Day 50: Patient Library (3rd Shift)

[vstheworld]

Given a choice, as should have been implied by the whole "Free Choice Day" thing, Scott would have gone straight for the Game Room. Maybe it didn't have the greatest selection of games, but he was raring for another epic Tetris match with Indy or anyone else who cared to challenge him. Unfortunately for him, however, his nurse was already onto his line of thinking.

"Now Bryan, I know how much you love your games, but don't you think some more time away from them would be good for you?" the woman asked him in a soothing tone, gently taking his shoulder when he turned toward the Game Room.

"Uh, why would I think that?" he asked, blinking at her in honest confusion.

"Well, I know your family was worried about more than just your condition before you came here. They're hoping you can start to wean yourself down to a more healthy level of enjoyment with your games, too," the nurse explained with continuing gentleness.

"Yeah. And?" Scott raised an eyebrow. "It's Free Choice Day, isn't it? Don't I get to choose and stuff?"

"Of course, Bryan. But I'm still here to make suggestions, and I think you'd do well with a different activity today." The woman smiled at him, genuine care and concern in her expression. "You can always come here later in the week. It'll probably be more rewarding if you wait, too."

Scott was silent, considering the advice. He raised an index finger. "Well, I suppose... Uh, yeah no. Please to be going to the Game Room now, thanks."

The nurse frowned.

Five minutes of irritatingly gentle coaxing later, and Scott found himself in the patient library. "Stupid guilt tripping never even talked to my real mom and dad I bet I could be playing Tetris right now they don't even have any cool books in here..." he grumbled to himself under his breath as he lazily perused the shelves. He picked a book completely at random, The Oxford Book of English Verse. He was half-hoping that maybe pulling the book out would trigger something more exciting, like a secret item appearing, a bonus stage unlocking, or a new shortcut tunnel opening. But no, Landel's reality was boring as ever. "Maybe there'll be an awesome poem or something in here, at least," he told himself as he headed over to an empty seat with a short sigh.

[Unknowingly waiting for Sam]

Comments

[girlsandgadgets]

This Ryuuzaki character certainly was astute, wasn't he? It was a good quality to have on his side.

"Are the types that would cause bodily harm to some of the delusions I've supposedly been having," Edgar finished openly, his quiet tone matching Ryuuzaki's. "Or at least launch projectiles a long distance at a high speed. Whichever I can finish first, given the crude materials I'm currently working with and the state of my arm."

Edgar flashed a winning smile at a passing nurse as she peered into the room, waiting for her to leave before continuing. "Until last night, I was working primarily out of habit- idle hands and all- with the thought that I could stand to be better armed for whatever roams the halls at night. Now that I've seen one of these abominations with my own two eyes in a room that seems incongruous with the rest of this prison, I can see that I will be needing to carry something more powerful than a flashlight if I'm expecting to put up any sort of a fight."

[ryuuzaki]

L's first response to Edgar's statement was a slow nod, and he thought of the weapons concealed in his room. "I can't argue with a desire to create that kind of tool, as long as" --his eyes narrowed-- "its creator kept an eye on it, and was careful to confine its use to his 'delusions.' It would be unfortunate if it fell into the wrong hands. For a certain kind of personality, this place would be like a playground--I don't think we can assume that everyone here works towards a common goal."

When Edgar smiled at the nurse, L experienced a flash of amusement. A handsome guy like him... hm... he is accustomed to using his charm...? Yes. The nurses here must be relatively immune to it, but patients are another story. The ways in which Edgar seemed like a useful person to know began to add up in L's mind. He didn't seem dangerous to other patients; it had taken little prodding to get him to reveal that he was building a weapon, and from the brief glance L had taken at the schematics, it wasn't a subtle one. Its use on another patient would be obvious, and the culprit, correspondingly easy to track.

One of Edgar's phrases caught at him, and he decided to revisit it. "A room that seems incongruous... what do you mean?"

