damned_institute | Night 50: M51-M60 Hallway

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Night 50: M51-M60 Hallway

[M60]

Honey's words from that afternoon still bothered Sai as he sat on the edge of his bed when the doors opened. Unlike the previous night, he'd changed back into his black ninja attire now, that damned kunai held loosely in one hand. He had a job to do, and though there was the danger of Okita attacking them again tonight, he couldn't just leave Artemis and Haku to do their task alone.

He nodded his goodbyes to his roommate, everything he needed (including a pillowcase just in case they needed a makeshift sack) tucked into his belt. Now wasn't the time for worrying. Though there was still the chance that whatever creature had possessed him in the sun room would do so again, it at least hadn't the night before. That was always a good sign.

Hoping that danger didn't await him the moment he stepped out the door, or that he didn't bring it with him to Artemis's doorstep, Sai walked out into the darkened hall toward the rooms just two rows over.

[to here]

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"See ya later then!" Sechs nonchalantly mumbled through a mouthful of cheesecake as his new roommate made an exit. Once alone and finished with his dinner, Sechs was quick to stuff on and zip up his battle gear. The food that Mike was kind enough to give him instilled fresh energy into his system. Damn, he should have thanked him for that, but he had been so caught up in his own troubles (not to mention distrust of roommates in general no thanks to Will.) He would have to thank the guy and get to know him more next time for sure, but right now he had the night to distract himself with. The pain over seeing Alita/Yoko was still festering immensely inside his heart, he couldn't afford to sit around and wait for the drug to take advantage of that fresh wound...

Sechs begrudgingly followed Landel's instructions, and to his surprise, found the aforementioned ring in his desk. It was so small and plain... surely the power of teleportation couldn't reside within such a mere piece of jewelry? Well, back where Sechs came from, formidable technology could come in all shapes and sizes; he would just have to give it a try later and see what happens (and hope it actually isn't a bomb all this time...)

Dropping the seemingly insignificant ring into his pocket, Sechs gathered up his usual things for the night: his maps, flashlight, radio, machete and axe. The radio and maps took up an entire pant pocket, leaving the other room for the flashlight whilst the machete was tucked behind a leather belt against his back.

The last thing Sechs took were a couple of the metal pipes he "inherited" from his former roommate. The fewer things he had around to remind him of the bastard, the better. He knew they would make good weapons for Kibitoshin, despite the fact that the pipes were eaten away on the ends by what may have been acid. Whatever sort of ass Will had been shoving the pipes into must have been pretty nasty...

Prepped and ready for the night, Sechs grasped the axe and pipes within one burly hand and propped them on his shoulder, allowing his free hand to open the door. No sooner had he stepped out into the dark hallway did the drug seep into his burdened spirit.

"Going back out to further prove just how much of a failure you are again...?"

Edited 2010-07-17 23:16 (UTC)

It was almost expected, that his roommate didn't show all through dinner. Zack had made sure to keep an eye on the door as he'd worked through his meal, but more and more time had passed, and eventually he'd just assumed that another one had bitten the dust. Though that probably wasn't in the most literal sense. After what he'd heard from Taura earlier, Zack got the feeling that deaths only happened in specific ways. Either his roommate had gone home or been sent somewhere else. Somewhere worse, somewhere better? Who knew.

Or maybe the constant sleeping had some unfortunate connotation, but Zack wasn't going to let him imagination stretch too far. It probably wasn't healthy.

Once again he'd been forced to while away the extra time before night on his own, which hadn't been easy. He'd considered a nap, but in the end he was too worried about Aerith to even attempt it. They could hopefully settle this all once and for all now, but Zack wasn't sure he wanted to know the real answer. Not when he already had the disappearance of his roommate staring him in the face. If it was that easy...

And so he'd spent the extra time worrying, until the intercom came on before he'd even expected. The head honcho had a lot to say this time around, and Zack found himself listening to the instructions and searching his desk for a special ring. He found nothing, but that only meant that Yuffie or Cloud had it instead. Hopefully Cloud.

Well, Zack would know soon enough. Meeting up with his friend was next on the list of things to do, and so the soldier wasted no time in grabbing his flashlight and the Thunder materia he'd hidden that morning and then heading out.

