asked, "...I feltl ike you could just look through me sometimes. Like you knew what I was thinking."

(no subject)

moral-liberty.livejournal.com - 2009-12-03 22:59 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

sdatislife.livejournal.com - 2009-12-03 23:05 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

moral-liberty.livejournal.com - 2009-12-03 23:27 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

sdatislife.livejournal.com - 2009-12-03 23:32 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

moral-liberty.livejournal.com - 2009-12-04 00:32 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

sdatislife.livejournal.com - 2009-12-04 00:43 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

moral-liberty.livejournal.com - 2009-12-04 00:59 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

sdatislife.livejournal.com - 2009-12-04 02:16 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

moral-liberty.livejournal.com - 2009-12-04 02:32 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

sdatislife.livejournal.com - 2009-12-04 02:36 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

moral-liberty.livejournal.com - 2009-12-04 20:22 (UTC) - Expand

[from here]

Through the doorway, Albedo paused against the wall. As things stood, he wasn't sure how he was to continue in this night. It had been simple--seemed simple. Nigredo was going out. Albedo would acoompany him. But that was before Klavier, before visiting Rubedo, before speaking truth to Nigredo and his younger brother giving nothing but the textbook response. Had he expected anything else?

Yes, some part of him insisted quietly. The boy scoffed bitterly. Really? Hadn't he already learned? He had nothing.

Loneliness surged in him, rising up, and Albedo didn't move. He simply waited.

The "pet" label was a little more than objectionable. Nigredo almost said as much--how people were people, not possessions. If arguing hadn't become such a sour point, a potential strain on an already drawn out mind, the statement would hardly have been a problem. Tonight was not the night for this.

He looked up at Klavier, lips twisting in the briefest of moments, before tailing Albedo out the door. If the man wanted to follow, let him.

Past the threshold, things proved no easier, and the youngest found himself stopping a few steps away from his brother. A question rose to his eyes, but something profoundly absent forced it down. Nigredo again lowered his head, half-expectant.

"I don't have anything else to do tonight," he whispered. Klavier had killed any willingness to follow through with seeking out the cause of today's strangeness.

(no subject)

rocksthecourt - 2009-12-04 06:15 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

purgatio - 2009-12-04 06:40 (UTC) - Expand

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755642.html?thread=62604730#t62604730)]

Still quiet, still barely a soul wandering here. They must have set out while he was finishing dinner, which was fine by him. The less people he saw, the less to stop him in his tracks.

...that even being a thought in his mind was worrying. He shouldn't be stopping anyhow, no matter who he saw or how injured they may have been. They had nothing to do with him or his business. If there were a hundred people in his way, it was his obligation to cut down every single one of them for the good of the mission, the good of the Guild.

Just three days here and he was already growing soft. Tch. Well, that changed right now. Everything depended on it.

[Going here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62637836#t62637836)]

Edited 2009-12-05 00:00 (UTC)

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/755796.html?thread=62613588#t62613588)]

There certainly seemed to be a lot of people sneaking around at night. Mello was generally in favor of rebellion against the Institute, so long as it didn't interfere with his aims. He noted their room as they passed it, working on his mental map of the place, though he still resented the need for having one at all. The pain in his shoulder had subsided to a persistent but dull ache. Disinfecting it wouldn't be a bad idea, but he didn't want to count on them having freedom of movement for too much longer, and what was one more scar in the grand scheme of things?

By the end of the two hallways he wasn't exactly winded, but he wasn't feeling so great either. "Upstairs?" Emmett asked, pointing at the staircase in front of them. He wasn't so concerned with his belongings, but a nice window or some roof access would be nice.

Emmett only got a few steps towards the stairs when he froze mid-step. Maybe he was imagining things, but a familiar scent was coming from the western end of the hallway. It was almost too faint to register-- he would have missed it if he didn't feel like he needed to breathe so heavily.

