damned_institute | Night 46: M81-90 Hallway

Entry tags:

Night 46: M81-90 Hallway

"Hzhwzut?!" Scott jerked awake, unconsciously kicking the blanket off his bed as the intercom crackled out and the door clicked open. He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling with groggy, half-open eyes.

How long had he slept? Scott tried to remember. He vaguely recalled being woken on the couch in the Sun Room and told to stop snoring. When he thought hard enough, he could hear a nurse in his mind, telling him to come along for dinner. Even the prospect of food hadn't been enough to keep him from falling right back asleep, apparently. Why had he been so tired all of a sudden? It almost felt as though Christmas had come and sucker punched him in the face. Usually only copious amounts of turkey could make him so tired. Well, during the day, anyway.

Funnily enough, he could smell cold turkey somewhere nearby. Scott narrowed his eyes. "I'm on to your game, Landel."

Scott sat up quickly and immediately regretted it. "Owowow sleep headache..." He stumbled out of his bed toward the closet. It was night, wasn't it? He was going to need his ass-kicking implements. After changing into his real clothes (and after realizing his shirt was inside out and fixing that), Scott grabbed his pipe, flashlight, and the various little tools he had taken to putting in his jacket pockets. With that all ready, Scott rubbed his eyes, yawned, and headed out for the night.

[To here]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Damn, when his roommate slept, the guy didn't fool around. He'd been passed out when Raph had arrived for dinner and been that way ever since, regardless of any attempts to wake him including Raphael getting bored and yelling in his ear to see if that worked. But that got nothing. Not even a roll-over-and-cover-head-with-pillow reaction. Either the guy was dead - unlikely 'cause he was breathing and all - or he was almost as good as blocking things out as Leonardo was when meditating.

Raph was tempted to stick around and try getting the guy up or at least seeing if there was anything wrong, but then he remembered his meeting. And the stupid mission they had (seriously, a library? Who did he look like; Donny?). Pinky'd never let him live it down if she beat him to the meeting point, so he'd better get his shell moving if he wanted to get there before her.

Sparing his roommate one final glance, he slipped out the door.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/780555.html?thread=63958027#t63958027)]

Edited 2010-01-03 04:10 (UTC)

Tim didn't remember falling asleep. As a matter of fact, he didn't remember coming back to the room. What the hell was with this place, anyway?

It was easy to figure out that night had fallen. Raphael was nowhere to be seen, so he guessed that was about it for whatever ninja tricks the guy had. It would have to wait until tomorrow. Well, fine.

He felt like he'd been asleep forever, and his mind was all...fuzzy. Well, that sure wasn't going to do. He'd just have to go out there and make sure he stayed with the program. If he didn't, things would get ugly fast. Maybe he'd run into a friend, maybe not. Either way, he'd be all right.

Probably.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/788243.html)]

Nightshift was upon them again, and with it came more alchemy work. It was tiring, but in the long run he'd be supplying fighters with weapons. Hopefully, this would put them closer to taking out Landel. One little step at a time.

He pulled out his pillowcase of metal. His supplies were steadily dwindling, so the next few people were going to have to start bringing metal of their own or else he'd run out. Having to turn someone away because he had nothing to craft their weapon from could get ugly, though he supposed he could always send them out to get some right then and there.

Once he was set up, he laid back down on his bed, relaxing and staring up at the ceiling. Every so often, his ears would twitch against the pillow.

Kakashi came up to the door of M88, letting out a small sigh once he'd arrived. Now, so long as night didn't come to a sudden end, he'd at least get the first task done. Knocking firmly on the door, the man called out a greeting to whoever was inside. About all he could guess was that the person was male, but nothing more, as he'd failed to give a description.

"Hello? It's Hatake Kakashi, and I think you're expecting me."

"Coming." The voice sounded a little familiar, but he'd run into so many people during his time in the Institute that it could be anyone he'd just happened to pass more than once. Leon sat up, scooting himself slowly to the edge of his bed before hopping to the floor and padding over to the door on bare feet. He could have just told them to come in, but he found it more polite to meet someone face to face first.

