[Waiting for Daemon and Renji.]

After spending the last shift in discussion in the library, Rukia had a lot on her mind. Speaking with Captain Harkness had been somewhat informative, but only increased her worry. How easily were they all being controlled by Landel? And by what means? Too many questions.

Since she was still confined to a wheelchair, Rukia asked a nurse to get her some fruit, salad, and a big bowl of rice. She could have easily done it herself, but wanted to find a spot in one of the corners near the door to wait for Renji. She hadn't spoken to him for long the previous day, and had been very upset at the time. Maybe they could just have a nice lunch together.

Rukia thanked the nurse who brought her food and began to eat, looking up at the door every so often.

And then he was back in his room again. Sai frowned at the ceiling momentarily, but was soon sitting up. He was back in the Landel's uniform again, which really saved him the trouble of having to change, didn't it?

It was disappointing that he hadn't had the opportunity to finish his discussion with Usopp, but luckily they'd already made plans for the morning meal - to include their new cohort, of course. Hopefully whatever had been responsible for making Usopp act the way he had the night before had worn off with the sunrise. Otherwise things would get troublesome.

The moment his nurse came to get him he was ready to leave, and as usual she was pleased with how willing to go along with the daily routine he was, though he hardly offered her any attention. Breakfast was... unpleasant looking, so Sai stuck to milk and fruit. Finding a table, he didn't yet take a seat but stood so that the two men he'd be meeting with could spot him easier.

Time to get down to business.

[waiting for Usopp and Mello]

[From here.]

Ah, this was different. Kadaj looked around the room with an expression of keen interest, taking a moment to wander a little and enjoy the fresh air before turning his attention back to the task at hand. He couldn't resist one little peek down at the courtyard, though-- and what, oh, what could be going on down there?

He wasn't stupid enough to linger at the railings long enough to catch the attention of the people fighting down below, though, so after making a half-hearted attempt to identify them, he shrugged and went to examine the nearest table. Rapping his knuckles against it yielded a less than favorable sound, but, undeterred, he started fiddling with the umbrella instead. Maybe this could be useful? Hmmm...

[From here.]

Well, wasn't this a disappointment.

Kadaj glared around at the sinks and stalls as if personally offended by them, only taking a step or two into the room to allow Hughes to also have a look or even follow him inside if he wanted... which he wouldn't. What was the point?

"Less glamorous than what I'd been hoping for, but there are always other rooms, right?" he remarked in what was supposed to be an offhand tone but ended up sounding, for lack of a better word, bratty. No surprises there. "The next one over is probably more of the same, but..." Was there anything useful in this room? He was sure there wasn't, but maybe Hughes had other ideas.

[From here.]

Predictably, the room was dark, and after hanging by the door for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust, Kadaj ventured deeper inside to get a better look around. Tables, chairs-- ah. Shelves. A library? How perfectly dull. It definitely wasn't a room he would have wanted to go had he already known what was inside it, but now that he was here, he supposed he'd just have to make the most of it. It was more tempting to just leave, but after remembering that Hughes might actually care about the contents of this room, he discarded that idea. Sigh.

"What do you think?" he asked, wandering over to the nearest shelf and pulling a random medical journal off of it. He didn't have the patience to try and read it, especially since his night vision wasn't that good, but opening it and flipping through the pages was distracting enough that he'd be able to resist the urge to tear the room apart for being so boring. "Anything useful here we want to pick up?"

[From here.]

This looked promising-- well, as promising as a dark and potentially danger-filled hall could look. The fact that just about every hall looked the same at night was also completely irrelevant, but Kadaj wasn't thinking about that. He was too busy keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of that woman or, worse yet, the hooded creature he'd run into with Yazoo. Any other monster would have been fine, but those two...

To fill the silence, he spared a glance back at Hughes and said, "What I meant by 'You sound like Shin-Ra,' by the way, was that they too were also the police force. There wasn't really an area they didn't cover, actually. Is it the same for you on your world?" He wasn't sure what he'd think of Hughes and Roy if the answer was "yes," but since whatever organization they were a part of hadn't experimented on Mother like Shin-Ra had, they were automatically better people in his book.

[From here.]

Stairs, stairs, stairs, Weren't they annoying? Kadaj's impatience made it difficult for him not to hate them, but thankfully, he wouldn't need to be stuck on them for long. The second floor wasn't that far away, so once he got past them, he could literally and figuratively get over the damn things. Their fault for impeding him anyway.

[To here.]

[[from here]]

It didn't look like anyone had come through this way just yet.  The file room was still a long way off, on the other side of the building, but at least now he'd put some distance behind him.  He hadn't really been up this way much, not alone at least.  He'd seen some of it his first night, exploring and looking for supplies with Harry and the others.  Yuuhi tried to quiet his breathing, but his heart was beating faster than usual.  He continued on at a slightly slower pace now, on the lookout for creatures both in front and behind him.