Edited 2010-07-12 10:14 (UTC)

Honey was at least somewhat relieved when Sai got dressed for the evening and said his goodbyes. While it was obvious he wasn't back to his old self just yet, not completely, at least he seemed to be doing a little bit better. He offered his roommate a soft smile as he gathered up his own things, tucking away the kunai with the bunny-shaped handles that Leon had made for him and waiting near the door with Usa-chan held carefully in his arms.

Takashi should be along shortly. He held little hope for the rest of the cake club, but it was good that his cousin had taken initiative with the bulletin today. After last night it was difficult to feel up to it. Maybe they would have some members show up after all.

[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/935076.html?view=71163044#t71163044)]

By no stretch of the imagination had the walk been long, yet Natalia still felt a surge of relief as she inspected the door. M60. Where the Cake Club had been told to meet, and Natalia, unable to quash her curiosity about there being a club that truly baked in this place, had signed up for the meeting. If they did bake, Natalia wondered whether she could ever call herself a proper member, and not only because no amount of practice to date had improved her culinary skills (or lack thereof). It simply seemed unwise to spend the night in a way less productive to the larger picture.

Yet, she had suspected that there was something she had failed to understand, and that question too had moved her. Natalia took note of her possessions, reaffirming each item, then patted at her hair, wishing again for one of her headbands.

As presentable as this place would ever allow her to be, she supposed. Lifting her chin and adopting a polite smile, Natalia rapped her knuckles against the door.

[ From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/935076.html?thread=71102628#t71102628) ]

Upon rounding the corner, Amaterasu was faced with the sight of another patient standing in the hallway. It was a young woman with short hair and a sweet smile. The goddess quickly realized she had seen her during the journey from the F-A Block Hallway. Now, she stood before the door to Room M60, which meant she was likely another member of the Cake Club.

Ammy mustered up the best smile she could make (although her body was still calming down from the scare Takashi had given her) and approached.

"H . . . hello! Here for . . . c-cl . . . club?"

Ah, so someone else had made it before them. When Mori and Amaterasu came around the corner and began walking down the hall, Mori caught sight of the young blond standing at Mitsukuni's door. This had to be Natalia, the young lady who had given off a very princess-like air on the board. It wasn't like Mori was unaccustomed to dealing with such people, but that did make him worry about how well she was going to survive here. It was good that she'd found their club then - he and Mitsukuni could teach self-defense as much as they could bake a cake.

As they came up to the door, Mori let Amaterasu's arm go with a bow of respect and then turned to Natalia (or who he hoped was Natalia), giving her a similar bow with a small smile. Mitsukuni would be opening the door soon since she just knocked and Mori could tell he was still in the room. The scent was strongest here; he hadn't moved out yet. Mori hoped his cousin would be cheered by the sight of two pretty women like this. They'd probably fawn over him, right? He hoped they would. Mitsukuni needed to be cheered up considering the things they'd found last night.

Honey was quick to answer the door and it was a genuine surprise when he was greeted by his cousin, along with two more unfamiliar faces. He blinked a few times, looking up at them before a smile fell into place. Had they gotten new members? After last night, he'd spent precious little time at the bulletin board. But sure enough, here was a group, ready to go.

"Hi!" he chirped, closing the door behind him as he stepped out into the hall. His eyes met the older boy's for a second as he got over the initial surprise.

"I'm Honey! It's nice to meet you both! Are you Takashi's friends? Are you going to make cake with us?" he persisted, excitement growing slightly with each word as he hugged his pink rabbit toy to his chest.

It seemed as though Natalia had come at the right time, as she had hardly stood at the door for half a minute when two more turned the corner, apparently intent upon her same destination. She turned partly toward the pretty woman and her young companion, returning the bow he gave. Was he Mori? If so, who waited inside, if anyone?

"The cake club, yes? I am, I-"

Before she could finish, the door opened. With a little surprise, Natalia found herself looking down, at a truly sweet looking boy. And he did look like a boy, younger even than Anise. Given Anise's ability, and the way in which the world could force a maturity in children, Natalia should have, perhaps, felt less indignant on his behalf. How dare that Landel put him here--so sweet, he went by Honey!

As if Tear confronted with a crowd of baby cheagles, Natalia blushed, her eyes bright.

"It--it's nice to meet you as well, Honey! If by Takashi you mean Mori, then I encountered him only on the bulletin before this moment. I'd like to try to-oh, forgive me,"

and here, Natalia had the presence of mind to look at Honey and the others, hand pressed to her chest. "I am Natalia Luzu Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. Again, it's a pleasure."

