Day 49: Morning - Main Street

[prodigalson]

[From here.]

Easily forgiven? Unlikely. A pair of (presumably) mental patient committing theft. No, it was highly unlikely they would be easily forgiven. Conscience-wise? It wouldn't even stain his thoughts, really. Nothing like ten years of judgemental slaughter to make your mind jaded against the simpler crimes in the world.

Either way, it could prove to be... okay, he didn't want to say fun because not much about Venom was even slightly amusing (and Edward was very much ignoring the teenage part of him that was all ready to rebel), but it could prove to be adventurous. Especially since he didn't have the agility nor the power to make the feat easy. Having Alice play the stock market wasn't exactly the most hands-on way of stealing after all. It couldn't really be called stealing, after all... it was just using her naturally-created gifts to further the family's fortune.

So his morals were a little skewed. That was okay with him.

Once he'd left the polluted bus behind him - fresh air, thank god - he smiled to see the sky completely overcast, the smallest drops of water misting through the air. He shrugged into the obnoxiously bright raincoat he'd been given, tucking the coupons and the untouched breakfast into one of the pockets, covering his face with the hood. The suit he was wearing was a little worse for wear, but the vampire wasn't exactly looking forward to marching around damp.

Waiting just off to the side for Venom, Edward surveyed what he could see of the town so far. It didn't seen very big... which was good, he supposed. That way it would be easier to navigate. Now that the first order of business had been planned, they would need to find the right outlet for their theft opportunity.

Comments

[anemptydecapo]

Yes, a pair of presumed mental patients committing theft, but a pair of presumed mental patients only choosing to depart with a pair of sunglasses and not, say, the register. Although Venom's sense of morality was most likely just as skewed as Edwards; it was for the good of the Guild, it was fine and that mindset accounted for quite a bit of horrendous things. Stealing something so insignificant barely registered itself as a crime in his mind.

Venom stepped off the bus shortly after the other man, pulling on the blue hooded-jacket he'd been given by Nurse and taking mental note of his surroundings. No blood (thank God for that. If he saw another drop in the next twenty-four hours, he was going to be ill), no complete decimation, and no signs of a struggle to survive. It didn't look like the apocalypse had stuck this town so much as a small-scale riot, and from the unhappy gazes being directed their way...

They weren't going to trust them. That was fine. He'd always worked his way around that before.

The assassin eventually made his way to the vampire's side. The hesitation from before had vanished once the hood was over his head, the dark blue material casting shadows over his eyes. "I don't suppose you have a plan in mind?" Because Venom did.

[prodigalson]

As he'd thought: he didn't need the to hear the minds of the citizens perusing Main Street to see they weren't very thrilled about the arrival of the ragtag group of patients. Though he'd been forced to become accustomed to being, well, handicapped, the lack of any wandering emotions or thoughts drifting his way was frustrating - he was sure the quiet frown now plastered on his face was evidence of that. There wasn't even static, which came from the patients when he wasn't concentrating. Just... nothing.

A whole town of Bellas. He was going to lose his mind.

And have a lot harder time with theft.

Once Venom had approached and dropped the big question, Edward sighed. Now he could afford to waste oxygen, now that it wasn't saturated with human scents. "No, I don't," he admitted - but did turn to look at the shorter man with interest, asking a question he knew the answer to. "But you do?"

[exbride.livejournal.com]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/860345.html?thread=68145337#t68145337)]

Anthy pulled the hood of her bulky coat over her head as she stepped off the bus. The outfit still felt strange, very clunky and rather drab, but at least the the leggings and rain-boots would keep her from getting soaked in this damp weather. She glanced around the new surroundings and noted the vandalism, but what stood out to her most were the looks in the eyes of the townspeople.

They were not welcome visitors here.

She stood off to the side and allowed other patients to pass by first, her hands clasped at her lap, waiting for a familiar face to exit the same bus before she moved on.

[revolutionise]

Aigis had been impossible for Utena to dislike. The two of them had shared a lot more in common than she was used to seeing in other teenage girls, even if Aigis had been a good deal more soft-spoken than Utena. She was certain that the girl (or the android, whatever) would live up to her goals, especially if any of the friends she wanted to protect were in the Institute with her.

Speaking of friends. She kept her eyes peeled for that telltale head of violet hair as soon as she stepped off the bus. To her surprise, she soon saw Himemiya getting off the very same bus she had been on. She must have missed the other girl getting on after her, and felt a little guilty over that. Well, it's natural to get wrapped up in something. It probably doesn't really matter, she assured herself. All Utena really cared about was seeing her friend again after the night they had shared. "Ooooooi! Himemiya! Over here!" she called across the heads of disembarking patients with a big smile and a wave, still in a very good mood after talking with Aigis. Nothing could keep her down right now - neither the drab look of the town nor the rain.

Well, no, that wasn't entirely true. She did start to feel a bit worried when she noticed the dreary look on Himemiya's face. "Hey, you feeling okay?" she asked when they got closer, wondering if the girl was still feeling disoriented after the previous night. Or maybe she was the type to get motion sick? Utena didn't really know. Sometimes it felt easy to read Himemiya, and other times it felt nearly impossible; now was one of those latter times.

[doneinthree]

Kirk transferred his attention back out the window as they approached what he guessed to be Doyleton. A small town. He hadn't expected anything else, but simply seeing the cluster of low buildings made his shoulders tense up and his face shutter. The place wasn't Riverside, of course, but was just as dim green and picturesque as any other Iowan small town he'd rolled through for the majority of his life.

On the other hand, he wasn't that angry kid anymore, and this wasn't even Earth. Kirk straightened in his seat as they pulled into Doyleton, eyebrows raising at the unmistakable graffiti on a wall, and the faces of the townspeople they passed. While not exactly a favourite around town, his father's heroic reputation had afforded Jim a certain amount of goodwill from everyone in Riverside — to the least, he'd always been sure someone would call his mother if he was picked up for disorderly conduct again. For all of Jim's resentment at everyone and everything, Riverside had been home, and the people had accepted him as one of its sons.

The difference in Doyleton couldn't be starker.

Being as he was in a window seat, Kirk couldn't be the first person off the bus, but still came pretty close. The air was wet as he stepped out, but he left his coat and sweater open as he strode over to where the third bus would be letting out. Bones and Chekov were aboard — he'd missed seeing Spock, but expected that the bright yellow raincoat would make him easy enough to spot.