He was greeted with a familiar face, or hair - since he couldn't actually see most of the man's face, when the door was opened. Blinking, it took him a moment or two to place where he'd seen him. It was the man with the book from the other day. Strange how coincidences like that happened. "Come on in. I'm Leon. Did you get a chance to gather materials?"

The young mage backed away to allow the man room to enter.

Well that was a surprise. Kakashi wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but he really hadn't been expecting the all-too-eager boy from the other day to be the one answering the door, and with a strange set of ears at that. Not that he hadn't seen his share of talented kids or abnormal features. The greeting certainly left no room for doubt. Kakashi would just have to make sure not to let Leon know that he was carrying another erotic novel in his side pouch.

"Afraid not, but some of my friends are working on it." Or at least they would be, provided that no one else had been taken, or brainwashed, or put to sleep, or outright killed. Really, getting anything done seemed almost impossible, just with the obstacles they faced night after night. "I'll have something to you hopefully by tomorrow."

Kakashi came into the room when Leon moved, interested in seeing just how the "toy making" worked. There just might be an unintended benefit to this venture, though Kakashi wasn't exactly eager to drain his chakra. Still, he did have to know what his sharingan could do in terms of abilities; if there was a chance he could copy something useful, it was worth taking.

"So, where do we start?" Kakashi turned to face Leon, waiting for what happened next.

Leon nodded, though in reality he was a little bothered by the comment. His own supplies wouldn't last forever, and he'd yet to get much in the way of repayment for his efforts. All he could do was take Kakashi's word for it and hope that he did get some supplies returned to him.

He motioned toward his notebook, already laying open on the floor. "Here. It's just a matter of converting the materials I have into a different form. Do you have any examples or diagrams of what you want? I can provide you with paper if you need to draw it out. I only have one shot at this a night." There was little point in wasting energy because he wasn't sure of exactly what he was supposed to be making.

"The process is short, but I won't be able to do much afterward."

Kakashi wasn't exactly comfortable with how things stood, but he didn't feel so guilty over it once he thought about the reasons. Keeping the team mentally stable simply took priority, particularly as it seemed to be the goal of the Institute to shatter all of them. Still, he intended to keep his word, especially considering how vital weapons would be to fighting the physical dangers of the Institute.

"One shot, huh?" Kakashi nodded slightly, then asked for the paper Leon had offered. He had originally thought of drawing both the shuriken and kunai they used, but given the limitation, Kakashi sketched out only the latter. While the shuriken had their uses, kunai were better suited for both throwing and up-close combat. Plus they'd ultimately be easier to retrieve in the dark.

"That's fine. Thanks again for doing this." Kakashi could carry the boy to bed easily enough, given his small size, should Leon be too worn out after his efforts. He handed over the drawing, then moved to where he could better see the symbols drawn in Leon's notebook, which resembled the seals they used at home. He raised a hand to his mask then, ready to pull it up to reveal the sharingan, but only when Leon started. The chakra drain was enough that Kakashi didn't want to use the ability any more than necessary.

Edited 2010-01-15 07:42 (UTC)

The drawing was examined thoroughly, then set beside his workspace. The design was simple, much like the ones he'd made for Honey just the night before but with less unique details. He might be able to manage just a slight bit more than he had previously without that to focus on.

Leon placed the required amount of metal in the center of the design and sat back, holding his hands out over the pieces. Making several items at once required more focus, but he'd already done this once and he was confident in his abilities to do it again. A bright glow appeared beneath his hands, obscuring everything there until the metal had reformed into the shapes of nine individual kunai.

When he'd finished, the young mage slumped back just as he had the night before. He'd been hoping that this would become less draining with time...