Amaterasu looked troubled as Natalia and Mori exchanged bows. She had never bowed to anyone before. Was she being rude by not doing it? Or did she not need to because of her celestial status?

She was not given much time to think on it, however, as the door to M60 swung open and a small boy stepped out. The goddess was taken aback at his size and facial features; he was so . . . so . . . adorable. How many other children were kept in this institution?

Natalia introduced herself and Ammy watched her carefully, listening to her words with great thought. Perhaps she should copy their formalities, just to be polite.
Her attempt at a bow was awkward and felt as though it was far too deep. Still, she managed to make her usual warm smile.

"Amaterasu."

When the door opened and he saw the smile light up his cousin's face with excitement over his new friends, Mori felt the weight in his heart lighten as well. If he could keep bringing people to the club like this, even if they didn't stick around, maybe it would help Mitsukuni feel a little better. If he could keep Mitsukuni's spirits high until he figured out a way to escape from this place, then they'd have a better chance.

And just as planned both women seemed to fawn over Mitsukuni after his introduction. The blond was indeed Natalia and she definitely addressed everyone and carried herself like the aristocracy he and Mitsukuni were accustomed to when they were Hosting. She seemed particularly taken with Mitsukuni, too. Mori smiled slightly and then nodded to both women as they introduced themselves. Amaterasu was the one Mori was worried about the most. As a goddess brought to earth, there were bound to be things she wasn't used to and as humans faced with the Sun Goddess herself, Mori wasn't entirely certain how to properly...entertain her. If entertain was even the right word.

But with everyone here, Mori reached into his pocket and pulled out the two recipes he'd written down earlier during dinner - for chocolate cake and white cake with strawberry frosting. He knew the necessary ingredients were in the kitchens from the food the place put out, so there was no doubt that the group could make it. And it wasn't as hard as replicating the cheesecake they served here. With the papers in hand, he knelt to Mitsukuni's level and handed them to him with a questioning look, asking him to choose which one they'd make tonight.

Natalia was really adorable too! It only served to make his smile a little wider, more honest, as she blushed. How lucky to get to spend the dark and scary night with two pretty girls!

"Mm! Most people call Takashi by Mori. It's ok! You have such a long name! Oh- but it's really pretty! Are you a princess then? Is it okay if I call you Lia-chan? Or should it be Lia-hime? Ah- I forgot too! Usa-chan, I'm so sorry!" it was hard to choose between Nata-chan and Lia-chan, but both were cute. Hopefully she wouldn't mind. It was an awfully long name to try to call her by and he always preferred giving the people he liked fun and cute nicknames. He held up the pink rabbit so that both girls could see, patting him a few times in apology.

"This is Usa-chan, he's my very good friend too!"

He realized with a bit of guilt that he'd been neglecting the other girl. She was really pretty too, but in more of the classic Japanese beauty sort of way. Her movements seemed a little forced, but maybe that was just because she was nervous. He offered her a gentle, but encouraging smile as she bowed and nodded his head in return. But he nearly gave himself whiplash as he popped back up, hearing the girl's name.

Amaterasu? Like... like the Amaterasu?! Honey's mouth formed a perfect O in surprise and his big brown eyes widened. There was no way, right? It wasn't too big of a stretch... maybe the girl's parents were just eccentric, naming their children after deities, but...

He glanced to Takashi, confirming his suspicions. It made more sense then, didn't it? Why he'd arrived with the girl so carefully in tow.

"Ammy-sama?! Is it really Ammy-sama?!" he squeaked with excitement, reaching out to take the woman's hand and squeeze it gently with a sort of childlike awe.

Not wishing for either girl to feel neglected, he turned back to Natalia, smiling brightly. It wasn't until Takashi pulled the recipes from his pocket that he actually felt grounded again. Tonight was going to be a really special night. A princess(he'd already decided) and a goddess! They'd hosted a variety of girls at Ouran, but never like this!

"Ah... I want... Strawberry!" he decided, excited for a new recipe in addition to all the rest. How many more surprises could he handle? It was really unbelievable! "Is that ok? Lia-hime? Ammy-sama?"

[ooc: feel free to have the language change over the course of Honey's post? He tends to chatter so he probably wouldn't have heard much of the announcement if anyone had a radio on them.]