As he waited, Kirk fished the apple out of his paper bag, tossing it into the air once with a smile. Despite his general unease, he couldn't deny that today presented interesting opportunities.

[Kirk to Enterprise~]

[hes-deadjim.livejournal.com]

That was one of the oddest commutes he'd ever sat through. McCoy was glad when the buses rumbled to a stop, and not just because the vehicles looked highly unsafe. He stood up. All around the doctor, patients were shuffling out. He caught a glimpse of Chekov while he waited. The ensign looked about as hale as ever, which was promising. He'd managed to stay out of trouble. With any luck, he'd managed to keep the captain out of trouble as well. McCoy thought it more likely that it'd be Jim who dragged Chekov into something. The captain had a way of being a bad influence; if he could get to Spock, Chekov didn't have a prayer.

The doctor glanced out the window as the line inched its way off the bus. The place looked like it could have been almost anywhere back on Earth. A decent sized town, small enough to feel comfortable. There were touches of modernization obvious all over, although it wasn't consumed by it like the high density cities. It was pleasant enough.

It wasn't what he'd expected to find. He'd almost expected to come across some obvious edge to the illusion their captors were creating, maybe a barren surface and biting air of some barely Class L planet, not a town that could have come right out of Earth's past.

Even so, the town didn't look completely idyllic. There were signs of vandalism he could see already, yellow and black that looked suspiciously like the faces on the standard institute uniforms. A broken window here and there.

He was getting a bad feeling about this. McCoy finally reached the front of the bus and hugged the jacket closer about him. Drizzle was falling, clinging to his skin, hair, everywhere. While he appreciated the chance to get outside, what were the staff thinking? With weather like this, he could just feel the onset of the flu coming on for the patient body. Grimacing, he stepped off.

It didn't take too long to spot the captain, considering he'd made a beeline to the bus they were on. He was smiling and tossing and apple haphazardly in the air, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

McCoy tried hard not to think of the apple that Heat had just ingested nearly whole. "Mornin' Jim."

[foolishmessiah.livejournal.com]

After the bus rolled to a stop and he had said his farewells to Abe, Minato began to explore the main street. The beginning of an overcast day that he had seen last night was now fully appreciated, and he tugged at the black detachable hood that had come with his jacket. What a day to be out and exploring for the first time.

As he looked at passersby on the sidewalk, he found them studiously avoiding eye contact and giving him space to walk by. He avoided showing his disappointment; whereas he could fade into the background in Iwatodai, he was treated like a leper in this town. It looked like his voiced concern to Abe had been realized.

Minato reached into his paper bag and pulled out the little box of orange juice, watching the cars pass by on the road. The buses were still visible in the distance, close enough that he could see other patients emptying out onto the sidewalk.

He hadn't yet noticed the yellow graffiti on the wall down the street.

[for Leon]

[heraldric.livejournal.com]

"Oh, this isn't good..." Leon muttered to himself as he left the bus, staring around at the town with his arms wrapped about himself. He might have expected the town to be trashed, or perfectly rebuilt like the Institute was the next day after it suffered damage, but this was something he'd never seen coming. Vandalized, with obvious signs of the Institute's involvement? What was that supposed to mean? Unknown variables were bad, bad things.

He'd lost track of Luke, and Guy was out of reach. Glancing about, his eyes eventually landed on a familiar head of dark hair, and he scurried in Minato's direction. Eventually he'd find someone he was closer to, but for now he'd be glad for any company whatsoever. There was no way he was allowing himself to get separated from everyone in this environment. He knew perfectly well he wouldn't last long on his own - not here.

"Have you been here before?" he asked the older boy by way of greeting as he approached. Right off he'd be proving his usefulness, having visited the town twice already.

[no-dont-go.livejournal.com]

Aigis stepped from the bus with a smile still on her face. Her talk with Utena had been very encouraging. Though she had yet to really get to know the girl, the similarities between their goals had been an enjoyable topic of discussion. To see a girl as young as Utena aiming to become noble was rather awe-inspiring to the android.

But the weather had a nasty sense of humor today. Instead of gracing them with sunshine, Aigis found herself shivering a bit in the damp air. She pulled at the cheap parka her nurse had thrust at her earlier that morning, trying to wrap it around her for warmth. At least her cotton clothing wouldn't get soaked.

Aigis needed to find something to do, but she was unfamiliar with the area and nurse Cathy wasn't in sight. She tried to scan for data, unsurprised when the mechanism still refused to work. So Aigis just stood around, blinking and looking at the store fronts around her. A man passing Aigis in the street gave her a filthy look before shoving past her, nearly knocking her to the ground. Aigis was too shocked by the man's blatant harsh behavior to apologize for being in the way. She glanced around then, noticing the tattered look to the town. A bright yellow smiley face glared back at her from the side of a building, making it easy to put the two together.

I am not welcome here, she thought, tugging the parka around her even tighter. I don't want to be here.

The aura of Doyleton was sickeningly familiar. This place looked much too much like Iwatodai had before her arrival at the institute. Only there wasn't a mass of Lost strewn about the street. She felt a sudden craving to return home.

[idontregret.livejournal.com]

At least the nurses had been considerate enough to give Heat a jacket with a hood on it. Glaring briefly up at the rain as he stepped off the bus, he tugged said hood down a bit further over his eyes as he made his way out onto the main street. The paper bag with his bagel in it was tossed unceremoniously into the nearest trash bin.

He actually felt a little better about things after the ride over with the doctor, so he could be grateful for that, at least. The fact that he'd sufficiently weirded out the man was a good boost for moral, however immature that made him. The cold was still bothersome, of course, but it looked as though it was just going to have to be something he got used to. He wasn't going to give in to a little change in temperature.

A familiar figure caught his attention, looking not any more comfortable than him. Catching her poor treatment from one of the townsfolk, he was quick to make his way to her side and growl at the man's retreating back. "So," he began, trying to appear more friendly for her sake and managing little more than a smirk. "Do androids get cold too?"

[swornandbroken.livejournal.com]

Mello had finished the chocolate by the time the bus parked, and he stared dully out the window as the other 'patients' started to clear out. The town looked like a slice of corny Americana, except for the graffiti. Genuine paranoia, conspiracy, or... He sighed. Who the fuck cared? Either way, he wouldn't find any sympathy or help here, and he no longer trusted his ability to turn that around with charm or more forceful persuasion.

