The latest intercom announcement filled Aigis with a sense of dread. Aborting her attempt at writing in her journal, Aigis stood silent for a moment then paced to the closet to retrieve her baseball bat. She would normally have offered her roommate some assistance during her first night in the institute, but Kay had already expressed during dinner that she had plans with a friend. It worked for Aigis. She had plans herself. The unhappy task of receiving one last memento from her released friend.

It shook her to the core, thinking how her friend had disappeared so suddenly. They had only just met up, and now she was already gone. It was almost too much, too powerful of an emotion for the android to fully realize.

"I wish you safety in your endeavors tonight, Kay-san," Aigis whispered solemnly. Then, grabbing up her flashlight in her free hand, Aigis moved to the door and made her way down the hall.

[to here]

Edward was glad to wake up to a period of respite. While he had been conscious during breakfast, he'd requested to remain in his room for extra "sleep", which had consisted waiting until the room was vacated to ingest the vial of Venom's blood. The vampire had lost his chance last night, but that might have been for the better; this way he wasn't in a rush to examine the flavor, as somewhat repulsive as that sounded. Even though he was primarily concerned with getting a meal instead of trying to divine what chemicals could be in the patient body as a whole - if any were at all - he was taking his job seriously, as he knew the risks Venom was already taking with him

He didn't like debts, after all. He was still trying to make up for his first transgression against the assassin.

The blood was familiar to him, but he could find no difference in it from the first time he had drank from Venom. Though his sense of taste was probably lacking compared to what it had once been, Edward couldn't sense any chemical that shouldn't have been a part of it. It was just... blood.

After the vial was emptied, he'd been sure to shove it back into the pillowcase stashed in the closet, as long as shoving the shotgun under his mattress. He was actually surprised the weapon was seemingly so easy to hide; unless the nurses never entered the rooms to search through them, there was no way it should still be here. In a way, he was beginning to think of the rooms as a safe haven.

Though that thought couldn't be necessarily true. After all, when he awoke, Bella's blood wasn't staining his fingertips, and the bandages on his face had been removed as the cuts slowly healed themselves. Someone was changing them, and if he assumed he hadn't gained the ability to sleepwalk as well as sleep, well...

Lunch had already passed for the vampire if Venom's blood was anything to show for it, so he took his usual route through the line, promptly pushing the tray of whatever-the-hell away from him as soon as he sat down. This time he'd brought his journal with him, and though his memory was perfection itself he wanted physical evidence of what he had found in the institute after all. Mostly he was making a note for Bella - a picture of the blond man, the not-Zato, and sketches showing the way its form had changed subtly to reveal the nature of the beast. Assuming it was a beast, of course.

[For his killer bff.]

They actually listened to some of the suggestions people put in that box? Anise thought the Head Doctor had to be joking when he said that, but she soon heard him mention something that she herself had suggested: sewing supplies. They were really going to get some? Anise could finally get a real needle, so she could make repairs to Tokunaga whenever she needed to. She swiped one of their blunt, plastic needles before, but using that just left big holes in the fabric. Using it on Tokunaga made her feel bad, like she was hurting the poor doll.

"Isn't that nice, Dolores?" The nurse must have caught Anise's hopeful look. "But remember, you'll need to be on your best behavior until then."

"I know, I..." Anise began with her usual dismissive reply, but quickly remembered that the intercom had said 'behavior and attitudes', and instantly changed her tune. "I'll do my very best! Hee hee!" She forced a smile for the old hag.

Unfortunately, the sewing supplies weren't here today, so Anise had to find something else to do for now. Stepping inside the Arts and Crafts room, she quickly found that several tables already had paper craft ('origami,' they called it?) supplies laid out for them, so she guessed she'd just occupy herself with that. The girl sat down at one of the tables, opened up one of the books, and started looking through it.

Cranes, frogs, horses, turtles... There were lots of familiar animals, and a few unfamiliar ones, too. The rabbits looked kind of cute.

[For Ilia!]