[ooc: Yosh! Natalia has her radio, so I'll just... shove everything in here, shall I? :| of course all of yours speak Japanese... We'll just pretend something, since the intercom technically happened at midnight but ... /messses with w/ time... dslfkmdsfdslfs :D? ]

Honey said an awful lot all of once that Natalia felt she should address; it became a little harder to focus on and organize each item, because he was so cute. He even introduced his rabbit! How old was he? She meant to thank him for calling her name pretty, to note that long names were quite common in her world, to express surprise that he had correctly guessed her position -- but all of that paled upon receiving a nickname.

Natalia had never had a nickname before, and receiving one kept the color strong on her cheeks.

"T-that's all right," she managed, though unsure what the difference between Lia-chan and Lia-hime was, "You may! No one's ever given me a nickname." Before she could test the sound of it on her own tongue, he held out the rabbit and she made to pat its ears in greeting. "It's very nice to meet Usa, too."

Oblivious to the significance of the name Amaterasu, Natalia meant to give the girl a smile and bow of her own, when the fonmachine under her arm began to make noise. Jumping, she nearly dropped it; she had not turned it on, how peculiar that a voice would be coming from it! She listened to the message, not completely understanding; for the second time that night rings were mentioned, only she had not found one among her things.

When the message ended, Natalia looked up quizzically, intending to ask the others if they had the rings in question. Before she could, overhead, the intercoms blared with that man's voice. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to keep calm and listen to his words. She winced at the piercing sound; when the intercoms fell silent, Natalia wondered--what language had the doctor spoken at the end?

More importantly, Honey seemed to be speaking, and only two words made any sense at all: Lia-hime and Ammy-sama.

"My apologies," she said slowly, shaking her head, "would you mind repeating that? I think I must have stopped paying attention, what with those announcements. Marc certainly seemed sincere, though I'm afraid his kindness doesn't help me, as I am without a ring."

Often times, Amaterasu had difficulties listening to talkative people. She could have easily dozed off or spaced out during Honey's ramblings, but she didn't. There was something about the human child that captivated her and she listened with interest.
Like Takashi, he was in awe at the mention of her name. But that was not what had caught her attention.

Ammy.

He called her by her nickname. The same nickname that Issun had given her back in Nippon.
Amaterasu's jaw slackened and she stared at the small boy as he squeezed her hand. She was filled with a mixture of emotions, but could not seem to bring herself to speak. Her fingers tightened around his hand for a few seconds, but she let it go as soon as he turned his attention towards Takashi's list of recipes.

A burst of noise from Natalia's direction startled the goddess, but before she could investigate what it was, a voice came from above. It was the same voice that had roused her from her bed as night began; the cruel man's voice. A growl rumbled deep within Ammy's throat and her muscles stiffened defensively as she listened to his words.
But the last bit of speech he said was foreign to her. Was that another language?

The goddess glanced towards the other three to see if they had noticed it, too. Honey had just finished deciding what kind of cake they would make (she was glad he had chosen strawberry because she hadn't the faintest idea as to what a 'chocolate' was), but Natalia, looking puzzled, spoke up.
Her words were a jumble of alien words and incoherent sentences. Amaterasu tilted her head to the side and blinked back at the blonde girl in curiosity.

". . . What?"

Mitsukuni seemed to be growing more and more excited as time passed and introductions were made, causing Mori to swell a little with pride. He'd managed to bring people in! Without talking even. Considering he was thought of as pretty scary without Mitsukuni around to be his "lovely item" as the twins liked to call him, this was a pretty big accomplishment. Mori never attracted the talkative ones unless it was with Mitsukuni and then it was more Mitsukuni bringing them to the club. He felt a little proud that he was able to do something on his own, something that helped Mitsukuni, too, and--

Two announcements and then, suddenly a screech of static loud enough to hurt his ears and send his mind reeling. What was that?! The Head Doctor was still speaking, but Mori could only catch parts of what he said now. He had studied enough foreign languages (and been abroad enough times) to recognize and pick out certain languages, but he hadn't expected the Doctor to just....change like that.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the uncomfortable feeling left over in his ears, Mori picked up the recipe that Mitsukuni wanted to make and nodded, folding the chocolate cake one up and putting it in his pocket for later. He then turned to look at the others and realized something else. Whatever Natalia was saying? Mori couldn't understand a word of it. It wasn't in a language he understood or one he'd ever even heard before and he cocked his head to the side, watching her lips curiously to see if he could at least figure out something. Even...Amaterasu's words were odd now. He could understand them, certainly, but it was like listening to someone speaking straight out of a Classical Japanese textbook.