Once off the bus, he pulled the hood of the awful tangerine thing up over his hair, and stuffed his hands into the jeans pockets. He was used to people looking at him, but not like this, suspicious as hell. Even if shoplifting weren't beneath him, he'd never pull it off. Not looking like a walking goddamn traffic cone, and not with the locals watching him as if they expected a psychotic break any second.

So he just walked along the sidewalk of the main drag in the drizzle, slouching, thoroughly sorry for himself and not bothering to hide it. He hadn't touched his breakfast. Maybe he'd grab lunch later. Two whole choices, how exciting.

[one cheery ray of sunshine, free!]

[mugenreppa.livejournal.com]

Mele was looking up at the clouds as she exited the bus. Her prediction was looking more likely, wasn't it. Not that she had anything against rain—just on principle, it was....

She sighed and fished out the apple from the paper bag that, in turn, had been fished out from the big pocket of the black coat. What an annoyance. She'd take it off, but the prospect of having to carry the coat around wasn't any more appealing.

Munching on the apple, Mele started down the street, wondering why the town looked so beat up. And why there weren't more construction sites. Had she calculated wrong? Most of the rebuilding from last week would have been finished by now, she'd thought. But then, what was the purpose of those smiley faces? They resembled the ones on the grey shirts they always had to wear; was it supposed to be some kind of message?

"You look like you're having fun," she commented idly as her pace brought her next to someone who looked like he was trying to imitate some kinda fruit. Very...citrus-y.

[runner-up-robot.livejournal.com]

Not deterred at all by the light drizzle, Forte moved quickly down the street, looking around at the signs and stores. He didn't really care about what they had to sell, but he was having fun just seeing the variety of buildings and displays instead of drab hallway after drab hallway. It was, literally, a breath of fresh air walking as he looked into the bookstore, grocer, whatever he was passing.

There were a few glares from the townsfolk - after all, he looked as likely as anyone to be a vandal - but he barely noticed, if at all. He was in his own little world, and even was used to (and enjoyed) the ire of the public under normal circumstances.

[free and just going to be thread-hopping, feel free to grab him wherever he is!]

[runner-up-robot.livejournal.com]

Enthused by the sense of freedom, Forte happily started to jog, and run down the street, just for the sake of running.

[toxicspiderman]

The sky was the color of the uniforms they weren't wearing. Though it was missing a yellow-faced cartoon sun peeping out. Perfect weather for vampires.

S.T. jogged through the rain with one goal in mind. A fucking cup of coffee. That was all he wanted. Maybe some highly-greased eggs to cushion his stomach. One cup a week wasn't a habit, it was pathetic.

He passed the small-town McDonald's equivalent with the highly appropriate name. Naah. A styrofoam cup didn't cut it. A bottomless diner mug with a tattooed, forty-something waitress refilling it, calling him luv in a tone only roadside café workers ever used seriously.

[to here]

[vstheworld]

After getting off the bus with Neku (aka: Sora's Quieter Cousin-Twice-Removed), Scott didn't really know quite what to do with himself. He had a packet of slowly soaking coupons in one hand, a half-finished breakfast in an equally moistening paper bag in the other, and a banged-up small town he'd never been in before laid out in front of him. And there was no level objective hint about what would be most important to see and do in the town. "Uhhh..." he said to himself, wandering down the main street with absolutely no idea where he was going.

As he wandered, he took in the sight of all the vandalism that had apparently hit the town. Having never visited the place before, he had no idea whether this was something normal for Doyleton, or a recent happening. Either way, the overcast sky above and the light drizzle all around combined with the broken windows/doors and random spray paintings everywhere kind of made Scott feel like he had found the missing half of Silent Hill. They already had Dark Silent Hill on pretty much a nightly basis, but Misty Silent Hill had been distinctly lacking up until now. "Wonder if that was intentional," he said aloud, as if Landel had some control over the weather. Heck, who knew? Maybe he did. It wouldn't be much weirder than all the other things the guy had made possible so far.

The more smashed-in storefronts and yellow smileys he passed, the more unsettled Scott felt. It was like the crudely painted tags were staring at him in that creepy-smiling-clown "I'm gonna get'cha!" kind of way. Eventually, Scott started speeding up, hoping that maybe somewhere, he would stop seeing the little buggers. No such luck. They seemed to appear at least once every few buildings. "Who in the world had time to make all these things?" Scott wondered in a loud, kind-of-freaked-out tone as he started jogging up along another random street.

[To here]

[kingdomless.livejournal.com]

When Kairi stepped off of the bus, the first thing she did was look at the sky. Dark and looming, the clouds looked as if they would drop rain at any second. Because of this, the once princess quietly lifted the hood of her raincoat up and began to move away from the yellow bus, trying her hardest not to slip from her too large red rainboots.

Hands shoved into her pockets, she looked around the street at the other patients, wondering what Sora and Riku were doing for the day. Even though she knew it was better if they weren't together all the time, she couldn't help but worry about the two boys. Perhaps she was just so used to being without them and wishing for their well-being that even when she didn't need to worry she still did it. It was programed into her mind, and it probably always would be.

Oh well, Kairi told herself as she continued to walk down the street, looking at the stores and the windows that passed by. There's always a first time for everything.

[chainsaw-royal.livejournal.com]

"Hmph."

Stepping off the bus, Hime gave the gray sky a flat glare as it began to drizzle, little bits of water that could hardly even be called droplets starting to precipitate. Judging by the clouds, it would only get heavier from there.

And here she was, stuck with this monstrosity (http://www.frontcountry.com/frontcountry/images/large/roxy_toy_soldier_cherry_rain_coat_rg.jpg) the nurses insist she wear. She'd already tried to leave it in her seat on the bus, but the staff chided her and told her not to be forgetful, once more foisting the dread garment on her. Exiting the park, she saw enough orderlies around that being able to dispose of it seemed unlikely. Still, until one of them came over and forced her to, Hime refused to wear it and the raincoat remained tucked under one arm.