[[to here]]

[from here]
Renji slowed a little as he headed up the hallway, sweeping the ceiling with his flashlight. So far, no giant spiders. He liked that. It wasn't that he had anything against spiders; he wasn't some pansy that was afraid of a little bug. Or a big one. He just hadn't liked the feeling of getting bitten and poisoned.

He went to the room almost at the end of the hallway - M2.

[from here]
Renji paused just long enough to open the door into the first M-block, then ran in, leaving it open behind him. He headed toward the last hallway.

He did switch his flashlight on now, though.

...just in case there was another spider. And no Daemon. In which case he would do more than punch the shit out of the man when he got to him.

[to here]

[from here]

As usual, the door to the hallway had been open. He was never certain if it started that way or other prisoners opened, it, but he guessed it was probably the first option, now. He paused for just a moment to listen, then continued on. It wasn't that much further until he reached Daemon's room.

[to here]

As though his conversation during the last shift hadn't been terrible enough... the way that girl had treated him like a child, it was just another nail in the coffin to be herded along to the showers with all the other children.  Allen knew he must be dirty, but he was far from enthusiastic about the idea of public nudity. 

When he arrived, however, he was relieved to be the first one in the room.  Perhaps he could get this over with and get moving before very many others showed up.  He was too tired to argue with the nurses, but at least they were kind enough to help him get the water to a decent temperature before leaving him to his business.  He was a little unsteady, but better than this morning.  His shoulder ached, though after a few minutes under the warm water, he could feel it starting to relax.  If he could just tune out everything else around him, this shift might even be a little bit pleasant.

[[waiting for captain pedo pants hitsu]]

Hitsugaya woke with a start.

His entire body ached, but the pain was nowhere near as bad as it had been the night before. His injuries had been tended two with clean gauze and bandages, and he found every movement wasn't agony. He wasn't in the best of shape, but thanks to the miracle of landel's strange time distortion, he had mostly recovered from the vile poison without having to waste anyone else's talents.

And in his hand, still...there was the key.

He dressed quickly, sliding the key onto the key ring from his desk drawer and stuck it into his pocket. Whether the key stood to gain them anything or not, it stood as a vital reminder that they could succeed in this place. There was hope, as insignificant as it often seemed. They could beat this place.

That small shred of hope made getting up worth it.

The nurse who escorted him to breakfast was cheerful, and commented idly about how wonderful it was to see young Tommy Winters up and about again after his unfortunate run-in with a bad case of food poisoning. He smirked slightly, knowing that any lies the institute forced into their heads were only that: lies. He wouldn't buy it for a second. And on top of that, the concept of muffins sounded almost appetizing. While he still preferred his authentic Japanese cuisine, the food here was slowly becoming more and more bearable. He would have preferred a warm bowl of sweet nattou over rice over the mufffins, but they would do. The plain yogurt and fruit, on the other hand, was excellent. He piled his plate high with fruit as usual, and got several small bowls of yogurt as well.

Finding the most convenient table to the end of the food line, he took a seat and scanned for the new arrivals. New arrivals meant people who would be lost and confused. Renji did a good job of making a bulliten post last time...he should recommend abarai-fukutaicho do the same again this time.

[Waiting for Angel]

[Coming from here.]

Daemon paid little attention to any of the doors he passed, taking no time to watch where he was going or check if there was anyone or anything in his way. His attention was completely focused on that one distant pulse, which was growing ever closer. He could feel her, she wasn't far away. After all this time.

It was all he could do not to just spend his magic and take down the walls that separated him from her in order to be there more quickly.

[Racing here.]

[Currently from within M2]

Daemon been half afraid this night would be a repeat of last, that he would continue, night after night, to be trapped as a puppet of this place. An illogical fear, maybe, but there all the same. He'd been used for such things for far too long to not anticipate a re-occurrence. The relief he felt when none were forthcoming was almost breathtaking in its force.

Settling back on his bed, he made himself comfortable, fully intending to wait for Renji to show up for their scheduled brawl. He was actually looking forward to, an equal meeting, a way to work off some of the frustration and helpless rage this place was so good at instilling in them. He was certain he could use the outlet as much as the redhead.

Darkness fell, and the radio snapped on overhead once, then again, signaling the change of things out in the building, although there was no doctor taunting them this night, only the harsh gutteral sounds of a transformed nurse, if his guess was right. He listened to the words with a fierce frown, sliding his legs over the bed and wondering if he should really be waiting here in his room while others were being dragged away for much worse tortures than he'd endured last night...

The pondering lasted all of a moment. That was when he felt it. Felt her.

For one long moment, he stood there in the center of the room, frozen in shock, and then a roar of disbelief and fury escaped him, the temperature dropping to an icy degree within the four walls, a covering of frost coating the furniture almost instantly as his rage unleashed. Without pausing to grab anything other than his flashlight to illuminate his way, Daemon tore out of the room, following the faint pulse of familiar Ebony power that filled him with both furious and joyous relief.