When Leon started, and somehow summoned the glowing light, Kakashi pulled up the cloth covering his left eye. With the sharingan he could see the flow of energy as it moved through the metal, and he knew it came from an outside source, not Leon's own chakra. Nothing he could copy then, though it was reassuring that the eye did indeed still work. Once he was sure, Kakashi put the mask back in place, though even that brief period sent a spike of pain through his head. He'd have to get used to that, if he wanted to use the sharingan in a fight.

More importantly, once that light faded, there were nine perfect looking kunai left in place of scrap metal. They'd likely have to be tested and sharpened, but it was definitely more than the ninja had previously. Before he examined the weapons any more closely, however, Kakashi turned his attention to Leon, who had fallen back against the bed. Moving over to the kid, Kakashi smiled from behind the mask, and knelt down so they were on the same level. "That's really impressive. Thanks a lot. Now why don't you let me help you into bed so you can take a break?"

Kakashi held out his hand, waiting for Leon to take it. Of course he'd actually pick the boy up, but he didn't want to be so pushy. He didn't know Leon quite that well yet, after all.

Leon needed a moment to catch his breath, and he stared blankly at the offered hand. Couldn't he be left to rest a bit longer before he had to move? Still, the bed did sound nice even if he'd just been on it a few minutes before.

He reached one hand up to grasp the ninja's, but didn't move immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes to let a second or two of dizziness pass. Perhaps he should start demanding people bring hims something to replenish some energy after he performed alchemy, but he didn't think anything aside from carrot juice would really do the job here.

Kakashi wasn't bothered by the fact that Leon did nothing besides grasp his hand; in fact, the jounin hadn't intended for the boy to. All he wanted was permission, and maybe to give the kid a little warning. Manhandling required a certain amount of familiarity not to be taken the wrong way, after all. Still, now that he had Leon by the arm, Kakashi gently tugged him up until he could brace the boy over his shoulder, then lifted him up. Maybe not the most graceful way to move someone, but then, Kakashi hadn't intended to go very far.

"Just a sec." Kakashi paused just long enough to pull the sheet back from Leon's bed, then laid the kid down in it rather gently. Maybe he wouldn't appreciate it so much, but Kakashi had gone through worse. Like when Gai ran back to Konoha from Suna--not exactly a pleasant memory. Smiling despite the unwanted recollection, Kakashi pulled the sheet up to Leon's chin once he was tucked in.

"I don't know what you had planned, but I think getting a good night's sleep might not be a bad idea." And since Kakashi hadn't moved from the bedside just yet, the jounin might have just given off the impression that he intended to enforce it. Not that he could stay around there forever, but with the way Leon looked, it probably wouldn't take more than a few minutes for the kid to doze off. And if there was anything Kakashi could do well, it was move about quietly.

The boy gave a shocked gasp as he was lifted up, the room spinning enough from the movement that he had to shut his eyes. What was he, a sack of potatoes? You didn't just heft someone like...

Then he was being situated in his bed, and the feeling of being tucked in was so heartbreakingly familiar that he could only freeze up and let it happen. It was a reminder of his parents, and how long he'd gone now without seeing them. Even before he'd been brought into Landel's he hadn't seen his parents since the incident with the Lacour Hope. When was the last time one of them had tucked him into bed like this?

The boy turned his head to the side and away from the man standing beside him, pushing such thoughts to the back of his mind. Tired as he was, it would be far too easy to let such thoughts depress him.

Any shock had been expected, but the look on Leon's face when he moved the sheet, and the way he turned his head? Kakashi couldn't help but wonder just what the boy was thinking to look that way, especially that young. True, it wasn't anything unusual in terms of ninja, to face tragedy so early on that childhood didn't have a chance. But there were people who didn't live that way, and Kakashi had assumed, if not hoped, that maybe it was like that on other worlds. Now, however, he thought that he might just have been wrong about it.

"Looks like I did something I shouldn't have." Kakashi's voice was light, showing that, at least on his part, there wasn't any ill-will in regards to what could've easily been perceived as a rejection. "Sorry about that." Moving to the kunai, Kakashi picked up each and stored them in various places on his uniform. Next was the notebook, which also was lifted, then put on Leon's desk.

