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damned_institute2010-02-10 04:28 pm
its-the-mileage.livejournal.com) wrote in damned_institute2010-02-10 04:28 pm
Night 47: M11-M20 Hallway
As he made the changeover from mild-mannered mental patient to impeccably-hatted archaeologist, Indy was compelled to admit to himself that he wasn't sorry Ryuuzaki and Lunge were coming along for the ride that night. As little as he trusted those two, his methods hadn't been having a lot of success, and a couple of inspectors who'd be more likely to approach the place as a crime scene than a site of potential historical significance might at least shed some light on things from a different perspective. If nothing else, the three of them might be able to make a call on whether the whole thing was a waste of time. Indy enjoyed working in (or maybe it was just puttering around) the ruins, but not as much as he'd enjoy getting out of here and back to his real work.
Once dressed, he picked up the usual set of effects (dog leash/whip coiled over the right shoulder, scalpel and gardening gloves in one jacket pocket and map, journal and pen in the other; flashlight. Nothing he'd seen out there so far convinced him that he'd need the pipe). Tonight he decided to carry the little radio with his free hand--Landel's announcement made it sound like it might actually be good for something for once, and there was always the chance that it could pick up some different stations (news, maybe) some distance away from the compound. If nothing else, he could bash it against the killer plant.
That was everything. Indy headed out.
[to here]
Once dressed, he picked up the usual set of effects (dog leash/whip coiled over the right shoulder, scalpel and gardening gloves in one jacket pocket and map, journal and pen in the other; flashlight. Nothing he'd seen out there so far convinced him that he'd need the pipe). Tonight he decided to carry the little radio with his free hand--Landel's announcement made it sound like it might actually be good for something for once, and there was always the chance that it could pick up some different stations (news, maybe) some distance away from the compound. If nothing else, he could bash it against the killer plant.
That was everything. Indy headed out.
[to here]
M11
The guardian folded his wings against his back once more, trying not to look as though he had to be careful not to bump into any of the furniture in the process even though the only other person in the room was his roommate. The stranger was likely still sleeping anyway; not that it was Yue's concern. He wasn't interested in any strange people who were forced upon him, not when the night had begun and he had to find out what they were planning to do. A quick consultation with Yukito verified that he hadn't missed anything and there were no solid plans -- that likely meant the meeting-up-and-going-to-Sakura's-room plan that had become standard most of the time.
Most of the time. Except last night. Which...was an exception. And if Touya came here then --
Yue blinked once, abruptly catching up his flashlight and turning toward his door without a glance toward the other bed. If the new roommate was awake, he didn't much want a conversation. However, he did want to get to Touya's room before he decided to come here.
[going here]
M20
But perhaps he could get this chore done quickly and arrive before any such trouble could strike again. He knew the way to M35 well enough, having walked it for a week or so, and Ritsuka knew he was coming, so there would be no confusion. There and back - it would be fast.
Usually now was the time that he would retrieve his sword from the closet and head out, but this time Kratos only picked up his flashlight before leaving; he would swap the device for his sword when he returned to drop off the supplies.
A short nod to his roommate, and he was gone.
[skipping M-A Block and going to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/812854.html)]
Re: M20
Kratos rushed back into his room and walked immediately over to the closet to pull out Signum's sword. Hitsugaya was already there, already waiting. No sign of Hokuto, but judging on how quickly she had shown up last night, he was sure she would be there within a matter of minutes.
As soon as the blade was in his hand he was already turning sharply around and heading back out the door.
[skipping again to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/810031.html?thread=66143791#t66143791)]
Re: M20
Kratos stumbled back into the room for the second time that night, only this time with a mostly unconscious Hokuto slung over his shoulder. He let her slide off onto his bed and then got her onto her back before stepping back with a heavy sigh. It was time to address the matter of his arm.
It hardly felt like a fracture; he'd probably suffered a dislocated elbow instead. Not that that was much of a relief; either way, it meant he wouldn't be swinging a sword again any time soon. And typically Kratos had gotten through these types of injuries with the help of an enhanced body...
No use griping. He would have to take care of this himself. He'd had to do something similar back during the Kharlan War, had been stuck out in the boonies without any aid for miles around, actually; it couldn't be much different. Kratos sat down at the desk chair and slowly extended his right arm, rotating it until the palm faced up. Gritting his teeth until he was nearly biting through his tongue and holding his elbow tightly, he flexed the arm--gods, this was terrible; no wonder he'd driven the previous instance from his memory--until he felt a click as the joint snapped back into position.