She was here. She was here and afraid, and she was alive.

[Going here.]

[from here]

It was lucky for both him and Usopp that their rooms were just a block down. Not that he'd seen many monsters or otherwise around the patient blocks themselves, but the further apart they were the more likely there would be something that could stop them on the way. Here they had simply a short run between them. Granted, it would have been even better if they'd been in the same block or even the same hallway, but given the overall situation they could have been far worse off.

He took one more glance around, saw nothing and no one, and continued on his way.

[to here]

As always, Rukia felt a chill of apprehension when the Head Doctor announced that new patients would be arriving. Would it be anyone else she knew? What if Ichigo was back...?

Before she could linger on those thoughts for too long, though, the nurse who had brought her to the showers looked up something on her chart and said, "Shiori, it looks like you've got a visitor this shift!" The woman smiled brightly. "Aren't you excited!?"

Rukia paled at the announcement. Who could possibly be visiting her? Captain Ukitake's face flashed in her mind. No. Don't think about it. It won't be the real person, anyway.

Trying not to look like a cornered animal, Rukia ran a hand through her damp hair and put on a fake smile. "Oh, uh, th-that's nice," she mumbled as the nurse showed her to the visiting room. Rukia took a seat, hands folded in her lap, and focused intently on the floor by her feet. She didn't want to deal with more of Martin Landel's sick jokes.

Hitsugaya left the chapel no less frustrated than before. The head doctor once again had chosen not to hide his face, yet promised he would be making an appearance at some time in the near future. He didn't like being patient, but there wasn't much choice. Either the head doctor would show his face, or he wouldn't. Renji had already seen him, and knew how to find him. That was enough.

The thought of eating made him slightly nauseous as usual, but he knew he needed to get his strength up. He could either be weak and try to force his way through brunch without eating anything, or he could be smart and actually give himself something to eat. And there was rice. Rice and fruit. He took a heaping pile of rice, and grabbed as much watermelon as he could fit on his plate, then proceeded to an empty table. He scanned the room, watching for Momo. He wasn't exactly looking forward to their conversation, knowing how she'd acted yesterday; however, he knew he had to speak to her, and there was a good chance that she would show more restraint now that the drugs were out of her system.

Thoughtfully he consumed his rice and waited.

[free at the moment, pester if you wish]

It was with some relief that Yuuhi awoke the next morning, in his own bed, sore and tired and achy.  He would've slept more had they let him, his face down in the pillow, away from all the others and their questions and their concern.  He didn't want to see them, but he managed a little smile when the nurse came in and didn't object when she lead him out into the open hallway that had been splattered with blood, plenty of it his, just last night. 

The Chapel or the Sun Room?  He felt he had good reason not to be terribly religious and had a feeling he wouldn't be very welcome there anyway.  The Sun Room would be nice though.  It was bright and cheery and he could always doodle or write notes on the community board if he'd nothing better to do.  Besides, the nurse was kind enough to let him take a book with him.

He found a seat on one of the couches, far from the entrance and seated himself in the far corner, legs scrunched up against his chest so he only took up one of the cushions.  He opened up where he'd left off, fingers carefully turning the worn pages  of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. 

Rhode didn't want to have to let go of Allen, not ever. It could be forever before she was able to be with him again! But the nurses were persistent in moving her off the big yellow thing, as was Allen for getting away from her. Even outside of the building, people were just determined to keep her from being with him! It wasn't fair!

Once off the bus and shivering just slightly from the crisp fall air, Rhode was handed a small booklet of what the nurse called "coupons". It took some explaining, but Rhode was eventually able to understand that the thin pieces of paper in the book were supposed to be used like money here. She wasn't at all accustomed to buying things for herself; that was supposed to be the Earl's job. When Rhode expressed this problem, the nurse only gave her a sad smile and patter her in the direction of the buildings.

"Why don't you go find something fun to do? There's a toy store just around the corner there. Don't worry about being alone though, we're all here to keep an eye on you. If anything happens, just come get one of us," the nurse explained, nodding to the staff members that were set to parole the town for any problems their more unruly patents could cause.

So, they were all going to be watched even though they could roam about freely? Rhode took a look back towards the yellow things but was unable to pick out Allen from the mess of patients. In a few moments, she probably wouldn't be able to find him at all or for the rest of the day. Should she just resign herself to that for now and use the small bit of freedom to her advantage? Being with Allen was important, and a lot of fun but...

She glanced down at the coupons again, smiled up at the nurse as best she could, and gave a quick, "Okay!" before running off as suggested.

A small bit of freedom was bound to make her feel better. Maybe she could use it to remind herself of how she was supposed to handle Allen Walker, an exorcist. This town did have a similar air to that of the Rewinding Town, after all.

[went here]