Clicking the flashlight he had found in his room to life, Kyon surveyed over the contents in the room he woke up in. He was glad for the flashlight, because he couldn't seem to find a damned lightswitch. This told Kyon two things: He wasn't in his room, and, thanks to earlier experience, he was probably not in his reality.

Dammit, he thought for sure that Haruhi had been calming down. He also hadn't done anything to antagonize her in the last few days, so what the hell was going on?

With an annoyed sigh, Kyon stepped out of his room into the hall. He flashed the light both directions, when spotting nothing, he leaned against the wall for a second to think.

Haruhi was no where in sight, this was odd. The last time he had this happen to him, she was right next to him. Also, they were in a building that Kyon could in no way identify. Finally, Kyon noticed the clothes he was wearing. The ensemble was deffinatly not Haruhi's style.

The only conclusion Kyon could come to was that this was something completely out of Haruhi's hands. He wanted to believe it was as simple as another one of her tantrums, but, he knew her better. Something else was at work here. He needed to find out what.

The intercom clicked on with its usual jingle, the Head Doctor's voice carrying with a bit more authoritative ease than it had earlier.

"Good evening, patients, and I'm pleased to announce that we've finally finished organizing when our new batch of patients will be introduced, and unfortunately, it'll have to be tonight while you're all in bed. Truly sad, that, as I'm sure all of you are eager to see our new faces as soon as possible!

"In any case, the dinner that will be brought to you tonight will be herb-marinated pork roast with buttery corn-on-the-cob and fluffy mashed potatoes. Of course, we have our usual vegetarian salad available to those who request it, along with our regular assortment of drinks."

He paused and sighed. After all, it had been a long day.

"Oh, of course--Some of you may be unhappy to hear that Dr. Crane and Dr. Jiyani will no longer be serving us here at Landel's Institute. For those of you who were scheduled to have sessions with them, we'll be providing a substitute group therapy session in upcoming days. More details on that tomorrow.

"I believe that's all for now. Enjoy your dinner!"

The intercom clicked off.

[ As always, post to this entry with separate threads for each set of roommates. Thanks! ]

Kuja was, in fact, quite surprised to suddenly find himself in bed. An odd turn of events, as he previously remembered investigating the contents of a closet. If the genome hadn't known any better, he would have thought he hadn't even left the room. However, the items he was still holding obviously proved such thoughts untrue; he had left his room.

This cage was a peculiar one.

In any case, unlike the night the day seemed the appropriate time to perhaps take a rest from all the danger lurking in the darkness. While he was resting his wings, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to "socialize" with the other patients, as allies would certainly be more useful during the night (and not merely to open doors for him). Perhaps he had made a fool out of himself tonight, but such wouldn't happen twice. Not everyone was fond of an encore, after all.

The sorcerer silently stepped out of bed, noticing his roommate was still asleep. The man didn't waste any time, however, as he hastily stored the items into his own closet, camouflaging it with clothes. Nurses finding his newly acquired items was the last thing Kuja needed, after all.

After he had closed the doors of said closet, another door opened as an extremely cheerful woman came in. Such contrast with the night, but the actors played their parts well.

Perhaps too well...

Kuja allowed himself to be escorted to the cafeteria, his attempt to gain more information from the nurse proving to be completely fruitless. Halfway, he had given up, as the staff seemed not as stupid as the Alexandrian court. Either they were acting, or they were unaware of the role they were playing. Regardless, they were mere pawns.

After he had filled his plate with some food, he seated himself at one of the tables, purposely choosing a place where he could easily watch the others patients entering. Blue eyes studying the various canaries flying within their cage as they were finally allowed an opportunity to rest their wings, he picked up a fork and began eating his breakfast.

[from here]

Something told Luke that he really shouldn't have followed Masaru. It was that little voice, the little voice that told you not to touch that button, or pull that lever, or use that Fonic Arte when Tear was trying to sing a Hymn and possibly interrupt and doom your party to a loss, but Luke was still uncertain of this place. He had but a few newfound friends to place his trust in, and Luke knew that he couldn't go alone.

That said, Masaru looked so confident in knowing where the Sun Room was that Luke didn't think he could possibly be wrong. So Luke followed, like a good sheep, to the door that Masaru was leading them too.

Opening it, Luke was expecting to see Larsa and That One Girl, awaiting them with news of what would happen next. Instead, he was greeted by darkness. His eyes eventually adjusted to the weak moonlight to show a field.

"Uh, Masaru? Are you sure this is the Sun Room...?" Luke asked, sounding very worried. Now that he thought about it, that shed in the corner seemed kind of... familiar...