He slumped back in the chair, panting, and wondered if he'd just made things worse or better. The staff will patch me up, no doubt. That wasn't much consolation, however.
Re: M20
Since he was filled with a grave sense of emergency, Hitsugaya didn't even bother to knock before he slammed the door open, revealing his two injured comrades. His eyes immediately looked them over, searching for who needed medical treatment more. Kratos looked tired but wasn't heavily wounded; however, Hokuto was a different story. The wound on her chest was quickly bleeding through her shirt.
"Kratos, I'm going to tend to Hokuto. Are you alright?" Hitsugaya asked as he rushed to her side. With her shirt in the way, he couldn't tell how bad the wound was, so he gripped the collar with both his hands and ripped open her shirt, the fabric groaning against his adrenalin-induced strength. Unfortunately, her lacy black bra was also in the way, obscuring her wound from his view. Hitsugaya didn't have time to be delicate with her underwear, so he ripped that off too. Modesty was set aside in emergency situations like these when a comrade's life was on the line.
With that out of the way, Hitsugaya could see that she had been stabbed over the heart, but if the creature's aim had been true, Hokuto probably would've died back in the hallway. Chances were, it had struck bone instead. If the way she fainted was any indication... Was it the physical trauma or... Pressing his fingers to her neck, Hitsugaya felt her steady pulse. While Hokuto's wound wasn't fatal, her bleeding was pretty serious. If her wound was left untreated, she could still die from the blood loss. While he didn't have stitches, Hitsugaya had Kido at his disposal.
The shinigami summoned all the reiatsu at his disposal, transformed it with Kido, and then focused it on Hokuto's wound. As Hitsugaya tried to heal her, he felt the lingering traces of someone else's spiritual energy. It was probably Kratos' doing. His healing might've been the only thing that saved her life. Hitsugaya didn't want to imagine what Hokuto's wound had looked like before Kratos had healed her.
Like Hinamori had said, healing wasn't his forte, but he was still capable of doing it, so Hitsugaya gave everything he had into healing Hokuto. His head throbbed as he pushed himself beyond his limitations set by their damned captors. Hokuto's flesh slowly began to mend as Hitsugaya's vision grew hazy, and her bleeding seemed to slowly stop while his blood began to trickle down his nose and lips. Hitsugaya felt like he was pouring his life into Hokuto, but he'd be damned if he let her die from blood loss.
M14
Standing up, he changed into his usual clothing, pulling on the greatcoat and sliding the radio, his journal, and a pen into various pockets. Placing his flashlight on his desk, he retrieved his saber and then waited for Threepwood to appear. There was a lot to be done tonight.
Sorry for the wait!
"M16... M15... M14! Finally!" Guybrush looked around the empty hallway, hoping he'd not missed his meeting by being late. It wasn't his fault they didn't hand out maps of this place to new people. He figured a place this big would have them for sale or posted on a wall somewh- oh wait. This was a nuthouse. Maps would just facilitate escapees. Right.
Then again, it wasn't as though orderlies were lurking around corners and taking people back to their rooms. The pirate hadn't seen even one since the night began. That seemed a little strange and foreboding.
Using his good hand, Guybrush rapped on the door, the knocking breaking the silence of the hall. "Hello? Mr. Javert? It's me, Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate!"
Re: Sorry for the wait!
Straightening the lapel of his greatcoat, he pulled open the door, eyeing the patient in the hallway. Hadn't expected the height--Threepwood was considerably taller than Javert, despite the latter's ramrod-straight posture. The hook where his hand ought to be was a faintly amusing touch. A pirate indeed.
"Honored to make your acquaintance, M. Threepwood," he said at last, voice bearing only traces of irony. "You found your way here with little trouble, I expect?"
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"No trouble at all!" Guybrush answered, deciding not to mention his brief venture into the lady-occupied halls. "Sorry I'm a bit late. Still getting my bearings around here. Where'd all the nurses go? It seems weird to let us wander around like this. And totally irresponsible if they're trying to keep us here."
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Still, that was hardly Threepwood's fault. "I suppose whoever told you about this place neglected to mention what happens at night. It appears the staff does this on purpose--lets us wander about unguarded for the amusement of the Head Doctor. It's just as well you haven't run into a nurse; they change form and become creatures after dark. Wandering around alone and unarmed here is practically suicide."
He paused. "I suppose I should have told you sooner, but the nurses don't take kindly to our speaking about it openly on the bulletin board."