[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar nodded as Ryuuzaki gave him a clear warning in regards to his tools, how they were used, and who would be using them. It was a shame that he was right- despite the patients all being prisoners, all having common ground, there were bound to be those who would use his inventions for all the wrong reasons. It wasn't that different from the Empire wanting Figaro's technological savvy; however, he'd had more control over what was shared there. The institute provided little security in any sense.

He'd have to be careful, or find a way to make it so others simply couldn't use his tools. Ryuuzaki had given him an idea already.

"It looked as though it didn't belong in the building," Edgar answered. He still couldn't read Ryuuzaki well, but his warning seemed to indicate he was on a side with some integrity. He'd put a little trust into the other man for now. "Brightly lit by lanterns, ornate suits of armor lining the walls... It sharply contrasted with the dark hallways of the night and the institution facade of the day. The fact that the next room was guarded by an undead monster was even more alarming."

Edgar put his hand to his shoulder lightly. "The beast wasn't just some watchdog either: it suffered several blows from a chainsaw with hardly a sign of pain. The room had to have significance, or why have it watched at all?"

Well, there was one point of interest that was bound to have some importance- the dagger. He decided against mentioning it for now, wanting to take another look at it before disclosing any more information about the relic.

[ryuuzaki]

The only room L had seen since his arrival at the Institute that held any resemblance to Edgar's description at all was the Sphinx's lair, but the resemblance wasn't close. The primary similarity was the impression of a kind of calculated magnificence that didn't exist either in the facilities intended for patients, or in Doyleton, or in the ruined town. That implied, but didn't guarantee, that the room might be in the basement; the most he could say with certainty was that such spaces existed somewhere within the boundaries of the area Landel controlled.

"I've heard of such places, but they aren't on the maps that some of the patients have. I'll let you know if I come across it, though."

Edgar might be a useful person to know, but L found himself reluctant to spill his plans for the night to a new acquaintance without good reason to do so. If the foray into the basement worked out, and Jones's group came across a room of armor, there was a reasonable chance that L would pass the information on to Edgar. As to whether or not the information would do Edgar any good... well, he had serious doubts on that score. If the man was determined to seek out danger, there was little L could do to stop him.

"You're certain the monster was--undead? What did it look like?"

[girlsandgadgets]

The response from the bulletin board regarding the location of the weaponry came to mind as Ryuuzaki spoke. While he hadn't confirmed Edgar's suspicions that the room was underground, he had noted that such locations weren't unheard of, implying others had been there before. There had to be a way to reach the weaponry on foot- finding out how would have to wait for another time, granted the man was around long enough for them to have a second conversation.

"Positive," Edgar said, his tone serious. "Its flesh was decaying, its blood thick and black as it rotted on the inside. Maggots crawled from its wounds as we fought it. It should have collapsed after a solid hit, but it had far more stamina than its dying body should have allowed."

Edgar's shoulder ached sharply, reminding him of his foolhardiness. He'd gone into battle with only a weapon, no armor at all; however, one had to make due with what he was offered. At least he'd been armed and had Gren- it was likely he owed his roommate his life. "It wasn't my first experience fighting an undead beast, but it was definitely one I won't soon forget."

The nurse returned to the doorway, hovering a moment as she waited for him to finish his conversation. "We'll have to discuss this book again sometime," he said with a smile. "I've got a few recommendations for you myself, but it seems I'll save them for another day."

[ryuuzaki]

Excellent, L thought, irritated. It fit the general pattern: something strong, repellent, or both; something with a pronounced air of "wrongness" around it. It might be in the basement, it might not. Even if the room with the armor was there, the creature might not be anywhere near the room the next night, but it was good to be aware of its existence. He would have to take a quick look at the list of creatures in his journal later, to see if it fit any of the descriptions he'd noted, or if he would need to add it himself.

He wanted to ask Edgar about his allusion to previous experiences fighting undead beasts, but as he opened his mouth to do so, the nurse appeared. L inclined his head towards Edgar in a half-nod, then replied, in a low, polite, detached tone, "Yes. I'll be looking forward to it. It's always nice to meet someone else who's interested in literature."