Nightshift 23 -- Second Floor. Hallway Outside Medical Reference Library/Staff Training Area

[tartaros-avatar.livejournal.com]

[[From here]]

Recluse stopped at the top of the stairs, sufficiently far enough from the flashlight so that he felt a little less jumpy. He scanned the area, trying to make sure there were no unpleasant surprises waiting for him in the dark halls. Satisfied for the moment that the area was safe, he turned to speak quietly to the reporter.

"I haven't been to the chapel before. I assume you know the way?"

Comments

[killing-suzie.livejournal.com]

While Jack liked horsing around as much as the next guy, he wasn't so enthused about it when it involved (apparently) killer bats. He let Yuffie push him for a few steps, then spun, almost lazily, to the side. "Your buddy Alucard is pretty much your own problem," he said, shrugging. "I never said anything about going back. I'm just the slow old guy." He smiled at Yuffie. "You're so eager, take the lead. I don't really like getting pushed. It makes me cranky."

He glanced at Aidou again. "Besides, I kind of doubt, even if I were sprinting down the hall like an Olympic runner, I could keep ahead of either you or Alucard. That's your game, not mine."

[materianinja.livejournal.com]

Yuffie yipped slightly when Jack moved to the side, leaving her pushing on air. She stumbled, almost fell, but managed to right herself, though not without throwing a disgruntled look at Jack afterwards. "Well, you could have just said so."

The mention of 'killer bats', though, drove the thought of Jack being a jerk from her mind. Killer bats were not something Yuffie wanted to run into... Of course, Alucard wasn't something, either. But in comparison, he seemed the lesser of two evils.

"I'll go wherever you go," she informed Aidou. She wasn't going to just up and abandon him, though she may have done that to others before. Right now, her only reason for being up here was to stick with Aidou and she wasn't about to change her mind now. Not even for killer bats or a creepy stalker guy.

[idolism]

Pointing at himself, Aidou demanded, "Do I look like the type to roll around on the floor in a mindless scuffle? Give me a break. I'm not going to humour a mongrel." He'd lost his temper once and done something similar, and it wasn't something a respectable noble should do. Really, touching a living corpse was just a sick experience. “I'm going into that hallway and I don't care if there's a grizzly bear the size of a small house stuffed into it. Bats are nothing no matter how big they are - they're photosensitive and helpless on the ground."

That’s your game, not mine.

Exactly right, it was his game. Aidou's gaze flicked from Yuffie, to Jack, and back again.

He loathed Alucard. God knows Aidou wanted to kill him, but priorities were getting tangled, and he didn‘t have the time or energy to waste. In a decision between what had to be dealt with first: the institute and its handicaps, or Alucard, it'd be the former. And yet Alucard was in the way, clutching at Aidou’s coattails as he was.

... Kaname-sama had made the same choice with Kiryu Zero, hadn’t he?

Sighing, he closed his eyes. Ugh. Sometimes he hated being so mature. “Then, you two go on ahead. I’m going to stay and talk with Alucard.” Then he addressed Yuffie. Unlike Jack, she was probably going to put up a fight. “Do me a favour and scope out the hallway - I’ll catch up in a bit. I’m counting on you, all right?”

[killing-suzie.livejournal.com]

Jack flipped Aidou a mocking salute. "Aye, sir," he said. He started down the hallway again, wondering just how long it would take Yuffie to start pushing him again. If she went at all.

It wasn't that he didn't care about Aidou... no, actually, it was exactly that. He didn't feel any real connection to the boy other than as entertainment, and he wasn't about to stand between two monsters wanting to duke it out. He didn't have a vested interest in this fight, and he was very much not interested in getting caught in the crossfire.

[materianinja.livejournal.com]

Yuffie wasn't sure if she agreed with Aidou's statement that 'bats are nothing'. After her tussle with that thing a few nights ago, she wasn't about to trust anything in this building to be 'nothing'. Except maybe the other patients. Like Alucard.

And speaking of Alucard, Yuffie was slightly taken aback by Aidou's suggestion to talk to him by himself. That was...stupid. Just stupid. Why would he want to go off and do that? When he knew that Alucard was out to get him?

"But, I don't-" Yuffie started, but she stopped when she heard Aidou's words to her.

'I'm counting on you, all right?'

The young ninja frowned. She really didn't like this. Really, really. But she was hard put to resist Aidou's request when he put it like that. "Nnnnn..." she groaned softly before sighing heavily. "Fine, ok. But you better not let him take a cheap shot at you! Otherwise, I'm gonna have to come over and kick his face in, 'k?"

She gave Aidou a smile and a very quick peck on the cheek. "For luck," she winked before heading off after Jack. She wasn't entirely at ease though. She was still going to be keeping watch over her shoulder in case Alucard tried to pull something...

[idolism]

That Yuffie continued to advocate on his behalf was charming. After all, she couldn't have known how much more suited to the title of bloodsucking beast he was over the other. But he had no reason to turn that on her. Yet. So he let Yuffie come close and kiss his cheek, before she followed after Jack.

Aidou had to wonder if she'd be so bold if she knew the truth. There were very few people, like Cross Yuki, who could remain comfortable with a known vampire. And not even Yuki-chan was ever completely relaxed.

Stepping back on his heel, he turned back into the darkness and moved towards open ground, rich with blood and the sounds of struggle. Heh. One more confrontation wouldn't go awry.

_{[heading over here]}

[killing-suzie.livejournal.com]

Jack didn't look back; he kept his eyes on the prize and continued down the hall. Yuffie caught up with him quickly enough.

(to here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/98086.html))