"I'll head out now." Kakashi smiled a final time toward the bed, picking up his sword last. "Thanks again." Then with a wave, he headed out of the room. Back to roaming the halls.

As Kakashi left, Leon turned back enough to be able to watch his departing form. His reaction might not have been the best, but it wasn't as if he was going to call the ninja back now.

He let the weariness take over, his eyelids drooping shut. One of these nights he was going to find a way not to be asleep by the end of it. This wasn't yet that night.

[Skipping to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/780542.html?thread=64683006#t64683006)]

Brook just could not get over wonderful his day had been! First Zoro had come back the day before, even if he’d been acting strange the night before, and now Usopp was there once more! And there was the prospect of another meety as well! That would boost everyone’s spirits, surely!

Just the hope for one had Brook in an excellent mood once night finally fell. He even overlooked writing in his journal for it. Being in such a mood meant that he just had to get something done tonight. What, he wasn't sure, but he certainly had high hopes that something good would come of his being out this night. He headed off quickly, humming a happy tune as he entered the hallway.

The Head Doctor never seemed to be in as much control as everyone said, and tonight just helped to reinforce that. All very mysterious, this business with whoever had allegedly come back from the dead... hopefully it would distract this crowd enough to let Wonka get his supplies together without bumping into trouble.

His supplies were already lined up - sack, component sweets, flashlight, notebook, and all - and he made no delay in beginning the night's trek once the doors unlocked. That is, no delay except a few minutes of fumbling about in the dark when he realized his flashlight was already sputtering out. On the bright side, though, better in the room than in some bizarre corner of the second floor.

Finally satisfied that the flashlight was good and strong again, Wonka leapt out the door, pillowcase of supplies in tow.

[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/788243.html?thread=64281619#t64281619)]

Jade had waited some time for Dist's inevitable arrival - far longer than it usually took the God-General to show himself, in fact - and he was feeling somewhat disconcerted by the man's failure to appear. On one level, logic said that he and Dist had never actually agreed to meet up tonight, and that they rarely accomplished much when they did pair up in any case...but on the other hand, he and Dist never agreed to meet up; Dist simply came, unbidden, whenever opportunity allowed. For him not to come suggested that something was stopping him...and Jade didn't know his room number.

Could he have gone missing, or been taken for special counseling? Both possibilities were mentioned in the notes Edgeworth had given him. Special counseling didn't worry him much - Dist was too inept to do any real damage except to the unprepared, and he'd probably seek Jade out even when brainwashed and Jade was more than prepared to deal with him - but he didn't like the idea that the staff might have whisked him off somewhere, never to be seen again. Dist was his responsibility, however tiresome.

Since there was no question of checking his room, however, all Jade could do was head out for the night and hope that he either found Dist or found someone who had word of him.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/780555.html?thread=64185099#t64185099).]

Sam stood and surveyed his half of the room. "Now, if I were a flashlight, where would I be?" He kicked off his slippers and checked under the bed and in the wardrobe, but there was still nothing there. Nothing useful, anyway.

He noticed himself yawning, and covered his mouth, a much easier thing to do in this body. Maybe he should take a little nap before he went out there. It'd be bad if he found a whole group of monsters, but was too tired to fight them.

Sam lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

He woke up with something digging into the back of his head. "What the... Aw!" He'd fallen asleep. Darn. He hoped it was still night, and that... There was definitely something under his pillow.

Sam sat and looked underneath it, revealing a flashlight. "Ah-hah!" he said, grabbing it. Now all he needed was Max and his gun, but he guessed he had to make do. The flashlight would make a decent club, he thought, testing its weight, but only if he swung it really hard. It was better than nothing, though.

Sam opened the door, revealing, to his relief, darkness, and went out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Night 46: M81-90 Hallway

in M82

Re: in M82

M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

Re: M88

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

M81

no subject

M87