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"The kid I met earlier- Raz, the one who suggested I look into the Search & Rescue- mentioned it too, and something about night changes and experiments on patients and such, but he was a little vague on the nurses-turn-into-monsters part," he said with a shake of his head. It was a good thing he wouldn't be wandering alone, by the sound of it. Whether or not he was unarmed was another question. He supposed that if used correctly, even his dull hook could be counted as a weapon. He was pretty sure he could figure out creative ways to use it dangerously, though the mental images that came to mind as soon as he tried were enough to convince him to never, ever do so. Gross.
"Well, that all sounds pretty sadistic," he continued with a smile, "But don't worry. Monsters and other assorted nasties don't scare me. Porcelain does, but not creature-nurses. I'm ready to face anything!"
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"Most of the staff here turn into monsters. There are other monsters as well; undead creatures and constructions of iron and steel." A brief, faintly curious glance at the hook. "I should assume you are experienced with a blade or a gun, mighty pirate that you are. Both are difficult to obtain here, but knives are readily available upstairs, if you've no objection to using one of those."
He paused. "I can accompany you there if you wish, but there's someplace I need to go first. One of my allies disappeared either last night or this morning, and I must search his room for clues."
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"But if there's no swords around," he continued in a more serious tone, "I can improvise with a knife if I have to. My wits are my greatest weapon." He wasn't sure if Javert would believe him on that point, but Morgan hadn't either. Demonstrating such skills in cleverness and puzzle-solving wasn't easy, but he was sure he'd have a chance to prove himself somehow.
"I could use a guide, though," he added. "Let's go check on your friend, then we can worry about arming me with a blade or root beer or whatever works best on the undead folks around here."
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One last glance around the room to make sure he hadn't left anything behind, and then he stepped outside, gesturing for Threepwood to follow.
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Re: M14
Re: M14
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But instead of the Nothingness that should have awaited him, there was a sense of awareness, a sense of awakening. He could feel fabric on his skin, stray strands of hair slightly tickling his face. His hand moved, something that arguably should not have been part of the nothing in which he should have faded. Perhaps surprise should have been an appropriate emotion to experience, but as it was, he couldn’t. He was still hollow, nonexistent. Without his essence, he could not feel. Perhaps, there was the faintest memory of wonder, an echo of curiosity. Had he once again awakened after the darkness? Had he, after being denied his Kingdom Hearts, cheated the fate that had awaited him after the Keyblade’s Chosen One had defeated him? Or perhaps, those teetering upon the edge of nothing were truly eternal. The temporary existence that was part of those that still possessed their hearts, perhaps Nobodies were not a part of it, for they did not exist at all. Perhaps, they were eternal like the Nothingness they were part of.
Be as it may, the eternal void that should have awaited him...this most certainly was not it.
Slowly, Xemnas opened his amber eyes as if awakening from a slumber. The sight he met was that of...darkness. A pitch-black darkness his vision could not hope to penetrate. Nonetheless, it was not the kind of darkness that was of the very same coin as the realm of light, the one that gave birth to Heartless. No, the area he had awakened in simply lacked a source of light. Or perhaps he should say he had awakened in a room. Sheets, pillow... a bed, it would seem, which most certainly indicated a room. Wherever this may be, it must not have been a coincidence to awaken here. Barring the means of escaping the void and finding himself on an unknown location, someone had brought him to a bed. His hands searched around for some kind of light, but curiously enough he eventually located one under a pillow. A flashlight at that. How convenient...
Flipping the device on, it’s small beam penetrating the darkness, he swept it around the area. Though the radiance it gave off was small, it illuminated just enough to give the Superior an idea of his surroundings. The room was obviously bare, almost clinical which almost gave him the idea of some sort hospital (though it lacked in any equipment) but that was only a mere detail. He noticed a desk with untouched food, a closet...the furniture was mirrored on the other side of the room, indicating the space was meant to be shared. The other occupant, however, appeared to be absent.
Be as it may, he had found himself in a new world. This certainly raised a number of questions. Questions that needed an answer, but it would seem no one was currently available to provide them. The Nobody swung his legs over one side of the bed, his bare feet locating slippers on the floor. Before anything else, he began searching the room, theorizing that doing so might provide him with small pieces of the information he was seeking. The food still upon the desk was of no importance, but the contents of the desk might.
He located a portable radio that merely played music. As with the flashlight, it certainly raised the question of why it was located here, but the device was currently of little interest. Neither was the empty key ring, the pens or the journal, which he noticed to be empty as he flipped through it’s pages. There were spare batteries most likely meant for his flashlight, however, but that was about the only useful thing he could locate. The closet or the drawer could not provide him with any answers, only with changes of the grey attire bearing a (arguably ridiculous) smiling face that had replaced his coat.
