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damned_institute2007-04-20 09:00 am
traitors-smile.livejournal.com) wrote in damned_institute2007-04-20 09:00 am
Nightshift 23: M11-M20 Hall
Gin sat quietly on the edge his bed, hands folded in his lap as the doors unlocked. The knives were still beneath his pillow, where he'd stuffed them before Naoe came in for dinner. He'd prefer the man didn't know he had them, but if Ran arrived before Naoe left, well, it wasn't that important.
He still didn't know if she was going to show up at all. He'd wait a few minutes, check and see if her spirit thread was getting any closer, if not... there were plenty of other things he could do tonight. Jack was reliable if nothing else and wouldn't be too difficult to find. The disembodied voice of the announcer was right though. It was possible, terribly likely in fact, that he was not on the grounds. That he was somewhere else entirely. It would help if he knew a little more about how their announcement system worked. Obviously the Head Doctor wasn't the only one who could use it.
Regardless, he had to focus his thoughts on the here and now and then proceed forward. He sat patiently, for now at least, waiting for his visitor.
He still didn't know if she was going to show up at all. He'd wait a few minutes, check and see if her spirit thread was getting any closer, if not... there were plenty of other things he could do tonight. Jack was reliable if nothing else and wouldn't be too difficult to find. The disembodied voice of the announcer was right though. It was possible, terribly likely in fact, that he was not on the grounds. That he was somewhere else entirely. It would help if he knew a little more about how their announcement system worked. Obviously the Head Doctor wasn't the only one who could use it.
Regardless, he had to focus his thoughts on the here and now and then proceed forward. He sat patiently, for now at least, waiting for his visitor.
Re: Specifically outside M17
"Animosity? Yeah, but it's not undeserved," she snapped at the telepath. "And I don't give a rat's ass what you think is relevant or irrelevant. Prick." He was enjoying this. She was wriggling like a worm on a hook, and he loved every minute of it. Hot tears were starting to prick at the corners of her eyes, and there was a lump the size of a softball in her throat, but she would not cry. Not here. Elena wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of knowing they were getting to her...even if Schuldig knew already.
She breathed an almost audible sigh of relief when Dean arrived. Good. They could get the hell out of there.
"That's not Reno, Dean. Just some cocksure bastard who copied his haircut. Can you...can you come with me and Ritsuka tonight? We're looking for his brother, and we don't really have time to waste."
She wanted to get as far away from EVERYONE as she possibly could.
Re: Specifically outside M17
With all the tensions hitting a high point, Ritsuka didn't want to be there anymore. He was thankful when the President suggested a new plan, but even more thankful when "Dean" finally showed up. Reno could stay with Rufus, Schuldig and Crawford, and Ritsuka and Elena could escape now. It was comforting and Ritsuka visibly relaxed when Elena suggested the same thing he'd been thinking.
Looking to Rufus, he said, very politely, "It's my fault that my brother hasn't been keeping up with the people he knows here. Please, don't think ill of him."
Especially not when all of this was going on. Ritsuka turned to Dean and looked up at him. He hoped that this man would be kind enough to at least help them get upstairs, but having been shot down once, Ritsuka didn't let himself get too optimistic. "My brother was taken from me - I think he might be in the experimental trials... I just need someone to get me there, then I can do the rest on my own. I"m sorry to ask you, when we don't even know each other, but..."
He had nowhere else to turn. Soubi was gone. Seimei was gone. Elena was already on his side, but getting hammered for it. He hated being this desperate, but that's exactly what he was.
Re: Specifically outside M17
“Just because I’m worried about her doesn’t mean I can’t do my job. I’m always worried about all of them. I can’t shut off who I care about, but I can and I do push it aside. I did it with Aerith, and if nothing else, I did it in last night’s explosion.”
Reno stopped, running a hand through his hair. There was really no time to get into this. And at any rate, he knew Rufus well enough to recognize his subtle way of apologizing.
“Fair enough,” he said. “Calling you on it was out of line.”
And that was his own apology back to Rufus.