".....?" What in the world just happened? Looking back to Mitsukuni for a second, Mori then cast his eyes back to Natalia. "Repeat that?"

Natalia seemed happy to get the nickname and Amaterasu was really sweet too, but then... everything went funny. Natalia wasn't making sense anymore and Ammy's Japanese sounded so old! It couldn't just be him though, because Takashi noticed too! It wasn't just a matter of hearing them right, it was something else. Amaterasu even started... growling? Was that an effect of whatever was going on, or was she really doing that? He knew they were all from different worlds, but they'd never had a problem communicating, at least not until now.

He caught the look from Takashi, nodding, and decided to try it out, just to be safe. "I can't understand Lia-hime anymore," he pouted, looking a little forlornly in her direction. "Did something happen? Mmm... it's not because Lia-hime doesn't like strawberry cake, is it? If it makes you feel better, we can do chocolate instead, ok?"

Honey pattered a few steps closer, looking worriedly up at Natalia, then glancing back to the others. "Ammy-sama and Takashi still understand though, right?"

It would be bad enough if they couldn't talk with one person, but how would they get anywhere if they couldn't talk to each other? Takashi didn't need words so much and he know he'd understand if Honey needed anything, but not everyone had that kind of bond. At least he'd understood Takashi just fine when he'd spoken last, so that was ok, right?

As if a spring-loaded, now broken doll, Natalia shook her head again. Amaterasu clearly asked her a question; her body language, head tilting, eyes blinking, indicated it. It sounded like one word, only one that Natalia had never heard before. Natalia noticed that as she had spoken, Mori's expression had little changed, but he did seem to be staring at her as he finished putting away one of the recipe cards. When he spoke, Natalia again understood that he asked something, but what?

When Honey joined in, Natalia recognized that he and Mori spoke the same language, and it did sound similar to Amaterasu's. Even noting that much made her head ache. The sounds, syllables and inflections and tones, nothing at all like words, made absolutely no sense to her. She pressed her hand to her forehead, and in doing so, remembered the weight of the radio.

That sound that man had played; before it, she had understood everything. Natalia remembered, connecting ends with a speed not entirely like her, that she had wondered at her ability to read books that were apparently from the planet Earth, that she could speak to patients from different worlds. On Auldrant, though everyone spoke and wrote with the fonic alphabet, it had not always been so, and even then, certain regions had local languages and dialects. It made no sense that those from different worlds would have no communication barriers (never mind that they looked the same, as science fiction of the extraterrestrial kind didn't properly exist on Auldrant).

Opening her mouth to share her forming theory, Natalia realized that as she had understood nothing of what Honey just said, he wouldn't understand her, either. Pursing her lips, Natalia struggled to reign in her frustration. How clever of Dr. Landel, and how obnoxious as well.

She gestured to the radio, then to her ears, cringing a little as if to say, that sound!, and finally, motioned to her mouth. Allowing that man to make this his victory was not an acceptable option, Natalia would simply communicate however she could.

Even if she couldn't read the recipe, she could at least watch! If pointed out which measuring utensils to use and what material to add, she surely could take part. Curious as to whether or not she would be able to read the recipe, she tried to motion to the card without pointing (as pointing, of course, was rude).

What was wrong with Takashi and Honey? Why did their way of speaking suddenly become so . . . improper? Their words seemed cheap and simplified, which struck Amaterasu as odd. The two had been so polite before and now they seemed to be talking with the same slang words that Issun liked to use.

Even stranger was Natalia. The girl had fallen silent, struggling to comprehend what they had said to her. But as her eyes flickered towards the box she held, her expression was filled with a realization unknown to the goddess.
Ammy blinked, watching as the blonde gestured from the box to her ears, then to her mouth. Had that loud sound damaged her hearing? No, no, that wasn't it. Perhaps Natalia was speaking in some sort of code? No . . .

Or maybe she was referring to the voice from a few moments ago? Things hadn't changed until after that man had spoken. Was it possible that he had changed the way people spoke? Absurd! Even the Gods themselves couldn't control their human children in such a way!
Amaterasu was suddenly concerned for the blonde girl. She reached out and grabbed for her hand, then turned to look at the boys.

"Can't . . . understand?"