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The answers he was seeking, they would not be acquired by remaining in this room. No, he had much to discover in this new world, much to perceive. His amber eyes rested upon the door and...
...and he noticed. The familiar power over the nothing, it did not answer his call. His gaze shifted towards his hand, brow furrowing into that of a frown. Before long, he attempted to call upon his power again, but all he met was the same result. He continued to test his own powers, but even the Ethereal Blades would not form in the palm of his hand. Nothing would answer his call, save for the...
A moment later than what should have been the case, a barrier appeared before his outstretched hand, only to disappear after mere seconds had passed. But before any pondering about the situation presented in front of him could commence, thoughts were interrupted with a sharp pain in his head. The Nobody winced, reaching automatically for his head with his hand. Almost immediately after, he noticed something wet trickling from his nose. A vein must have popped due to the exertion, and as he whipped the small amount of blood away with his sleeve, he realized this major inconvenience, this weakness. The familiar power he had easily wielded had been severely weakened. Though this would have severely annoyed - if not infuriated - most people, Xemnas was unable to experience any sort of emotion regarding the matter. It was inconvenient indeed, a nuisance. But without a heart, he could not feel. Only wonder what could have been the reason for this, to analyze it and take it into consideration.
Was it a side effect of meeting his demise by the hands of the Keyblade’s Chosen? Or perhaps of escaping the void and awakening thereafter? Or, had he been brought here for a purpose? What sort of thing or person could not only pull those from the nothing in which they should have faded and bring them ‘here’, but also dampen their very abilities?
Amber eyes once again found their way towards the door, and once Xemnas had regained his bearings, he moved towards it. He grasped the door handle and slowly pushed it open. Amber eyes gazed into the darkness. The answers he sought, they would be somewhere within that darkness.
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Ah well. Thinking about it wasn't going to actually get Kakashi anywhere. And of all nights, this was the one he was most eager to focus on doing. He'd signed up for the sparring program as a way of working on his own skills, and maybe finding the limits of his sharingan in a safer environment. He hadn't known at the time that he'd want to get into such a fight to hold off the memories of Obito's face during lunch, how he'd pushed the jounin away, and demanded to be left alone.
Thinking about that wasn't going to get Kakashi anywhere either. Yet those memories weren't so easily reconciled into a neat package for disposal.
"Good luck tonight, whatever you do." Kakashi waved to his roommate, then headed into the hall. First, Sai's room.
[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/810877.html?thread=65829501#t65829501)]
M20
He felt guilty for feeling relieved, but he was. Finally. An interesting assignment. For once.
Well, there were things to do and places to be. Couldn't dawdle here.
[going here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/810031.html?thread=65922351#t65922351).]
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Surely once he explained the situation she'd understand. If he'd been taken for special counseling, then she'd been through that herself. Cloud didn't know what all it entailed, aside from being forced to fight your friends, and he didn't even know where it was going to take place, but standing around wasn't going to help anyone.
He grabbed up the wakizashi and his flashlight before exiting the room in a hurry.
[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/810031.html?thread=65926959#t65926959)]
M16
Closing the door slowly and quietly, Edgar headed for the main hall. Maybe he could catch Celes tonight- he'd not seen her throughout the day, and she seemed to know where she was going. She'd probably know all the best spots for supplies and weapons, as well.
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M12
Or maybe it was because he simply didn't know how to feel at the moment. He absolutely despised leaving things unfinished or unresolved and had needed to clear things up with Kristoph for a while now. However, his attempt to contact and find the man had yielded absolutely nothing. In a move most unbecoming of his brother, Kristoph hadn't even granted the courtesy of a response. He had never known the elder to treat him in such a way, to ignore him so thoroughly. Even if at his most furious, Kristoph should have, at the very least, given a short, snappy reply, even if just to tell him to leave him be. Getting no response at all was... worse than anything Kristoph could have said, frankly. Yes, it was frightening to consider him in such a state, but Klavier found himself less afraid and slightly angry at the prospect. At Kristoph? Himself? Albedo who had caused this mess? It was difficult to pinpoint.