[from here]

He wasn't sure what it was he was expecting to see, but it certainly wasn't this. Looking around, it just seemed to be a long hallway filled with doors of an unidentifiable nature. The way the rooms were arranged, however, so many and so close and... There was no doubt in his mind. He'd been to Central Prison enough to recognize a setup like this instantly. Cells. Little rooms to keep the "troublemakers" in check. Only these weren't prisoners that were likely behind these doors.

"Kristoph!!" Screw subtlety. If there was anyone in here, they likely knew he was there already. Like there weren't security cameras in this place. No answer came back. The name only reverberated flatly, which just drove in that sense of isolation even more. He ran to the first door and tried to pull it open. Locked. Klavier hit the door with his pipe, trying to get the attention of whoever may be inside. "Hey! Can you hear me?!"

Nothing but silence greeted him. He exhaled sharply but ran to the next door.

"Kristoph!"

Next door.

"Anyone!!"

Next one.

"Can anyone hear me?!"

[from here]

Klavier continued to hum the song lightly as he moved down the hallway. It actually was doing wonders to calm his nerves and keep his mind on the task at hand. Though his target was further down the hallway, he kept note of the doors he was passing on the way. Nurse's Station. Hmph. He wondered if any of the staff were actually in--

Disciplinary Therapy? Klavier stopped right in his tracks and simply stared at the door in question, horrified. What the heck was "Disciplinary Therapy?!" He'd never heard anyone discussing anything by that name before. Considering what the word "therapy" tended to mean in this place, he couldn't help but feel his heart stutter to a stop for a moment. Dear God... What was this? Bad behavior, as the staff described it, had always been punishable via use of sedatives as far as he'd seen. He'd never heard of other... extreme measures.

Actually, no. The word "discipline," it could have referred to taking care of people who were potentially "troublesome" for the staff. What if this is where the "released" patients were being held? Or maybe this was where they were taken beforehand. Could it have been possible Kristoph had been right up here this entire time?! He immediately tried the door, but it was locked. That fact alone pretty much steeled his resolve... as well as pushed his temper. Klavier spat a curse in German and kicked the door hard in frustration. (Ow. Toe... Oww... Okay, don't do that again.)

But there was no possible way he was letting something stupid like a lock force him back. Herr Doktor was keeping them in here. He had to be. If not them, then others. It couldn't be allowed to continue any further. He didn't know... He didn't know what he could do, but... He was not going to leave him behind. Luckily, Klavier had some moderate experience with breaking some of the locks on the doors here (see also: one). If he could do it then, he could do it now. Chiseling at the things didn't work. One had to give the blasted things a few good whacks before they snapped. So Klavier took a determined breath, shifted his grip on the pipe, lifted it up, and slammed it down on the lock as hard as possible.

...Of course, he hadn't thought about the fact that the recoil was going to hurt his bad hand. He grit his teeth, trying to keep the hiss of pain quiet. Let's... try that again but a little less carelessly, yes? Braced for it this time, he managed two more hits before the stupid thing snapped apart. Thank goodness. He didn't know if his bad hand could have taken too much more of that. Klavier pulled it off unceremoniously and simply threw it to the floor before rushing through the door, ready to face whatever he may see in there.

[to here]

[from here]

When they stepped into the next hallway, Anise was wearing her usual smile once again. "So, Tem... you said you're a sergeant, right?" she asked, looking to make some (hopefully) less awkward conversation with the man. Work was usually a safe subject, right? Besides, with how soldier-like the man was in his appearance and attitude, she figured he'd be open to talking about his career.

The girl continued, cheerfully. "That's a neat coincidence. We're the same rank!" Well, maybe not exactly the same, but about equal, anyway. Fon Master Guardians were technically sergeants, after all. Anise was proud of how impressive her full rank and title sounded, but saying the whole thing at once would be a little too tiring for casual introductions, so she usually didn't mention it when meeting people at the institute.