Okay, well, this was not how he expected to spend his evening. Then again, he really should have expected that Landel wouldn't allow anything to be so easy. It seemed like Mitsukuni was trying to coax Natalia into talking again, but Mori wondered if it would work. Tilting his head to the side, he thumped the heel of his hand against his head above his ear and then looked to Natalia again as she opened her mouth to speak, paused, and closed it.

Then she did a curious thing. She began motioning to the radio, to her ears, and-- Ah, this was something he knew well. Nonverbal communication was something he used often and as he watched Natalia mime out her theory, he found himself agreeing with her. The sound had to be the source of it. The ache was mostly gone by now, but he'd been able to understand everyone until the screech happened. He watched carefully, then looked to the others. Amaterasu seemed very concerned and took Natalia's hand, looking at him and Mitsukuni as if pleading with them to help Natalia somehow.

Mori had no idea how, but now he knew - he couldn't leave them. Not like this. Closing his eyes for a moment, Mori nodded then looked over to Natalia, nodding slightly. He pointed to the nearby intercom and the radio, made a gesture with his hands to indicate the volume of the noise they all heard, then crossed his arms and finally pointed at his ears, tilting his head to side like he did earlier when asking her a question. Whatever that sound was, it had eliminated their ability to talk with each other. He took out the paper he had in his pocket and drew a picture of a cake and another of a strawberry, then showed it to her to let her know what they'd be making tonight.

Even without words, communication was entirely possible after all. Smiling at Natalia reassuringly, he turned then to Mitsukuni and slipped the paper into his pocket. He was certain Mitsukuni would understand that they'd be relying a lot more heavily on Mori's usual way of speaking and he hoped things would be okay. Then he pointed down the hall and inclined his head to inquire whether or not they all wanted to start toward the kitchens.

So Amaterasu could at least understand their words, even if she spoke in one of the oldest dialects he could remember hearing. As long as he tried to be extra polite, maybe it would be okay. But for Natalia, nothing she'd said sounded like any language he'd ever studied.

Amaterasu had the right idea though. It wouldn't be fair to make her feel so left out! Honey watched as Takashi drew up a picture of a cake and strawberry and Honey was sure to nod at the image, reaching up to offer his hand to Natalia as well. Even if they couldn't talk, it was okay. They'd still get through this! Especially with Takashi, the master of talking without speaking. He and Honey had communicated without words lots and lots before and Honey never had trouble understanding. So this time it was his cousin's expertise they'd be deferring to.

He offered an encouraging smile to both of the girls and gave Natalia's hand a light squeeze and a tug, as if to ask if she was ready to follow.

The other woman had not said enough for Natalia to attempt to seek repeated words, but words, she soon saw, were only as necessary as one allowed them to be. Amaterasu took her hand, her concern palpable; Natalia smiled, aiming for a reassuring effect. Though she couldn't understand her, Natalia wouldn't have her worrying on her behalf. More than that, the immediacy of her sympathy, even empathy, touched Natalia.

Mori and Honey too left her impressed. With his quick understanding (she responded to his nod with one of her own), and subsequent drawing (cake, she deduced, as that was the club's name, and that fruit must be a strawberry) and smile, Natalia felt immensely grateful for Mori. Her smile could hardly have been wider -- then Honey, too, offered his hand. It was difficult to manage with her radio, so first with a questioning look (May I?), Natalia bent to lay down the fonmachine just inside Honey's room. That settled, her fingers closed around the boy's.

Though they were barely more than strangers, though these were not the friends with whom she had traveled oceans and all the land, to the center of the planet and back, though they no longer spoke the same language, though they stood in the dark halls of a dangerous prison, Natalia felt warm, safe, and completely at ease. They didn't know she was a princess--and even if they had, she wasn't their princess, yet such kindness.

"Thank you, all of you." Giving each hand a squeeze of her own, Natalia bowed, to Honey, to Mori, and to Amaterasu, hoping the gesture would lend meaning to her words. Straightening, she looked brightly ahead, and nodded. Let them bake cake!

As Takashi drew out their plans on paper, Amaterasu beamed. Of course! What clever thinking! It didn't matter if they spoke individual languages. Art was a universal thing that everyone could understand!
The goddess's troubles were put to ease in an instant and she nodded enthusiastically to Honey's words.