Blue jeans and semi-prophetic T-Shirt (http://www.emotionalwreckclothing.com/images/HellToPayPrincessShirtBlack.jpg) uncovered, the Royal wandered down the main street outside the park. So this was Doyleton, was it? Strange vandalism aside, it looked just as sedate and unremarkable as the institute did during the day.

Hime's pace was somewhat fast due to her irritation, but it slowed as she approached a red-haired girl that looked around her age or so.

"Dreary morning for a field trip, isn't it?" Hime commented as she fell into pace besides the other girl. "It's just asking for trouble when we all get left out in the rain."

[longlivetheking]

[From here]

Exiting the park did little to prevent Scar's thoughts to wander back to last night. He attempted to suppress a shudder, though he couldn't tell whether it was from the chilly weather or something else altogether. Eyes narrowed, and he unconsciously bit his lip.

He had--

Scar released a startled gasp when someone suddenly walked into his field of vision, and realized he foolishly hadn't been paying any attention to his surroundings. What had this place done to him?! It was all their fault!

For some reason, the stranger glared silently at him before going on his way. The former lion answered the glare with one of his own, before he actually noticed something had been scribbled upon the wall nearby; a smiling face stared back at him, as yellow and round as those that were drawn upon the greys they were forced to wear in the institute. He glanced around, noticing more of them along with the broken fronts of these human caves, specifically the ones bearing signs.

A remainder of last week? He had no idea in what sort of state it had been left in, but it was natural to assume the place would repair itself by sunrise just like the institute did. But all this along with the weather...it certainly formed cracks in the head doctor's happy little daytime.

The stranger he had nearly bumped into wasn't the only one that decided to glare at him; a woman on the other side of the street reacted to his presence in the same manner. A glare...there was someone else who had recently looked at him like that. Or perhaps he thought the woman was looking at him in the same way, he didn't know but it was unnerving him.

The former lion fastened his pace.

[longlivetheking]

[To here]

[should-be-dead.livejournal.com]

One glance at his surroundings after Tenzen left the yellow vehicle was that the town did not look as cheerful and happy as it normally did. Though it did not quite compare to the state it had been in a week ago, there were still signs of damage and destruction; a number of storefronts displayed an unhinged door or a broken window. Additionally, some of the walls sported decoration that hadn't been present a week ago; a yellow smiley face that was similar to those that were drawn upon the grey outfits they usually were to wear. Curious...was it a message?

Notably, the behavior of the residents was also rather different; they regarded their visitors with suspicious glares. Hnn. Perhaps the bloodshed last week had left it's mark after all, unlike the institute that was spotless by sunrise. Either way, Tenzen realized they were not quite as welcome as they were last week. He was used to the experience, so he simply ignored their presence. If anything, it somewhat reminded him of the experience upon the ship; the civilians had been rather unnerved by their small group even before the bloodbath.

[Free!]

[war-wounds.livejournal.com]

The human city was...tiny. And not just in the 'everything on Earth is small to a two-story robot' way, either. In contrast to Detroit, Doyleton was little more than an outpost. What few buildings there were were crouched low to the ground, the expected noise of traffic was absent and the place smelled distinctly organic. Also, in Detroit the humans mostly ignored one another. Here, though, every local he passed gave Ratchet an ugly look, as though he were contaminated by something.

"What's their problem?" he asked a nearby inmate. "If looks could smelt, I'd be a puddle on the ground by now."

[finalwitch.livejournal.com]

The unabashed looks of suspicion were ignored as Ange stepped further into the town. How its denizens regarded the 'patients' was none of her concern; twelve years of constant negative scrutiny rendered most anyone's opinions obsolete. Not that she had any intention to muck up anyone's day or the like. As long as people minded their own business, she would offer the same.

Her hands dug deeper into her pockets as the girl paced the length of the street. Despite the light rain, others had taken to mingling in their respective groups on the streets, and Ange was reminded of someone to seek out. Not for his company, of course--they were awkward enough as is. No, she only wanted to ensure Battler hadn't gotten stabbed in the gut the night before. He seemed prone to such incidents, after all.

She stopped in her tracks, the thought swirling. Had her humor gotten so dark she was laughing at the idea of a second dead brother? Perhaps Ange would do best to sort through her facts before searching.

[For Tanaka!]

[violent-varmint.livejournal.com]

Alive. It burned his blood just thinking of it... if Hayes was this prone to making cruel jokes then Tanaka was glad they hadn't spoken much before. And now, as if to rub it in his face, Landel's chalky, saccharine goons had deposited him back in this whitewashed crypt of a town. Tanaka glowered as he trudged down the street, not bothering to look at the town's citizens - anything he'd see at day was just part of Landel's big lie. Just dead bodies who think they're alive. Even the rain felt dead... far too cold to be anything like the life-giving showers he dimly remembered from his homeworld.

Looking up from his feet for a moment, another patient caught his eye. A young woman, if he was any judge of humans, just standing there in the rain as though she didn't care if she got pneumonia. As much as some part of him wanted to keep sulking, his fatherly instincts forced themselves to the fore, and he found himself walking over to the young lady and reaching up a little to tap her on the shoulder. "Are you sure you should be standing out in the rain like this, miss?" he asked, his eyebrows arched into an inquisitive stare. "You could catch a cold."

[not-rly-fai.livejournal.com]

After an interesting conversation with Touya, Yuuhi was ready to leave as soon as the bus pulled into town. He hurried off the bus only to find the weather outside was dark and dreary as the town itself. He wasn't sure what he's thought would be left of the town after their last time here, but it was in much worse shape than he imagined.

He tucked his hands in his pockets, one of the few not bothered by the cold, just the wet, and started down the main street. Maybe he really would make good on his threat to get his nails painted. It would pass the time and he wouldn't even have to ask anyone to go with him.

[free! no limits. Might head into some shops if anyone wants a shopping buddy.]

[laguz-decoy.livejournal.com]

Ranulf jaunted down the steps of the bus, closing his eyes and inhaling the cool mid-morning air through his nostrils. It was so nice to be outside. Although he found the "technology" of the asylum intriguing, he felt infinitely more "at home" where he was standing.

After savoring the air for a moment (and getting jostled and glared at by other patients trying to exit the bus), he opened his eyes to view what he'd seen through the window. They seemed to have arrived in a small village, which was unlike any he'd seen before. Frowning a bit, he searched the mob for a familiar face, but didn't find one.