Klavier had done nothing wrong. Nothing. He had kept the promise he made with Kristoph his first day here and all made before then. But Albedo, that blasted psychopath of a child, had opened his mouth and implied the contrary. Was it unforgivable? Certainly. There was nothing worse than having one's trust broken. He could understand his brother's irritation. But for him to simply take the child's words without allowing Klavier the chance to offer his own? It was infuriating. Did he think Klavier had nothing to offer but excuses? Did he have such little trust in the younger? Had he made such a mess of everything that Kristoph didn't find the implication surprising at all? These thoughts had run through his head so many times, he felt far too exhausted to feel anything like anger or fear or concern. Perhaps that was it. He was tired.
Regardless, he needed this settled now. The more time he allowed to let this fester, the worse the situation would become. That was the way things worked. Nor did he think he could stomach repetitively thinking about this for more than a 24-hour cycle.
[to here]
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[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/810877.html?thread=66030717#t66030717)]
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After readjusting his coat and waving his roommate off, Axel had made his way out of their room and down the hall. Also like yesterday he decided to travel light, though it wasn't like he had much to carry with him anyway. He'd learned the hard way that attempting to take the easy way out was met with less than desirable results, and so bringing his flashlight along went from optional to necessary in seconds flat.
There were also several little quirks that caught his eye this time around, but he could always address those later. For now he had a platonic date with Roxas, and while he enjoyed the prospect of seeing his friend’s less than enthusiastic face, just knowing what beans he had to spill made the whole experience feel more like a death walk.
He sighed. Oh well, the faster they got it done the better.
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Wait, there had been something odd about the answers...something to do with time.... Oh! "The end of night comes suddenly?" she repeated. "Isn't that just...morning?" Did he mean that they couldn't tell when it getting toward the day, because there were no windows?
Though, with this place, Yuna was beginning to feel that she wouldn't be surprised it this weren't the case.
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They arrived outside of M16 and Edgar gave the knob a try- still unlocked. He cracked the door slightly, peering inside the room: Luxord was still on the bed, fast asleep. "It appears he's still here," Edgar noted, still reluctant to disturb the other man. He pushed the door open, taking a step into the room. "This will only take a moment, milady."
He walked around the open door, heading for his side of the room. Setting the pole and light on his bed, he opened the doors to his wardrobe and started to untangle the net from his shoulders. "I'm an inventor of sorts," he said quietly as he pulled the safety pads from the net, answering her earlier question. "I enjoy making weapons- we'll call it a hobby of mine. I'm hoping to make an air-powered hand cannon."
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Yuna nodded when Edgar went into his room, and turned so her light was facing out, adjusting her grip on the bat. She'd have to ask later how the rooms were numbered. For now, she was on lookout!
An air-powered hand cannon...that sounded shiny! And powerful, that too. Now that she thought about it, this expedition was starting to resemble Yuna's scavenging for that Machine Faction experiment. Hopefully, Edgar wouldn't ask her to test his invention. Not that she didn't want to, but Yuna only had a bat this time and she didn't want to wreck it if it took this much effort for him to get the supplies to begin with. At least in the Bikanel Desert, enough material was buried under the sand to make it worth the effort of so much testing.
She'd ask about the specifics if she thought she could understand it. But she didn't want to disturb Edgar's roommate, so she'd uh, remember to ask when he came back out.
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As he was shutting his closet and grabbing his flashlight, the silence of the room was interrupted by a sound Edgar didn't quite recognize. At first, he thought it might be Luxord finally waking- the sound did seem to be coming from that side of the room, but the other man was as still as he had been moments before. He shook his head and turned away, thinking he might ignore it... but then his curiosity got the better of him.
The droning sound was definitely coming from Luxord's desk. Keeping his eyes on his sleeping roommate, Edgar slid the drawer open, revealing his audio amplification device- it had turned on somehow and was emitting a low buzzing of some sort. His eyes trailed again to Luxord's sleeping form, a smile crossing his face. "He won't mind if I just... borrow this for the evening," Edgar told himself. He knew Locke would chastise him for such behavior- so unfitting for someone of his status, he'd tease.
Well, Locke wasn't here and Luxord still wasn't awake, so Edgar ignored his nagging integrity and snatched the device before closing the drawer and exiting the room to rejoin Yuna. "Forgive me for taking so long. I was thinking we might head upstairs- there's a key component I need for the cannon in a storage room up there."
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Yuna turned to peek into the room when she heard Edgar muttering, but he came out soon enough, so she supposed he had been talking to his roommate and not to her.
"Yessir!" Yuna said, turning. Lessee, if Yuna was right and this hall was like the one Yuna traversed to get out, they'd have to go back the way they'd come at least once. Otherwise it was a dead end. ...Probably. "This way, right?"
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