Her feelings now differed greatly to the ones she had felt earlier in the day. She did not feel scared or hesitant. There was no more worry or hopelessness. Instead, she was filled with encouragement, confidence and affection for these people she barely knew.
Nippon was far away, no doubt. Yet, no matter how far she was from her home, Amaterasu was still the Sun Goddess and it was her celestial duty to take care of the earth's children and fill them with happiness. Until she could find a way to get home, she would do all she could to protect her new companions and all the other strangers in the institute.

But it wouldn't hurt to have a big bite of cake first.

For once, Mori was glad he'd never had much use for talking. His experience seemed to work well with this sudden loss of communication and Natalia was smiling again. Amaterasu as well beamed, apparently happy to see that they could communicate with art and writing rather than words. Amaterasu, like him, wasn't big on talking or so he'd noticed since he first met her.

With Natalia guarded on both sides by Mitsukuni and Amaterasu, Mori knew it would be safe to lead the way. They'd make it tonight and even if he'd have to prostrate himself later for missing his meeting with his unknown teacher, this took precedence right now. Nodding to the other three, Mori turned and started down the hall.

[going here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/936320.html?thread=71513984#t71513984)]

Aidou had eaten his dinner, but only because he needed what nutrients he could get to take the edge off his hunger. He was more interested in the aforementioned "reward" and what affect it’d have on the night. The first night announcement, when it came on following dinner, proceeded to answer some of his questions, though not at all to his satisfaction.

A group of two or more? If it was true that numbers had been a factor, then it was clear why the vampire hadn’t gotten one of the… "Portal Rings." Augh, they sounded like something out of a kid’s book. But coming from his captor, Aidou didn’t dare doubt their capabilities. The power to transport oneself long distances wasn’t just a laughable sci-fi shtick, either, not for the superior members of his kind, the purebloods and even the strongest of the B class. Even if Landel hadn’t taken most of his abilities, though, Aidou wasn’t able to move himself like that.

Having the means to skip great distances during a nightshift would be… undeniably helpful. Yet at the same time, the noble knew that the payment for such a service would probably be steep. Maybe too steep.

At any rate, the item wasn’t something he could do anything about right away, so Aidou had no choice but to set the thought aside for later. The one other thing that’d stood out to him during the Head Doctor’s babbling, the mention of a private meeting, was also something he’d have to keep in mind. Answers likely wouldn’t be forthcoming until the sun rose, mainly because he wasn’t about to go out of his way to hook up with others that night, ring or no. With no solid plans for the basement, he was leaving himself time to accomplish his first goal: blood.

Once Kaito had gone and he’d dressed in his night clothes, Aidou picked up his radio and left, locking the door shut behind him as usual.

_{[to here]}

Edited 2010-07-13 18:55 (UTC)

By now it had happened too many times for it to be a surprise, but that didn't make it any less infuriating: Sasuke awoke to the intercom with a start and blinked into the conscious darkness. When had he fallen asleep? He'd woken up at some point during the day, a hazy memory of a frustrated breakfast and the discovery that Kakashi (another hole in the theory for competence as a reason why Landel kept people here) had vanished. And then ...

Then he'd returned to his room and fallen asleep. Somehow.

It wasn't new; it wasn't a surprise; it was simply maddening. It meant another night lost, a day gone without finding out what the hell had happened last night. On that note -- what the hell was the Head Doctor saying?

Sasuke frowned and listened -- only one person from each group? That meant either he or Obito had to have it; stepping quietly out of bed, Sasuke opened the desk drawer and fumbled through it. There it was: a simple ring set with a round jewel of some sort. Was that what had happened to them last night? Had they been transported elsewhere in the Institute? Another patient had said (it seemed so long ago) that the building itself changed, but how Landel spoke implied that they had been moved outside of space itself, like a teleportation jutsu. Perhaps space was just another victim of Landel's, alongside time and reality.

And because of it, last night his own goals had been frustrated another time. Tonight marked another night that he could go no further into the basement, the one lead he had been able to actively follow over these weeks.

His roommate seemed to be gone already. Even a child was getting farther than he was -- with a low growl and a movement that was too sudden to be subtle, Sasuke slammed the drawer shut and turned to the bed. Found the shirt he'd knotted together last night and snatched up the sword (from where he always left it in the morning, as if it had seen any use recently). The ring ... the ring he would use after he'd finally burned the remnants of Itachi's presence in this place. It was well past time he completed that duty.

Bare-footed as always, Sasuke headed out the door. Tonight something would get done if he had to wrench time out of Landel with blood.