Pushing through a few of the smaller groups, he turned around and began to walk backwards looking for Tsubaki or Momo. Even the nervous Ritsu would've been nice company in this strange new environment. Unfortunately for Ranulf, he still hadn't gotten used to his missing tail and he lost his balance, colliding into the back of a blonde-haired man and falling into the mud on his rear.

"Oh!" he said, looking up apologetically at the stranger. "I'm sorry! I'm still not used to this-..." he paused for a moment, wondering how much he should say, but decided to keep it at that. "I didn't mean to crash into you. I hope I didn't startle you!"

[emotionl4arobot.livejournal.com]

Brainiac 5 looked around at what could be seen of the town curiously, finding it more interesting now that he wasn't confined to a wheelchair, among other things. It was, as near as he could tell, definitely some time in the twenty-first century, which unfortunately meant he might have some difficulty finding anything useful - even assuming he could somehow obtain the item and get it back to the institute - but it hopefully wouldn't be impossible to find something...

A figure nearby caught his attention, and Brainiac 5 smiled as he recognised the man. "John!"

Not certain if the other time traveller had heard him or not, he hurried to catch up and lightly touch the older patient's shoulder. "I, uh, was thinking of taking a look around for anything useful as well as for some information. If you're not busy, maybe we would be more effective together?"

[Doctor, want a geek-buddy?]

[timedork]

Although the Doctor heard Brainiac 5's voice call out a name, he didn't exactly realize that he was the one being called to before he felt a hand touching his shoulder. He looked around at the touch, and brightened at the sight of the young man. He'd enjoyed talking to England on the bus, but after trying to convince him of time travel, the company of someone who accepted it for what it was and understood was more than welcome.

"Hello!" he said in a quick greeting, grinning at Brainiac 5. "Investigating together would be brilliant; I'd love to."

He looked down the street, eyeing the buildings that lined it. It seemed like most of the time he'd spent in Doyleton (aside from Donna dragging him out for a manicure) had been spent either looking for the TARDIS or attempting to talk to townsfolk who'd had little to say to him. It was already his third trip here, and he had yet to check out any of the actual shops... which was a shame. He liked shops.

The Doctor looked back at Brainiac 5. "Did you have a destination in mind?" he asked, sliding his hands into the pockets of the jeans he wore. "I'd been thinking of seeing if there was anything useful—or interesting—in the shops, myself."

[mizuhomaiden.livejournal.com]

[from here] (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/861511.html?thread=68238407#t68238407)

Sheena headed down Main Street, looking as it began to drizzle. Normally she wouldn't have wanted to deal with the rain, but the weather felt nice. And it was just a small amount of precipitation anyways. Still, she finger combed her hair out of her face, wondering if Yukari was going to bring her the ribbon back anytime today.

"I think it's down at the far end on the other side of town." She slowed down so she could walk beside Neku. "What kind of music do you like?" She was content to ignore the vandalism and the looks from the townspeople. Evil zombie townspeople.

[composers-proxy.livejournal.com]

Neku followed, finding nothing to be particularly impressed with. While the Ramen Don was considered pretty tight just for being one of the only vintage places in Shibuya, this place was like one big vintage trip. Tasty Burger? More like a run-down knock-off of Sunshine.

"I don't mind walking," he shrugged. The other side of town was probably as easy as going from district to district back home.

As for music, there was plenty he liked, few things he didn't, really. "I like a little bit of everything. Pop, rock, rap, doesn't matter. They've all got some pretty killer stuff out lately. Utada, Kung-fu Gen, Polysics, ketchup mania, DBSK, Black Cherry... I dunno, there's probably too many to name."

[lighthearted]

As the buses pulled into town, Sora wasn't too shocked to see that all the buildings seemed to be intact. The nurses wouldn't have let them come back here if it had still been a mess from the week before, right? He didn't want to think about how the town had magically fixed itself, but it seemed pretty clear that Doyleton was just another part of the institute.

Still, at least it was different.

His talk with Kairi had been enjoyable, but it sounded like the girl wanted to walk around and see if she could find some old friends. Or maybe she just wanted to wander. Sora would have liked to accompany her, but they would probably see more if they split up.

On the other hand, Sora had been to a lot of the stores here already, so he had to pause and take a moment to decide where he should even go. As he stood on the street, he noticed the some of the ground seemed disturbed. It wouldn't have stood out if he didn't remember the way the zombies had shoved their way through the earth, but...

Being here now, in broad daylight with everything back to normal, was kind of creepy. Sora pulled his yellow raincoat tighter around him and then yanked up the hood when he realized that it was starting to drizzle. Why did it always have to be so cold here, anyway? Some island weather every once in a while would have been nice.

[Riku!]

[inherited]

Maybe it wasn't the best idea, but he watched his friends get off the bus together, and decided it was time he had a talk with Sora. Maybe it would be like old times, watching the sunset and planning their get-away, or maybe it would be like just before he came here, in that darkened world, with the sound of the waves in the distance. Here, he couldn't find any of that, and he doubted he'd reach the same kind of calm.

Still, he knew he needed to be on a certain level with his friend. Riku was all out of sorts, but Sora was the one who kept moving. He'd never had a problem with that. In fact, he could count on it. That didn't make it any easier to relinquish control, nor did he feel settled.

But it probably wasn't good to feel settled in a place like this.

He followed his friend from a distance for a few steps before jogging up and stepping up beside him. The rain felt a little nice, so he didn't bother with his hood. No need. It was funny—the last time he really noticed the rain, he was fighting Roxas. That day wasn't a good one. Riku remembered feeling like there was a chance he might die. Some parts of it were patchy, but that feeling was clearer than anything. It was strange how he'd never felt that before, even when he gave into the Darkness, even when he faced everyone in Castle Oblivion.

Perhaps it was the desperation. Yeah, that had to be it.

Riku turned his gaze onto his friend and raised a hand, tugging down at Sora's hood. If there was anything he could deal with, it was water. "Where's Kairi off to?" Hard not to ask, even if he knew that he had to be alone with Sora this time.

[nobleman]

It had been nice to properly thank Leon on the ride over, but any thoughts about Luke's new sword were completely forgotten when Guy exited the bus into the misty morning and found that Doyleton was almost exactly as he remembered it. That was the case from a distance, anyway. He was going to have to examine things a bit closer before he could say that for sure, but...