Well, that was just one reason for it. The other was simply that it was fun to surprise people by mentioning her position long after first impressions were made.

[from here]

As they started up the stairs, Anise went on to ask one of the several questions she had on her mind. "But, um... are you really okay with being called what the staff came up with? I mean, a number is weird, but isn't having a fake name forced on you just as bad?" She had to admit, 'Temuera' sounded a lot better than 'TK-622' as far as names went, but at the same time, she herself would rather swallow needles than willingly go by the name the nurses called her here. It was just... insulting, in a way.

It looked like she was right about guessing that he was a soldier, though. He certainly looked and acted the part. Anise was probably the opposite in that respect. She would be shocked if anyone guessed she was a soldier from her appearance. On the one hand, it could be a little annoying, not being taken seriously, but on the other, it was nice having her own guards for once. If people were going to volunteer to help her, then who was she to stop them?

[from here]

It looked like the hallway opened up over here. Guess he couldn't expect to just run around and follow a linear corridor forever, but now he had to figure out which way he wanted to go. Normally, he'd just run down whatever hallway he happened to lay eye on first, but again, he was running a liiittle blind here.

He still wasn't seeing any people anywhere. Maybe everyone was hiding. If everyone knew the staff turned into monsters and tried to eat them, then it'd make sense that they'd try to keep low. Thankfully, he'd be taking care of whatever was wandering around this place, so they wouldn't have to stay hiding for long. Once that was done, they could blast their way out of there and he could find his way back to the others. Couldn't keep everyone waiting on account of him, right?

[running across Rita, The Trickster, and hopefully, a freaking flashlight]

[from here]

Was she really the only one out in the hallway right now? Minako certainly couldn't hear anyone else, and she didn't see any flashlights out there in the darkness. Brr. That was kind of... creepy. When it was dark the hallways seemed a lot more echo-y, and she couldn't help but think about the stories about monsters and things that might be lurking where she couldn't see.

"Stop being a scaredy-cat," she muttered to herself, then turned to her right and resolutely marched onward. Out to the main hall there, down a bit, then left. That would take her to the hall where she'd run into Arthur and the fake-Alfred the night before, which thought reminded her that she hadn't talked to either of them today. Maybe she should've left them a note or something on that bulletin. Oh, well. Tomorrow.

[to here]

A ring. Like she did with the Exsphere earlier, Rita attempted to bring up the interface that would allow her to examine the gem's properties in better detail, but it was no use. All she had to go off of was the Head Doctor's explanation, and whether that could be trusted or not remained to be seen.

If the ring worked as he said, then using it would transport her back to that lake. On the one hand, it would mean getting away from the institute, but on the other... she and whoever was with her would have to brave the freezing water a second time.

The idea of escape was tempting, but there was a problem. Why would the Head Doctor give them these items if it could allow them to get that far? Clearly, the man's sphere of influence extended much farther than Rita initially thought.

Sitting around in her room wasn't going to accomplish anything, and it looked like the ring was going to have a limited period of usefulness, so Rita decided to leave, taking it with her. She could decide what to do once she was out in the hallways. Her flashlight seemed to have been replaced since the previous night, so she brought that with her as well.

...They even replaced lost supplies for them? Maybe this really was just a game to them.

[to here]

[from here]

Like a ghost story, Natalia told herself as one hallway opened into another. Reminding herself that these were the same halls she had been escorted through during the day had not served to ease the hairs on the neck, nor her quickening heartbeat. An adventure, a quest through haunted rooms to find the one responsible. That she was not, in fact, looking for Dr. Landel, but heading to a meeting of the Cake Club, she opted not to consider.

Simply thinking of that man emboldened her heart, hastened her hesitant pace, threw back her shoulders. In short order she stood before the doors that opened into the next hall, and was not afraid. Would not be afraid. Had she not faced many beasts during her travels? True, she no longer had her bow, and in that she was at an extreme disadvantage.

Then, be sure to escape. Then, be wary, but not afraid.

[though i walk in the valley...]