He said nothing as Schuldig blathered on, only locked eyes with the telepath. It wasn’t until Dean appeared that he shifted his gaze in that direction. He was definitely glad to see Dean dropping by, although that feeling sort of fell flat about two seconds later.
Oh, hell...
He’d known Dean for about a day, but he doubted being called “Little Winchester” would’ve sat well with the man. While a part of him did hope Dean would break Schuldig’s nose, a larger part was just overall pissed off at everyone, right down to Dean, who hadn’t even done anything except greet the wrong person because dammit, he’d had two run-ins with Sephiroth, Rufus had just pulled out an issue he thought would stay at rest for at least longer than this, Elena looked like she was going to cry, and then there was Schuldig, and Christ, but the next goddamned person to say a single hostile word to anyone was going to lose their fucking kneecap.
He exhaled a violent cloud of smoke.
“Maybe we don’t waste time harassing other people, yeah?” he said, lighting a second cigarette with the end of his first, and stubbing the butt out with more force than necessary. “Dean, you mind going with Elena and the kid? For the rest of you, can we get moving or do we have anything else we want to say?”
Re: Specifically outside M17
"Oh God, not you." He didn't set vision on Schuldig again, his lips tightening and reinstating his composure and trying not to promote fumbling over the error any longer. Instead, he focused on a recognisably troubled Elena and a kid. The boy's terms caused Dean's previous musings to return, an outstanding request the hunter would never have thrown off responsible for his abruptly augmented poise, especially after swift judgment of how edgy the child seemed about it.
Happily shifting away from Schuldig, he inclined slightly to be on better level with Ritsuka as he heard him out. A warm smile graced his features. He placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder.
"I think I know how you feel," he concurred, nodding receptively.
He then straightened and revolved a few degrees to take in the teenager, revealing more of a grimace than a smile. She evidently didn't enjoy the telepath's company either. He attempted to arrest his gaze from wandering to the gun in Reno (he was sure it was Reno this time)’s hand to no avail.
"Don't worry, we'll find your brother," he said sternly, addressing the pair.
Lastly, whilst motioning to the young 'uns to follow, he bobbed his head at Reno. "Just take care of yourselves." He disregarded the initiative of shooting Schuldig a final glare.
Re: Specifically outside M17
Rufus didn't respond to Schuldig's changed poise as he listened to him and the others. In truth, it never registered with him. In his world, he was used to such, and he didn't know Schuldig well enough to know that such was about as far from normal as Schuldig ever got. The telepath had mentioned having other employers. Perhaps that training was finally coming through. Either way, he couldn't have snarking between his people and ones he hoped to make his.
Brad Crawford's measured look was returned, Rufus' chin lifting slightly to meet that gaze head on. A pre-cog? And he had thought a telepath was valuable. Well, a telepath still was damned valuable, but a man who could see the future was as well. Interesting to say the least. He could use both, especially if this man was anywhere near as much his right hand as Tseng had been although he sincerely doubted that. Tseng was irreplacable. The question was how to keep them with him, especially since he caught Elena's words and had to fight the urge to hold his head.
The whole abusing thing made much more sense now.
Offering Brad a nod, he waved the two 'Schwarz' members towards the hallway.
"Elena and Dean, be careful. I would prefer not to lose either of you. Young man, I do hope you find your brother. He was... interesting at one time. Dean is quite good, and Elena is on her way to such."
Like apologies, that was about as close as Rufus came to attempting to comfort or praise someone. It wasn't something he did on the whole. If he were wrong, Rufus didn't give a damn about who he had pissed off. If he were right, then it was their fault. Giving them a nod, his gaze did stay on Dean and Elena a moment longer before he turned away. Despite his frustration with her, he did find her mildly entertaining at times, and that was more than what he found most people. He wanted to see her tomorrow undamaged, Dean as well. Unless the man had ethical issues, he would have made a decent Turk from what little Rufus had seen.
"Let's go," Rufus said quietly, leading his group down the hallway. "We'll be taking the backway. With everyone pouring out of their room, the main way is most likely going to have others."
Rufus Drags them Here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/100422.html)
Re: Specifically outside M17