Grimacing, the man rubbed at his chest as he remembered how it had felt when Claude's teeth had ripped into his skin. This place had reduced them to hungry animals, to cannibals. He couldn't help feeling paranoid, even though he knew perfectly well that nothing was going to happen until night fell.

Or maybe everything would go smoothly, and Landel would just feed off of their pointless nervous energy.

Luckily, Guy had a knack for calming himself down. All he had to do was keep himself busy. First things first was giving some of the stores a closer look, to see if everything was amiss. He'd be interested to check out the townspeople, too, for that matter. Slowly, the blond started to wander down the street, trying to determine where he should go first.

[Sync.]

[godforsaken]

The ride to Doyleton was as uneventful as it'd always been, though Spike's perpetual irritation had at least provided some entertainment for the God-General. However, he wasn't all that inclined to follow the brunet about all day, and so he had no problem walking off the moment the buses arrived at their destination. The replica idly ran a hand through his hair, pulling his coat closer once he stepped off the bus and gave the town a general sweep.

Other than the minimal property damage it was as if last week's fiasco hadn't occurred at all, though he (and everyone else who'd been present, he supposed) knew better than to believe that. The question now was whether or not it'd be repeated this time around, though in the end it didn't really matter for him. Already he was making his way out of the park, taking the path down Main Street without any particular goal in mind.

Or at least, that’d been the case until he spotted a familiar head of blond nearby.

To grant Guy any private time would've been a luxury unworthy for the swordsman, and with no sight of his usual followers nearby Sync felt more inclined to bother him. He briskly walked over to the blond, not bothering to hide his presence as he took his spot next to him.

"It's like it never happened," He began, amused.

[human-sponge.livejournal.com]

Even though Peter didn't feel all that much better about things, he was still glad he'd ended up sitting next to someone who'd been in a decent mood for the trip down. Besides, running into Brian again meant he'd have something to tell Sam tonight -- well, if they made it back, anyway. Peter couldn't even be sure of that much.

The drizzle that greeted him as he left the bus didn't help matters, but Peter knew that he had far bigger problems at the moment. He knew the town hadn't been leveled the week before, but serious damage had definitely been done. The place should have been under serious reconstruction, but there was nothing.

Come to think of it, one of those buses had burned. Buses were easily replaced (when compared to houses or shops, at least), but still, all of this stuff would never stop being creepy.

His clothes were able to keep him warm enough (and he was used to cold weather), but he still didn't have a hood. Peter sighed and smoothed his hair down. At this point, all he wanted to do was get inside, but he might as well find somewhere useful. Still, the only thing he could think as he stared down the main street was how he and Nathan had raced down it, avoiding reanimated corpses all the way.

Now, this all just felt fake. With Nathan gone and the town looking more or less fine, it was like last week hadn't even happened. Still, Sam and Brian were around still, and Peter had to be thankful for that.

Shaking his head to drag himself out of his woe-is-me train of thought, Peter started down the street and scanned the storefronts.

[timeseal.livejournal.com]

It seemed like this place was determined to make Rolo's life (one he shouldn't even have, the boy glumly realized) a living hell, moreso than the one he led before coming here. To be honest, Rolo wasn't sure what to do when he was let off the bus. Stephen seemed to have found someone else to bother, but it wouldn't have mattered if the green haired boy was around - it wasn't like anyone could make his mood even worse.

No, Rolo realized, brow furrowing. It could get a lot worse. Like the possibility that Lelouch was just lying (again) when he said he wanted Rolo to infiltrate the doctor's offices during the night to collect information. Was that a genuine request, or if Lelouch was just trying to get rid of him. Rolo hated doubting his brother, more than anything, so he didn't want to think of it that way and shook his head, looking down on the ground as his feet took him somewhere.

No, he had to do what his brother said. If there was even a minute chance of being helpful to his brother, then Rolo would do it in a heartbeat. He should have been using this time to think about how he was going to do this, but by then his feet shuffled a little too far and the next thing Rolo knew, he hit something.

"Ah!" Rolo dimly realized that he bumped into a person, and was about to just brush past them with a mumbled "sorry" to ensure that they wouldn't follow, but he couldn't seem to get the words out when he looked up.

Whoa, he thought, as a sudden rush of deja vu overwhelmed him. Wasn't he thinking something similar about this, and then he saw this guy somewhere before? Rolo couldn't quite recall it, but the momentary sense of repetition left him staring awkwardly at the guy's face like he was trying to figure the other man out.

"... Uh."

[darwinism]

Sylar threw his windbreaker over his coat as he stepped out of the bus, taking a second to feel the drizzle on his face before he turned his hood up and pulled it over his head. He realized vaguely that hiding himself hadn't been a big concern last week, or the week before that, and felt his jaw clench with frustration as he strode quickly through the clumping crowd. He kept his eyes peeled for anyone who might point him out to anyone else: sure enough, there was Peter, probably on the look-out for one of his precious friends, and a little farther away was Kirk, the kid from the bus, and... an older guy? Sylar made a mental note of man's face, then felt his eyes slowly narrow as he saw Spock approaching them.

The pointy ears and bowl cut looked even more ridiculous here than they had back in the nuthouse. Sylar guessed it was pretty obvious why that was, but it didn't make the image any less grating. If the Head Doc could rip away his abilities, you'd think he could shave off someone's damn cartilage.

But whatever. Sylar had already spent enough time talking about Spock on the bus; time to move on to bigger and better things. He tore his eyes from Team Geek and looked down at the wad of coupons he'd been handed by some bored-looking nurse. Two meals, a manicure, and a spa. Gee, he wondered which ones he was going to use.

Then again... He frowned down at the moist book, lightly tapping its corner with his forefinger. A manicure and spa seemed exactly the kind of thing that Grell would go for, and given their success last night, he definitely wanted to start actively pursuing the guy. Make him go on the defensive. Still, he didn't want to come off as weak or needy, so he'd save that stop for later. Ask the shop attendants if they'd seen some mousy red-head step in and suddenly turn into a high school prom queen.

Sylar smirked at the mental image and then pocketed the book, raising his eyes back to the street. He had a whole day ahead of him, but he had to be strategic about it, and from the moderate vandalism and the way the townspeople kept looking at him, he got a feeling he knew who the zombie attack had been blamed on. And – god, zombies. He almost felt like he should preemptively climb to a rooftop at the end of the day, or at least use his lunch coupon earlier.