... Because this was the same field that they were in just hours ago!

"MASARU! I THOUGHT YOU KNEW WHERE YOU WERE GOING!!!"

After bidding Larsa a safe journey, and after getting his flashlight stationed so the entire room had at least some illumination, Adelheid was ready for the many various plans he'd arranged to come to fruition.

The tall teenager busied himself with stretching and getting ready, quietly going through the forms for his metal spear and making sure everything was as perfect as could be managed. Hopefully his plans wouldn't take too long; he did still wish to do some exploring, even if the alchemy would likely wipe him out for awhile.

...hah, having Edward Elric in his room. He had to wonder if Rukia would approve of the new direction Adelheid was taking.

From here

Kazuo made his way into the sunroom, and didn't see anyone there yet. He stopped and listened for sounds. Nothing. He glanced back at Usopp. "It looks empty," he said quietly, "but keep your voice down. We need to listen for anything that's coming."

He looked around and saw nothing but tables and chairs as usual.

Ginji peered around before he started to walk again. This place was pretty empty. It was still pretty early in the night so he wasn't too worried. He wanted to get to Kurama as soon as he could. That way he could also find the stuff he needed to find tonight.

"Do you mind if I ask how old you are?" he whispered to Haku, in a voice that could probably only be heard by the boy with him. He didn't like the idea of so many young people stuck here. He was still moving pretty soundlessly but that didn't mean he didn't want to learn something about the person he was traveling with temporarily.

The intercom jingle rang out both inside and outside the institute on speakers loud enough to broadcast clearly across the recreational field.

"It's been a busy day, hasn't it? Well, fortunately for all of us, it's nearly over, and we can all look forward to some rejuvenating shut-eye--that is, after dinner, of course."

The Head Doctor chuckled.

"Supper for tonight is going to consist of individual servings of chicken pot pie, with mashed potatoes and peas as sides. You may ask your nurse about the usual selection of drinks, and... Oh! Some of you might find that you have some new guests in your rooms belonging to... Group 5, I believe...? Please see to it that our new patients spend their first night at Landel's Institute as peacefully as possible!"

He paused, then added:

"Oh, and Nurse Hondor? Could you please report to my office? Thank you."

The intercom clicked off.

[ OOC: Remember how dinner shift works--everyone posts to this post with individual threads for each room. New characters waking up during this shift will do so in their respective threads, though if your roommate's player is unable to play with you during your intro, feel free to work something out so that your roommate is taking a nap or something. XD; ]

Aidou Hanabusa, a vampire, was one of the first into the cafeteria, which was swimming in dim sunlight. A grey morning suited his mood.

The fact that his biological clock was pitching fits was only the cherry on top of the cake; the last thing he wanted to do was sleep. "Waking up", once again, with no memory of how or why he'd been brought back to room M52 infuriated him, on top of getting absolutely nothing done during the night. In the (miniscule) self-deprecating part of his mind, he thought it served him right for making concessions for humans. He wasn't going to make that mistake again, no matter how alone he was.

Aidou secluded himself in a corner. Solid food couldn't replace what he was missing, but it would keep his appetite in check. For a while. If his better sense told him not to repeat yesterday's mistakes, then at least he could forget tablets and go hunting tonight. It wasn't like Aidou was required to follow protocol during Landel's fine nightshift. No one else did.

No one from home would think less of him for cutting corners, either. If they hadn't been able to find him by now, then things were worse than he imagined. With a table piled high with food, he cupped his chin in his hand and let his gaze wander. He had a fair idea where the female cell block was. It wouldn't be difficult to overpower a young girl...

Eventually grabbing the knife, Aidou poked at one of his many bagels. He'd been right about to find a suitable instrument in the mail room, something long and sharp enough to cut into a bat and allow him to see what similarities remained on the inside... The plastic blade sank through the bread, went through the paper plate underneath it, and finally snapped in two against the plastic tray.

More new "patients". A day of "doctor consultations". It was nothing he'd ever experienced before, nothing he'd ever heard about before, and it was seriously driving him nuts. For the first time in his life, he just wanted to be left alone, without feeling a set of eyes on him.

((From here.))

Closer and closer still, and all the while without creatures to deal with. Homura knew that sort of luck would only last for so long, and it was best to make as much progress as possible while it lingered.

But Landel's certainly wasn't built to encourage easy traveling, especially for the mind. Only darkness and a memory of the day's layout greeted the group once they opened the cafeteria doors, so effectively hiding whatever might be waiting for them.