He turned to Morgan. "I... uh, let's try this way." Even in the best of times Emmett wasn't exactly subtle. Without a second glance he swiftly moved down the hallway.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/763109.html).]

[from here]

The dark seemed a lot more prominent now that Matthew was actively trying to see if there was anything else that wanted to eat him alive. Especially since they were both bleeding and he didn't think that that was going to serve as a deterrent to...whatever those things were. At least they weren't too far from his room.

His flashlight swept over the drops of blood on the floor. He remembered finding his brother's blood that night, though there'd been a lot more at the time.

Shaking it off, he stepped up beside the man, feeling awkward in the silence. Besides, he should at least know the guy's name.

"I'm, uh. I'm Matthew, by the way," he said. "Matthew Derringer."

Edited 2009-12-06 06:02 (UTC)

Wally wasn't too happy about heading back to the hallway they'd just run from, but they both had a better idea of what to look out for now. Besides, if something did jump out at them, then he'd be able to either keep it busy so the other guy could run for it, or try another burst of speed.

He rubbed the side of his head where he was pretty sure he was going to end up with a sizable bruise come morning. Maybe the running should be an emergency option.

So far the hallway didn't have any sign of zombie cats, which was something. He kept scanning the area as he led the way onwards.

"Matthew huh?" he said, flashing a quick smile at that. "I'm Wally West." He paused, looking around quickly once more before leading them into the next hallway and continuing the conversation.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62674266#t62674266)]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/754522.html?thread=62782554#t62782554)]

All of Suzaku's senses were on high alert as he padded down the hallway, but a disproportionate majority of them were focused on Brendan behind him. It was as important to keep an eye on him as it was to watch out for any monsters, and yes, Suzaku was paranoid about anything hurting him, but. . . Was it really necessary for him to be this aware of every step the other boy made? Did he really have to be waiting on tenterhooks for the slightest sound of alarm from behind him?

Suzaku stopped briefly at the end of the hall, before going out into the Institute's main corridor. He couldn't resist breaking the silence, this time. "You remember that a lot of stuff tends to happen out there, right?"

In hindsight, this really wasn't much of an improvement. It did help Brendan focus on things that weren't related to his supremely complicated identity crisis, but when that just meant he was panicking over the possibility of encountering a stitched monstrosity, festering corpse, or, god forbid, a freaking ghost like the ones he'd seen in those Japanese horror films Mary had made him watch, it... well, it wasn't much better. At all. What if they ran into something incorporeal again and Lance couldn't fight it off? That had happened before, hadn't it?

"Yes, I remember," he said shortly, tightening his grip on his bat. It was impossible to hide the thread of fear in his voice, but he did the best he could, not wanting L-- Suzaku to worry. Like that was going to happen. "It's not like I can forget after rewriting that monster report so many times." He really, really wished he could, though.

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/753420.html?thread=62775308#t62775308)]

This was a perfectly normal hospital, Yuuko told herself firmly. It had some door security issues, and the staff were inexplicably absent (maybe they were off dealing with the security problems and the electrical problem in the doctors' hallway?) but there was nothing strange going on. She knew that. And yet she still couldn't help but feel uneasy, like something was going to jump out of the shadows at any second.

It was probably just because their flashlights seemed oddly dim, barely able to penetrate the darkness at all. The fact that she could faintly hear voices and footsteps coming from other patients wandering unseen in the shadows likely wasn't helping, either. All just the product of a very active imagination, of course.

She paused at the door past the nurse's station, glancing over at Rick. "This one? Or farther down?"

Rick stopped. "Uh," okay, maybe not the most intelligent thing he'd ever gone with but dude, he was in the dark in a mental facility that should have locked doors and he was busy trying to convince himself that that flicker he caught at the edge of his vision wasn't another delusion. Figured he could cut himself some slack.

He tried to turn the directions around in his head and made a guess: "Think it's this way."

[To here]

Edited 2009-12-11 15:11 (UTC)