But right now, the most he could do was look around and gather what info he could. He began moving west down the street, scanning the shop fronts for anything useful. Manicurist, grocery store, burger joint, and... bookshop. Hadn't been in there before, and it'd probably be a good place to start.

Sylar opened the door and stepped in.

[ To here. ]

[itneverwas.livejournal.com]

Xemnas wasn't among the earliest ones leaving the bus, but it was hardly of any importance. His gaze took note of the overcast sky, which along with the drizzle left much to be desired regarding the weather. It was nothing compared to the downpour that often rained down on The World That Never Was. Still, a he moved through the crowd that remained near the vehicles, he pulled the hood that had been attached to his jacket over his head. He briefly examined the booklet he had been given, which contained coupons for two meals, a manicure and a spa. Other than the meals, it was hardly anything useful. Placing it into his pocket for further use, he swept his gaze around the unknown area.

The town was obviously a small one; most buildings did not reach any higher than two stories and there was little amount of traffic. He had been told of a zombie infestation last week, yet the signs that remained of such an occurrence were little. Every storefront displayed an unhinged door or a broken window, yet the graffiti that decorated the walls hinted at signs of moderate vandalism rather than the remains of the walking dead. The graffiti itself was interesting; a smiling face too similar to those upon the fronts of the institute's uniforms to be called a coincidence.

What was even more interesting were the locals, with the way they were looking at him with their unwelcoming gazes, as if he was one that should be avoided. Other patients received similar glances of disgust and suspicion. A natural aversion for the unknown, for those that were supposedly mentally ill? A remnant of last week? Or, was it something else entirely? Connected to the graffiti, perhaps?

Xemnas quirked an eyebrow in interest. The head doctor's careful daytime fallacy of almost unnatural light that he tried to retain, was it cracking? Or was it all part of the normalcy they hoped to retain? Was it planned, or was it not?

Remaining in the drizzle would provide him of little answers, so he allowed his gaze to watch the storefronts that lined the street.

It was a bookshop that caught the Nobody's attention.

[itneverwas.livejournal.com]

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/863027.html?thread=68262963#t68262963)]

[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/861511.html?thread=68207943#t68207943)]

Usopp slowed down to look around at the store windows, and to be sure Zack was following and still seemed okay with their direction. The town really did seem normal to an eerie degree, a little larger and more advanced than Usopp's hometown but no comparison to a real city. Despite the impression of a rural life, the town was interesting enough to Usopp, shop windows and street corners furnished with things that were familiar from home mixed with a few things Usopp had never seen before in his life.

He hoped he wasn't being too obvious about gawking. The smiley faces painted on a few walls were more unsettling the more Usopp saw them, and also reminded him of home. Thinking about the slave market or the last time he'd seen Luffy would just make him depressed, and Usopp pushed the thought back to focus on the present.

The first restaurant he'd been given a coupon for was close by, and it actually looked kind of fun. Anything with a mysterious pit filled with colorful spheres looked fun. Even if he wasn't hungry, maybe they'd give him some hot coffee or tea to drink instead of a soda. It had only been a few days since he'd last had tea, but it was strange to do without something after being used to it for so long.

"Does this one look all right to you, Zack?" Usopp gestured to the building's door. "It looks less wet inside, anyhow." Something about the restaurant's look made him feel homesick. Considering, he decided that the whole place reminded him of Franky. Gaudy and over the top, but friendly. "Or we could look for that other coupon's restaurant."

Finding a worthwhile store and trying to sneak off with anything strange to take it apart later was tempting, but there were nurses in with the patients, not to mention the actual town people. Besides, would a guy who went around offering his coat to chilly strangers approve of stealing? He hadn't said anything about Usopp being a pirate, but that might have just meant he didn't believe it and was too nice to disagree.

[zack-fair.livejournal.com]

When it came to leading or following, Zack was used to both. He'd definitely done a lot more of the former after making First Class, but there had also been times where he'd been the one trailing after Angeal or Sephiroth or even Tseng. For that reason, he didn't mind that Usopp took point as they worked their way down what looked to be the main street of this small town.

What was weird was how the buildings looked a little run-down. Maybe the townspeople just didn't have the funds to patch things up? He knew that was a common problem in tiny towns like this, so it was definitely possible. What stood out more was the smiley faces on some of the walls that matched their shirts. What was that all about?

The first two stores they passed didn't catch his interest much, but it looked like Usopp had found something. Pausing, Zack glanced in the direction of the colorful building -- it was certainly eye-catching, but as for what it was for...

"I'm not too hungry, but if you wanted to head in and grab something, that's fine by me!" He'd rather save his coupon for a little later in the day. He had to pace himself, after all! Still, getting some food for Usopp probably wouldn't take too long, and it solved the problem of getting out of the drizzle.

[rocksthecourt]

[from here]

Klavier had no intended destination, really. His only plan was to move anywhere not within range of the buses. So he'd simply moved to the first area he'd spotted: down the main street of the town. Though they were away from the buses, this still didn't count as "clear" just yet. Walking in the direction everyone else was likely going to be heading in wasn't exactly productive in the grand scheme of avoiding people. They needed to hide until the coast was clear, in a manner of speaking. But where?

The man was so busy glancing around at the people around him that he wasn't paying much mind, if any, to his care as he dragged him along behind him. Finding a secure location was a bit higher on his priority list at the moment.

[falseblack]

Nigredo was never given a chance to finish the mental process as a hand grabbed at his sleeve, yanking the boy along the street and out of his thoughts. Feet instinctively propelled forward to keep up with the momentum, and he raised his eyes to the source, shocking lining the orbs. The emotion increased as he recognized the one dragging him along.

Klavier? Using unnecessary force and harsh commands? For a second time, a knot formed in his stomach, a dread seeping through the lines. He had momentarily forgotten their meeting, but it couldn't have been enough to result in this course of action.

Then, what happened? What had Nigredo done now?

[whichwayagain.livejournal.com]

Mihai was more than ready to get off of the bus after they arrived, more due to the bumpiness of the ride than his encounter with an unfortunately tall and thin man. Buses really never had been one of his favorite ways to travel, and the uncomfortable clothing only made it worse. For what wasn't the first time, Mihai looked down at his shirt, with its logo stretched almost painfully tight across his chest. Though he had noticed the trend of thin patients, it shouldn't be completely impossible to find something to fit a broad-shouldered fellow.

