Night 49: Group Therapy Room 1

[mizuhomaiden.livejournal.com]

[from here]

Sheena used the force of her kick to carry her into what she thought was the clinic place Raine had indicated she wanted to see inside. Being as the ninja had never been to therapy or even in this particular room at night, she didn't immediately notice they had moved from Doyleton back to the institute proper.

"So what are we looking for, Raine?"

And then that's when she noticed it. The difference in the slight sound of the weather outside, the faint scent in the room. "...I think we're back in the ranch."

Comments

[mind-the-sukima.livejournal.com]

Yukari only giggled at their reproaches and followed them in through the door - and was not at all surprised when she found the room inside looked nothing like a veterinary clinic.

"Hmm, I wonder where in the institute this is?" she pondered aloud, looking about. "Though, not as if it will matter much if this keeps up."

Various chairs in a wide area... almost like the arts and crafts room, only without, well, the arts and crafts. In fact, it really seemed quite boring. Not that boring was entirely a bad thing - she'd take it over any room that was "exciting" with monsters.

[per-ardua.livejournal.com]

"What the--? Dammit!" Raine was not happy; she had an idea where they were, but all she cared about was that it wasn't the vet clinic. "What is going on here?" The portals they seemed to be going through were likely not consistent, since that would lead to a dead end, but she couldn't be sure...

Being a scientist, she had to find out. So... without actually thinking of the possible danger, she turned around and went right back through the door.

[[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/909167.html).]]

[bodhiandspirit.livejournal.com]

This was the entry room, then? It looked smaller than the map made it seem. Ignoring the brief bout of dizziness she felt upon entering, Rita took a few cautious steps into the room, shining her flashlight around on the oddly-arranged furniture. The chairs and couches looked to be positioned to allow for large conversations. Maybe that was practical, but weren't entry rooms supposed to be more spacious than this?

The mage had only taken a few steps forward when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her flashlight pointing straight ahead. The wall across from her was mostly bare, save for some abstract art hung to fill up space. Something was very wrong with that wall.

"What the..." After staring for a moment to confirm what she was seeing, Rita whipped her head around to face Howl, expecting that he would know what was going on here. "There's no door! This is supposed to be the way out, isn't it!?"

Shifting the flashlight to her other hand, Rita dug around in her pocket and retrieved the folded maps she had stuffed inside. The girl violently shook the map open, then raised it for Howl to see. "Look! Isn't this..." She trailed off as her mind started racing in search of possible explanations. "... Don't tell me this map is a fake."

[slipperymagic.livejournal.com]

Howl all but recoiled to see the room they had ended up in. Every fiber of him rejected what he was seeing. Granted, he had not traveled everywhere in the institute, but this was completely and utterly incorrect according to everything he knew. It took him only a few seconds to pull his scattered thoughts together and focus on the map that had been shoved towards him. With long, delicate fingers he looked over the drawing. It seemed to match his own perfectly.

"It's the only map I have ever made use of, and it has not failed me yet," he said with a new edge in his voice. "At least, not up until this moment." He sighed, irritation evident.

"I cannot believe that an incorrect map is being passed around." It was partially a complaint, and partially a true exclamation of disbelief. He had obtained his map from the bulletin board, in the days before censorship had put an end to such things. Someone would have been quick to correct a mistake as grave as this, especially considering how threatened some people seemed to be by all of the clever little information gatherers, organizers and leaders. Howl could only imagine how one of their rivals, or even an observer such as Ryuuzaki, would have taken pleasure in setting the record straight.

[bodhiandspirit.livejournal.com]

Howl looked just as surprised as she was. "So you're saying this map is mostly accurate?" Rita asked, looking somewhat doubtful. It was hard to believe the map was normally useful when it didn't even have the location of the main entrance right.

"...Fine. I'll try a different route, then. Even if we don't know where the main doors are, there has to be a window, or..." Rita glanced at the map again, then traced her index finger over the Recreational Field and the Courtyard. "These parts are outside, right? What keeps people from running out this way?" It would make sense if there was a wall or a fence, but since Rita had never been there, she couldn't be certain.

And even if there was a partition in the way, it didn't necessarily mean it was impassable.

[slipperymagic.livejournal.com]

"Nothing we can see," Howl exhaled, and then shivered despite himself. This building was so unpleasantly eerie at night, and it seemed that as soon as he forgot how much he despised it, something would happen to reel him back in to this sad reality.

"Let's try another way, shall we? Although I certainly hope you'll change your mind about going outside. It's a ghastly storm." Howl's complaining was light and casual, and he hoped that he could occupy the relaxed act so wholly that it would become true. Still, he was eager to return to the door and leave the odd, misplaced room.

[To here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/907077.html?thread=69860421#t69860421).]