"Ootori Kyouya." Homura's voice was firm despite being quiet, leaving little question that Homura's words were to be taken as an order. "Turn on your flashlight. We'll need the light in here."

But Homura's own flashlight remained off as he stepped into the room, despite the observation. While he didn't have any desire to expose the weakest member of the group, Homura's light would have to be used as a weapon should they fall under attack. Better that Kyouya's already be on, and lessen the chance of accidental blinding.

[from here]

Zabuza left the M-Block and continued down the wide open hallway towards the other end of the hospital. This was the path they took every morning to get to breakfast so it was familiar enough for him to do in the dark. It was whatever lie further down that was a mystery. Zabuza couldn't help but like it that way.

He was leading Haku into the unknown.

Tsuzuki was eager to get out and about. He'd searched his part of the room and found the flashlight and radio that he'd seen the other patients with last night. They seemed kinda pointless, but at least they were something.

He figured it'd be better to wait for Hisoka outside, just in case he got lost or something. Plus he wanted to see who else was here. It was always good to meet new people and make new friends.

Stepping outside his room, Tsuzuki stood next to the door, leaning against the wall. Well, Hisoka was usually pretty punctual, so maybe he wouldn't have to wait too long...

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.

As the intercom clicked on, one could almost hear a very new, very faint sound emanating from it, and that was the high-pitched whine and scratchy voices on a television. The extra noise was cut short, however, when the Head Doctor seemed to realize he had left his television program on and turned it off so that he could make his announcement.

"And it seems our day has already almost drawn to a close! Ah, well, as is life, eh?"

When he received no response but a cough from his always-present assistant, and he continued.

"In any case, now we will revert to the normal pattern of every evening and have all of you escorted back to your rooms for dinner. Tonight's menu will consist of beef brisket along with cornbread, peas, mashed potatoes, and a cookie for dessert. Starting tonight, however, you will only be receiving water to drink, and as we've found giving too much sugar to patients before bedtime has increased the likelihood of cavities among our charges, each room will also be given a separate, large washing bowl filled with water and two extra glasses of water, along with two toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste, so that we can begin ensuring proper dental care in this facility! We found out a while ago that sending every patient to the bathroom at once was unfeasible with our current numbers, but we hope for this to be an easy solution to the problem.

"We hope for your own sake to receive your cooperation in the act of personal hygiene! Remember: Cleanliness is next to godliness!"

A pause.

"I believe that is all! I will bid you goodnight once dinner is over. We hope you enjoy your meal!"

The intercom clicked off and all was silent again.

[ OOC: Remember the posting format for dinner! You guys all respond to this post with a separate thread for each pair of roommates. Thanks! :D ]

The second the intercom sounded, while the man on the intercom was still talking, Ashton pulled himself off the couch in the Music Room and slowly made his way to the door. He walked, glided even, as if he were a ghost in a dream. The nurses had already filed up to escort the patients to the lunchroom, and one bustled over to walk Ashton those few feet from one room to another.

"You're not looking very well, Mr. Pritchett," she said cheerfully. "Didn't you enjoy your shower?"

Ashton replied with a small, forced smile, then shook his head. He didn't feel like talking now. Though the nurses were pushy and downright annoying, he figured he owed this one at least a little explanation. They didn't know - or didn't believe - what went on after dark, but he owed them the benefit of the doubt. "Bad day," he decided on telling her.

Bad day indeed. The showers and the music had done nothing for his nerves. But then again, what could get that graphic image out of his head?

He glided ghostily through the taco line and settled on two chicken and bean tacos, with chips, a scoop of guacamole, two churros on the side, and a glass of apple juice. He wasn't used to this sort of food (save the juice) and he wasn't even sure he'd eat it, but the chances were high that he'd be able to pass it off on someone.

He was on the verge of tears again, too. What he would have given to just sit down next to a barrel and eat a hamburger.

Thank goodness the cafeteria was bare just now, too. It left all the corner tables open, the tables that shouted 'Don't talk to me, I'm brooding over here.' He sat at one, pushed his food a little away from him, and buried his head in his arms.

Well, that was a complete waste of time.

They were so occupied with fighting that pathetic ape they didn't even got a chance to enter that stupid office. Not even a peek, while the door was wide open. That was just pathetic!

Albel found himself back in his bed. The captain barely had time to wrap his knife in the piece of cloth and stuff it into his pocket before the nurse came in, whining about him missing breakfast. Albel merely glared daggers at her, but instead of taking the hint she just rambled on about the next activity.