[[to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/935076.html?thread=71070116#t71070116)]]

"I'd love to stay and chat, Sechs, but I really must be going," Bucciarati said as he walked out of the room, flashlight in hand, "Someone's helping me train tonight and I'd hate to keep them waiting. If I'm going to last here, I had better learn how to defend myself, eh? Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow!"

And with that, Bucciarati stepped out of the room and into the dark hallway. He tentatively clicked his flashlight on and began his trip to the sun room.

Awareness came at a price. Consciousness was blurry and painful, the cause made obvious by the effects. And how long had... No, that question was too simple. It was dark. He was in his room. At least a day had passed.

Within that knowledge came exquisite frustration made easier by easy sleep on one end and a solitary heartbeat. He had woke without remembering. Everything that had been happening. Had happened. A twin's actions and disappearance. A sibling's roommate. A sibling's question of care. His own faltering motivations. And where would he go now?

To destroy something, of course. To explore the playpen he had been dropped in and find something to occupy his mind. He would stay in this room. And he would not go near Nigredo now--moreso since he was resting, and his brother seemed to need it. So instead Albedo would call back to the first night he was here. For in the dark, the monsters creep. A sword, a Song--what better weapons?

A gun perhaps. But that was too personal to be reconciled.

[to here]

Edited 2010-07-16 05:53 (UTC)

By the time Gumshoe was tuning in to Dr. Landel's closing speech--and he had been waiting for it for a while, with his map of the building's first floor laid open in front of him, and his flashlight, which he'd already turned on when the lights had gone out, in his right hand--he'd say he'd paced across this room and back about fifty times. He wondered how far those steps could've carried him if Dr. Landel had given him a head start.

He'd been looking forward to tonight's showdown since his meeting with Ms. von Karma. However, there wasn't much he could do as far as preparation went. He'd never been part of an investigation that didn't ask--or order, as the case may have been--much of him. Well, he did help out with the scientific process...

Look, it wasn't that he minded--

When the door unlocked, Gumshoe's heart skipped a beat. A hard smile flickered over his face before he bounced off the bed and on to the balls of his feet. Mr. Edgeworth had told the detective it wasn't his fault, but he knew the truth in his heart! Mr. von Karma had seen that he wasn't there and picked up on the opening. But he could make it up to him now! They were gonna get Prosecutor von Karma declared guilty if it was the last thing thing they did!

Frowning, he stuffed the map into his coat pocket before setting off into the night on swift steps.

[skipping two halls to here]

Proud Green Beat of Konoha, Maito Gai, stood dramatically in the center of his room, his dark, piercing gaze leveled at the door as he waited for the unmistakable screech of the intercom – the announcement which would end in the collective unlocking of the doors of this prison, and give him leave to spring into the night. As any true ninja should be, the jounin was constantly prepared to face impossible challenges and unknown enemies - and yet tonight, his already abundant confidence brimmed even more fully, so much so that he could barely contain his excitement.

He clenched his fist, watching the exit with a challenging smile, the expression obviously meant for his unidentified foe, the one responsible for his capture and transportation to this mysterious place. Obviously, it was the plan of his captors to rid him of all comforts and resources, such as his preferred clothing and ability to explore the premises during the daytime, with the hope that these efforts would somehow impede the dynamic force that was Maito Gai. But they had underestimated him, and the resourcefulness of his comrades – and thanks to both, he was at an extreme advantage.

Not only was he not remotely hindered by the absence of his usual skin-tight garb, but he now had a resource that they would never have expected him to acquire this soon – maps. Yes, he now had maps of the entire premises in his possession, thanks to his fellow Konoha ninja, Sakura – and their clarity and detail were impeccable, just as he would expect from a student of his rival, and the one who had captured his young protégé’s heart.

He was bringing them along with him for the night, though he had memorized what he could of their content - constantly referring to them would be a distraction he could not afford, especially if he were to encounter these "monsters" he had been hearing about in his inquiries of the other patients here. He had yet to encounter such an apparation, but he wasn't afraid - no, risks and danger added a spice to life, and kept a ninja's skills sharp and prepared for anything.

Finally, the intercom tore through the silence of his room, and was followed by that echoing click - and no sooner than it had happened, the proud jounin swiftly charged into the hallway, flashlight in hand.

[ To here! (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/935076.html?view=71453860#t71453860) ]

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