Problems of clothing aside, however, Mihai didn't see any familiar faces once he got off of the bus. Without Haine or Badou, Mihai was left on his own devices in a completely unfamiliar town. Given his talent for getting lost in his own city, the old man wasn't exactly hopeful in terms of finding his way here. Still, the bagel and juice box were still in the bag, largely untouched over the course of the trip. Given the coupon's he'd been given, Mihai thought it best to find a meal first. Surely he'd run into someone he knew along the way.

Hopefully.

[DOGS people, come save Mihai from himself? :D]

[strayfag]

Badou's bus ride had been relatively pleasant despite explaining the whole zombie infestation thing. He dared to hope the rest of the day might actually go alright. At least, he'd tried to hope until he caught a glimpse of Artemis getting off the bus he'd been on. Then his hope plummeted into the cold, rainy abyss that was probably the Doyleton sewer line. Kid looked like hell.

They missed each other in the crowds but he'd find Arty later in the day for ice cream anyway. Maybe meeting Haine and Mihai in person would help. (Somehow. At least they were all alive and kicking.)

Speaking of Mihai and Haine, where the hell were they? He and Haine had a knack for finding each other when they really had to (bolting, at gunpoint) but Mihai was, well, Mihai. If he got lost they'd never find him again.

By the time he got halfway up Main Street, he'd pulled the hood back up over his head. Between looking like fetish fuel and looking like a drowned cat, he'd take the one that kept him warm and staved off pneumonia. Maybe he'd hit the bar again and trade coupons for a fresh cigarette.

Mmm cigarette.

He nearly walked right into someone's broad, manly back. Which was hard to do considering how very yellow it was. Fuck you too cyclops peripheral vision.

"Sorry -- old man?" Well, that was lucky. "Hey." Poker face, man. I won't mention your dorky outfit if you don't mention mine.

[ryuuzaki]

As he stepped off of the bus, L considered his conversation with Keman. Hordes of ravening zombies, hm? I should be worried...?

He found himself unable to muster an appropriate level of concern. For one thing, the "zombies" predated his own abduction; if it were not for his experiences since then, he wouldn't have even begun to credit the stories. Also, the timeline that Lamperouge had provided suggested that conspicuous occurrences of that kind were not repeated. Comments made by Landel and Jill indicated either that the situation had been caused by some kind of resurrection spell, or that the two of them were in collusion to encourage the patients to accept that explanation. Now there was someone new... a friend? Someone she claims we need, but there is always the question of how much to trust her.

The bus ride left him with another question. A glance over his shoulder had shown him that Howell was seated next to the man whom L was almost entirely certain was Homura: not an enemy, but a person whose interest L did not yet wish to attract. Heiji had recognized L, or thought he did, and Homura was the most likely candidate for ownership of the thumb under which Heiji had taken up residence. Unless L made himself conspicuous, there was no way of knowing whether or not Homura might recognize him, too. Satisfying his own curiosity on the issue was too much of a potential liability.

Thus it was that he stood just beside the door to the bus, waiting for Howell to emerge. A drop of rain fell onto the top of his head, so he lifted his face a little, and inhaled the cool, clean air.

The townspeople didn't appear happy to see the new arrivals, but then, he wouldn't have expected them to be. Manifest signs of vandalism were all around them, with an equally indisputable intended scapegoat. -- It should be obvious to them that we are the least appropriate suspects. We are inmates; we are kept under heavy guard. Even at night, it would be difficult to come this far, then to have time to perpetuate damage of this nature to this extent.

It seems highly unlikely that they are even aware of the circumstances at night.

His plan for the day had been to glean information on the town itself: by striking up conversations with whatever residents were willing to talk to him, and also by walking around and seeing what there was to see. It seemed that the plan would have to be adapted to de-emphasize conversation.

As he thought about it, he found that he was biting at the tip of his thumb. The indulgence, the way his teeth teased against the flesh and scraped at the nail, was soothing.

He'd made a conscious denial of this habit all week; the communal nature of the Institute combined with the infrequency with which anyone seemed to wash their hands made it unappealing, but his hands hadn't touched much so far since he got out of bed.

At the moment, because of the overcoat, no one could see his preposterous shirt. Wolves howling at the moon could make anyone look like a fool. He found that, although he didn't care how he appeared to others when he was in some degree of control of the situation, his lack of agency and the mood of the town around him gave him an unwonted keenness to seem more normal.

Well -- at least ten percent more normal. Inconspicuous, rather than memorably ridiculous. That meant that as soon as anyone could see the wolves, he'd have to be sure to keep his hands away from his mouth.

[Howl!]

[slipperymagic.livejournal.com]

"That's a terrible habit." Howl made his disapproval-bordering-on-disgust perfectly apparent. He meandered lazily over to Ryuuzaki, wearing a shrewd expression. However, he was not standing quite as tall as he normally did. The hostile mood and his dull clothes inspired him to daydream about disappearing. He didn't want to be remembered like this. But instead, he was out in public, apparently unwelcome, it was raining, and his hair was going to get frizzy as soon as the water dried off it. It was one insult after another in this hellhole.

Ryuuzaki had been unmistakable from a distance, if only for the bent posture Howl had developed a tendency towards looking for. It was somehow both awkward and graceful. He made Howl momentarily think of the long-legged fishing birds in the lakes that the castle would periodically brush up against. Before Sophie, before Michael, he'd sometimes just open up the back door to sit and look at what he and Calcifer were passing that day. Not often, because the breeze it had left his growing hair in tangles, but now he wished he had done it more often. He had still been enchanted by Ingary back then.

A drop of rain in his eye reminded him of the present, and that he had gotten himself into a conversation. For a moment, he had considered walking right past Ryuuzaki. It would not have hurt his feelings, after all. Howl suspected that most times, he and Ryuuzaki would have been satisfied to ignore one another until they could provide tangible aid. Still, Howl knew how to get his attention. It was not the most graceful way to do it, no, but being obnoxious and vaguely insulting was his specialty, and Ryuuzaki had thick enough skin.

"Just how ragged are those nails?" he asked, angling his head slightly to try and confirm the damage he suspected.