The Ellicoorian wasn't particularly looking forward to taking a shower. Not that he had something against personal hygiene, on the contrary. But communal showers were not something Albel was exactly comfortable with, the captain liked his privacy. Part of him just wanted to turn around in his bed and pretend the stupid wench didn't even enter his room, but he knew that wouldn't solve anything. So he allowed himself to be escorted to the showers.

After he had arrived and silently stripped himself of his pathetic excuse of clothing, he walked over the cold, damp tiles. There weren't any of the other worms around just yet, which suited Albel just fine. He picked a shower head removed slightly further from the others. As usual, he wasn't in the mood to socialize. Hopefully, none of the maggots would bother. Showering in the same room was bad enough as it was.

Turning the shower on, he felt the hot water flowing on his body. As he began scrubbing himself, his gaze rested on the ugly but sensitive, burned skin of his left arm. He'd never enjoyed looking at it, it was the mark of his failure, his shame. His mind went back to that incident years back. He remembered the flames, the scream... like it all happened yesterday. And the events a few nights back didn't help any of it.

No, he shouldn't think about it. He couldn't allow himself to be weak, not here. Self-pity wouldn't get him anywhere.

That hadn't felt like an entire night.

And his goddamn head hurt. Pounded, even. Enough that he wondered if he was going to end up playing another round of "Christen the nurse" this morning.

Maybe it was because he'd spent so much time and energy trying to find Nowe. That could be the reason behind both those problems. Just the thought of it made his stomach turn, made him want to fucking choke something.

Still, there was shit to do. He forced himself out of bed to put away his pens and the other leftovers from the adventures that didn't happen last night. He'd have to try to talk to Sora today, to see if they could just do tonight what they were going to do last night... and to see if the kid was doing alright.

...he just wished his head would stop hurting. That was probably the result of just how badly he'd overreached himself the previous morning.

The nurse that showed up to get him was cheerful. He grunted at her, listening to her with only half an ear until she mentioned all the excitement, about someone pretending to be a patient, all that crap that Landel had mentioned.

Renji gave her a narrow-eyed look. "Dr. Landel is a goddamn lying coward, and he's lying about that, too," he said. Whether it was true or not, there was only so much good cheer he could take on a shitty morning. "I hope he chokes on a cock." No matter how much venom he put in that statement, it wasn't enough.

Then he had to listen to a lecture about language and gratitude for the rest of the walk to the cafeteria, so maybe it wasn't worth it after all. She dragged him through the breakfast line, and he ended up with granola and toast and tea and a cinnamon roll, because not even a shitty fucking night could ruin his sweet tooth. Though that thing was looking a little too sweet.

The cafeteria was pretty much empty; he had his run of the place. He sat himself about as far from the doors as he could get, and proceeded to stare at his breakfast.

Raine stopped just outside the Sun Room, which was only a little lighter than the rest of the Institute now because of the skylight; the moon was apparently out. She wondered briefly what the moon looked like, here, but pushed that thought aside. She didn't hear anything from inside...

Standing just outside the doorway, so anyone inside the room wouldn't be able to see her, she looked back at her companions. "It sounds empty. Let's go in." She'd only gotten a few looks at the room during the day, but she was fairly certain that once inside, they should take a left to get into the Arts & Crafts room; it still sounded like a poor place to find weapons, but it was worth taking the chance. She had yet to meet a god at full power, but the myths she knew were informative enough. If they could just retrieve what Amaterasu needed to perhaps get her to a stronger state...

Raine clicked her flashlight on and jumped into the Sun Room's entrance, flicking the beam of light around to hopefully reveal any monsters hiding in the shadows. She held Reinforce's discarded crutch, her only real weapon, at the ready just in case; she wasn't letting herself be caught off-guard just yet.

Xemnas' plan to get information from his roommate turned out to be a failure, as his roommate didn't even show up. Instead, he decided to gather information by investigating the room he was in. He had stumbled on various items which were quite out of place for an institute such as this. Journals and pens, he could understand. But a flashlight? Or a radio?

Xemnas suspected this institute wasn't as it seemed to be. It was rather unfortunate that none of his subordinates could explain the details before they were escorted back to their respective rooms. Xemnas had hoped he could receive information from his roommate, but that too had failed.

The Superior's suspicions were confirmed as soon as he heard the announcement over the intercom. The way this man spoke was quite enough to confirm anything. A complete contrast from the announcements during the day. Such a happy facade they held up, but for who?

He noted the hallway was completely shrouded in darkness. Surely, other doors must've been unlocked as well, but he didn't hear a sound. Not even footsteps. Just his own breathing.

Confirming there weren't any direct threats, Xemnas carefully stepped out in the hallway, closing the door quietly behind him.

[ Wondering off to here ]